Abstract
When the ancient Greek heritage was rehabilitated in the Renaissance, its students were first and foremost aspiring humanists, almost as a rule men. An early exception was Ippolita Maria Sforza (1445–88), the eldest daughter of the duke of Milan Francesco I Sforza, who I argue not only studied the Greek language but also acted as a patroness of Greek studies. Sforza’s double role is confirmed by two Greek grammars dedicated to her and connected to the Byzantine migrant Constantine Lascaris. These documents reveal how Sforza probably studied the language, and how she was imagined as a student.
Ippolita Maria Sforza, student and patroness of Greek in Milan (ca. 1465)