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Why did Milan come under the rule of Charles V in 1535?
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Milan
Shoppers in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan.
In 1535, Milan came under the rule of the Habsburg Holy Roman emperor Charles V because the incumbent duke, Francesco II Sforza, died unexpectedly without heirs.12
Francesco II Sforza had been established as the duke of Milan in 1522 by Charles V following the defeat of French forces at the Battle of Bicocca. Upon his death in 1535, the ducal male line ended, causing the duchy to devolve to Charles V. Following this transition, Milan was administered by a Spanish governor, becoming a strategic keystone in the imperial design of Spain as a critical staging area for military operations.23