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- BIOGRAPHY
Sante was the natural son of Ercole Bentivoglio. Originally an apprentice of the wool guild of Florence, Sante was educated at Florence in the court of Cosimo Pater Patrie de' Medici. In 1443 Sante succeeded his cousin Annibale I Bentivoglio, son of condottiero Antongaleazzo Bentivoglio, as ruler of Bologna when Annibale was killed in an ambush by the rival family of the Canteoli. Sante, who held the title of _gonfaloniere di giustizia,_ was also named as tutor of Annibale's son Giovanni II.
Sante ushered in a brief period of political tranquillity. Always technically under papal control, the city obtained some actual autonomy. Sante re-created a type of feudal regime, creating a communal senate composed of the landowning nobility, the new rich and the papal nobility. Bologna strengthened its relations with Venice, Milan and Florence.
On 19 May 1454 in Bologna's church of San Giacomo Maggiore, Sante married Ginevra Sforza, then about fourteen years old, the natural daughter of Alessandro Sforza, lord of Pesaro. They had two children who would both have progeny. Costanza married Antonmaria Pico della Mirandola, and Ercole, a condotierro, married Barbara Torelli, daughter of Marsilio Torelli, conte di Montechiarugolo.
In 1460 Sante started building a palace, which was destroyed in 1507 after the Bentivoglio were ousted from Bologna. He allied with the Republic of Venice, the house of Sforza and the house of Medici. He died in Bologna in 1462 from an illness, and was succeeded by Giovanni II Bentivoglio, son of Annibale I. In 1463 Giovanni became the second husband of Sante's widow Ginevra, and had many children with her.
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