Bernabò Visconti

By
-
68

Bernabò Visconti : biography

1323 – 18 December 1385

The funerary monument of Bernabò Visconti, with an equestrian statue, together with that of his consort, had been made beforehand, in 1363. The sculptures by Bonino da Campione were intended for the church of San Giovanni in Conca. They now stand in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan.

Children

Bernabò was an ally of Stephen II, Duke of Bavaria: three of his daughters were married with Stephen’s descendants. He had 17 legitimate children with his wife:

  1. Taddea Visconti, Duchess of Bavaria (1351–28 September 1381), married on 13 October 1364 Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria, by whom she had three children including Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen consort of King Charles VI of France
  2. Viridis Visconti (1352–1414), married Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria, by whom she had six children.
  3. Marco Visconti (November 1353–1382), married Elisabeth of Bavaria
  4. Rodolfo Visconti, Lord of Parma (1358–1388)
  5. Ludovico Visconti (1358–7 March 1404), married Violante Visconti, widow of Lionel of Antwerp. They had a son, Giovanni, who left descendants.
  6. Carlo Visconti (September 1359–August 1403), married Beatrice of Armagnac, daughter of John II, Count of Armagnac and Jeanne de Périgord, by whom he had four children.
  7. Valentina Visconti (1360–1393), married firstly in 1378, King Peter II of Cyprus, by whom she had one daughter who died in early infancy; she married secondly, Galeazzo, Count of Virtù
  8. Caterina Visconti, Duchess of Milan (1361–17 October 1404), married on 2 October 1380 as his second wife, Gian Galeazzo Visconti 1st Duke of Milan, by whom she had two sons, Gian Maria Visconti, 2nd Duke of Milan; and Filippo Maria Visconti, 3rd Duke of Milan, who fathered Bianca Maria Visconti by his mistress Agnese del Maino.
  9. Agnese Visconti (1362–1391), married in 1380 Francesco I Gonzaga, by whom she had one daughter. Agnes was executed for alleged adultery.
  10. Antonia Visconti (died 26 March 1405), married Eberhard III, Count of Wurttemberg, by whom she had three sons.
  11. Mastino Visconti (died 1404), married Antonia della Scala (died 1400), daughter of Cangrande II.
  12. Maddalena Visconti (1366 – 17 July 1404), married Frederick, Duke of Bavaria, by whom she had five children including Henry XVI of Bavaria
  13. Aymonette Visconti, married Louis I de Berton des Balbes
  14. Anglesia Visconti (died 12 October 1439), in January 1400 married King Janus of Cyprus, but the marriage was childless and was dissolved 1407/1409; he married in 1411 as his second wife, Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche by whom he had six children.
  15. Giammastino Visconti (1370 – 19 June 1405), married Cleofa della Scala (died 1403), by whom he had three children. She was the daughter of Cangrande II.
  16. Lucia Visconti (1372 – 14 April 1424), married Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent, the marriage was childless.
  17. Elisabetta Visconti (1374 – 2 February 1432), married on 26 January 1395 Ernest, Duke of Bavaria, by whom she had five children including Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.

His illegitimate offspring by Donnina del Porri, legitimated in a ceremony after the death of his wife in 1384," Bernabò Visconti seems to have gone through some sort of marriage ceremony to legitimate his children by Donnina del Porri" (H.S. Ettlinger, "Visibilis et Invisibilis: The Mistress in Italian Renaissance Court Society", Renaissance Quarterly, 1994. were as follows:

  • Palamede (d. 1402).
  • Lancelloto.
  • Sovrana, married Giovanni da Prato.
  • Ginevra, married Leonardo Malaspina (d. 1441).
  • Enrica, married Franchino Rusca.

In addition, Bernabò had other illegitimate offspring by other mistresses:

—With Beltramola Grassi:

  • Ambrogio (1343 – killed in battle Caprino Bergamasco, 17 August 1373), condottiero and Governor of Pavia.
  • Isotta (d. 1388), married in 1378 to Count Lutz von Landau, condottiero under the name of Lucio Land (d. 1398).
  • Ettore (d. 1413), who briefly took the Lordship of Milan (16 May – 12 June 1412), married Margherita Infrascati.
  • Riccarda, married Bernard, Seigneur de La Salle (d. 1391).

—With Montanina de Lazzari:

  • Sagramoro (d. 1385), Lord of Brignano, married Achiletta Marliani.
  • Donnina (1360–1406), married in 1377 to Sir John Hawkwood.

—With Giovanolla Montebretto:

  • Bernarda (d. 1376), married Giovanni Suardi.
  • Valentia, married Antonio Gentile Visconti, Lord of Belgioioso.

Footnotes

Category:1319 births Category:1385 deaths Category:14th-century Italian people Category:Assassinated Italian people Category:Burials at Milan Cathedral Bernabo Visconti Category:People excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church Category:People from Milan Category:Released from excommunication Category:Rulers of Milan