1490

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political events

Isabella d'Este is married February 11 at Ferrara to Gian Francesco Gonzaga, 24, marquis of Mantua, whose sister Elizabetta is duchess of Urbino and will be a close friend of Isabella's. Now nearly 16, the beautiful and learned Isabella has been raised partly at Ferrara and partly at the royal court of her grandfather Ferrante of Naples.

Beatrice d'Este turns 15 June 29 and sets out from her native Ferrara December 29 to marry Ludovico Sforza, duke of Bari and regent of Milan (see 1480).

Hungary's Matthias I Corvinus (Mátyás Corvin) dies suddenly at Vienna April 6 at age 50 after an illustrious 32-year reign in which he has adopted financial, judicial, military, and administrative reforms in an effort to end feudal anarchy while stabilizing the monarchy against repeated attacks from his baronial opponents and foreign dynasts. He has familiarized himself with humanistic ideas and many languages, inviting philosophers to his court; while like most of his contemporaries he has believed in astrology and other pseudo-scientific ideas, he has at the same time supported genuine scientists and built up a substantial library. Mourned by the peasantry despite the high taxes he has imposed, Matthias is succeeded by Bohemia's Ladislas II, who will reign until 1516, losing all of the Moravian and Silesian territories gained by Matthias (see 1491).

Tomiko Hino becomes a Buddhist nun. She effectively ruled Japan as shōgun from 1474 until last year, when her son died.

exploration, colonization

Portuguese explorers ascend the Congo for some 200 miles and convert the king of the Congo Empire to Christianity. They establish a post at São Salvador and begin a sphere of influence that will continue for more than a century.

commerce

England's Henry VII takes control of the country's wool trade out of the hands of Florentine bankers and turns it over to Englishmen. The loss in trade brings a new crisis to Florence and opens the way to foes of big business in the city, foes led by the monk Girolamo Savonarola, prior of San Marco (see religion 1491).

art

Painting: The Annunciation altarpiece by Sandro Botticelli.

agriculture

The Portuguese plant sugar cane on the African island of São Tomé and bring in slaves from the kingdom of Benin and other African countries to work in the cane fields (see human rights, social justice [Cadbury], 1901).

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