Queen Bona Sforza was a prominent figure in the 16th century, known for her significant influence in both Poland and Italy. In February 1556, after spending 38 years in Poland, she departed for her native Italy, carrying a wealth of treasures amassed during her reign. By May, she arrived in Bari, where she reclaimed her mother's duchy.

Shortly after her arrival, envoys from King Philip II of Spain approached her, seeking to persuade her to relinquish the duchies of Bari and Rossano to the Habsburgs. Meanwhile, the viceroy of Naples, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, fearing a potential French attack, sought funds to bolster his military. Bona, possibly with aspirations of securing a political position in Naples, agreed to lend him a substantial sum of 430,000 ducats at an interest rate of 10% per year, backed by customs duties from Foggia. This agreement was formalized in September and December 1556.

However, the Habsburgs were intent on acquiring Bari without repaying the loan. On November 8, 1557, Bona fell ill with severe stomach pain. As her condition worsened, her loyal courtier Gian Lorenzo Pappacoda summoned notary Marco Vincenzo de Baldis to draft her last will. In her initial will, she bequeathed Bari, Rossano, Ostuni, and Grottaglie to Philip II, with significant sums allocated to Pappacoda’s family. Her daughters were to receive one-time payments, while her son, King Sigismund II Augustus, was named the primary heir but would ultimately inherit only cash, jewelry, and personal items.

The following day, feeling slightly better, Bona dictated a new will that transferred her properties, including Bari, to Sigismund Augustus. However, her health deteriorated again, and she passed away in the early hours of November 19, 1557, at the age of 63. There are suspicions that she may have been poisoned by trusted members of her household.

After her death, her properties were seized by the Habsburgs, aligning with their ambitions to expand their influence in Italy. Bona was interred in the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, where her daughter Anna later commissioned a Renaissance-style tomb in her honor.

свернуть