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Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
soldier and statesman who was
Lord of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that ele ...
. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he and Galeazzo II were rumoured to have murdered their brother Matteo since he endangered the regime. When Galeazzo II died, he shared Milan's lordship with his nephew Gian Galeazzo. Bernabò was a ruthless despot toward his subjects and did not hesitate to face emperors and popes including Pope Urban V. The conflict with the Church cost him several excommunications. On 6 May 1385, his nephew Gian Galeazzo deposed him. Imprisoned in his castle,
Trezzo sull'Adda Trezzo sull'Adda ( Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan on the Adda River. The Naviglio Martesana canal starts from the Adda in Trezzo's ter ...
, he died a few months later, presumably from poisoning.


Life

He was born in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina
Doria Doria or Dória may refer to: People Surname * Doria (family), a prominent Genoese family ** Andrea Doria (1466–1560), Genoese admiral ** Ansaldo Doria, 12th century Genoese statesman and commander ** Brancaleone Doria (died c. 1409?), husband ...
. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti. On 27 September 1350 Bernabò married Beatrice Regina della Scala, daughter of Mastino II, Lord of
Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
and Taddea da Carrara, and forged both a political and cultural alliance between the two cities. His intrigues and ambitions kept him at war almost continuously with Pope Urban V, the Florentines, Venice and Savoy. In 1354, at the death of Giovanni, he inherited the power of Milan, together with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo. Bernabò received the eastern lands ( Bergamo,
Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
, Cremona and
Crema Crema or Cremas may refer to: Crema * Crema, Lombardy, a ''comune'' in the northern Italian province of Cremona * Crema (coffee), a thin layer of foam at the top of a cup of espresso * Crema (dairy product), the Spanish word for cream * ''Cremà ...
), that bordered the Veronese territories. Milan itself was to be ruled in turn by the three brothers. Matteo died in 1355, rumored to have been poisoned by his brothers, who divided his inheritance. In 1356, after having offended the emperor, he pushed back a first attack upon Milan by the imperial vicar Markward von Randeck, imprisoning him. In 1360 he was declared heretic by
Innocent VI Pope Innocent VI ( la, Innocentius VI; 1282 or 1295 – 12 September 1362), born Étienne Aubert, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 December 1352 to his death in September 1362. He was the fifth Avignon pope a ...
at Avignon and condemned by Emperor Charles IV. The ensuing conflict ended with a dismal defeat at San Ruffillo against the imperial troops under
Galeotto I Malatesta Galeotto I Malatesta (1299–1385) was an Italian condottiero, who was lord of Rimini, Fano, Ascoli Piceno, Cesena and Fossombrone. Biography Born in Rimini, he was the son of Pandolfo I Malatesta and the brother of Malatesta II Malatesta. In 133 ...
(29 July 1361). In 1362, after the death of his sister's husband, Ugolino Gonzaga, caused him to attack also
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
. Warring on several different fronts, in December of that year he sued for peace with the new pope, Urban V, through the mediation of King
John II of France John II (french: Jean II; 26 April 1319 – 8 April 1364), called John the Good (French: ''Jean le Bon''), was King of France from 1350 until his death in 1364. When he came to power, France faced several disasters: the Black Death, which killed ...
. However, because Barnabò neglected to return the papal city of
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
and to present himself at Avignon, on 4 March 1363 he was excommunicated once more, together with his children, one of whom, Ambrogio, was captured by the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz. With the peace signed on 13 March 1364, Visconti left the occupied Papal lands, in exchange for the raising of the ban upon a payment of 500,000 florins. In spring 1368 Visconti allied with Cansignorio della Scala of Verona, and attacked Mantua, still ruled by Ugolino Gonzaga. The situation was settled later in the year through an agreement between him and emperor. Two years later he besieged Reggio, which he managed to acquire from Gonzaga in 1371. The following war against the Este of Modena and Ferrara raised again Papal enmity against the Milanese, now on the part of Gregory XI. In 1370, he ordered the construction of the Trezzo Bridge, then the largest single-arch bridge in the world. In 1373, the pope sent two papal delegates to serve Bernabò and Galeazzo their excommunication papers (consisting of a parchment bearing a leaden seal rolled in a silken cord). Bernabò, infuriated, placed the two papal delegates under arrest and refused their release until they had eaten the parchment, seal, and silken cord which they had served him. He managed to resist, despite also the outbreak of a plague in Milan, whose consequences he suppressed with frantic energy. In 1378 he allied with the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
in its
War of Chioggia The War of Chioggia ( it, Guerra di Chioggia) was a conflict between Genoa and Venice which lasted from 1378 to 1381, from which Venice emerged triumphant. It was a part of the Venetian-Genoese Wars. The war had mixed results. Venice and her alli ...
against Genoa. His troops were however defeated in September 1379 in the Val Bisagno. Bernabò, whose despotism and taxes had enraged the Milanese, is featured among the '' exempla'' of tyrants as victims of Fortune in
Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
'sChaucer had been sent to Lombardy in 1378 on behalf of the young King Richard II to seek the support of Bernabò and Sir John Hawkwood on behalf of the English war effort against France. His ''epistola metrica'' III.29 was tacitly addressed to Bernabò (Ernest H. Wilkings, ''The 'Epistolae Metricae' of Petrarch'', (Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura), p. 11). ''
Monk's Tale "The Monk's Tale" is one of '' The Canterbury Tales'' by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Monk's tale to the other pilgrims is a collection of 17 short stories, exempla, on the theme of tragedy. The tragic endings of these historical figures are recounte ...
'' as "god of delit and scourge of Lumbardye". He was deposed by his nephew Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1385. Imprisoned in the castle of Trezzo, he died on 19 December of that year, presumably poisoned. Bonino da Campione sculpted the equestrian statue of Bernabò Visconti for the church of San Giovanni in Conca around 1363. Its positioning near the church's main altar was regarded as highly problematic by contemporaries and it was commented on by poet and intellectual Petrarch among others. The equestrian statue was reused – with changes and additions carried out by the same Bonino in 1385–1386 – as Bernabò's funerary monument in the same church. It is now preserved in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. An erratic small-size male head in marble now in the storerooms of Castello Sforzesco has recently been rediscovered and tentatively identified as a portrait of the elderly Bernabò. This work too has been attributed to Bonino da Campione.


Children

Bernabò was an ally of
Stephen II, Duke of Bavaria }) was Duke of Bavaria from 1347 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian by his first wife Beatrice of Silesia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty. Biography During the reign of Emperor Louis IV his son Stephe ...
: three of his daughters were married with Stephen's descendants. He had at least 15 legitimate children with his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala: #
Taddea Visconti Taddea Visconti, Duchess of Bavaria (1351 – 28 September 1381) was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Visconti (Milan), Visconti family, the ruling house in Milan from 1277 to 1447. She was the first wife of Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria, and ...
(1351 – 28 September 1381), married on 13 October 1364
Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria Stephen III (1337 – 26 September 1413), called the Magnificent or the Fop (''Stephan der Kneißl''), was the Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt from 1375. He was the eldest son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily. Family His maternal grandparents ...
, of the Royal House of Wittelsbach. They had three children including
Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – September 1435) was Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach as the only daughter of Duke Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingols ...
, Queen consort of King
Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...
of the Royal
House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the f ...
# Verde Visconti (1352 – bef. 11 March 1414), married on 23 February 1365 Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria, of the Imperial
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
, by whom she had six children. # Marco Visconti (November 1353 – 3 January 1382), Lord of Parma in 1364; married in 1367 Elisabeth of Bavaria, by whom he had one daughter. # Antonia Visconti (ca. 1354 – 26 March 1405), engaged in 1366 to King
Frederick III of Sicily Frederick II (or III) (13 December 1272 – 25 June 1337) was the regent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1291 until 1295 and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in th ...
, but he died before the wedding took place; married 27 October 1380 Eberhard III, Count of Württemberg, of the Royal
House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then calle ...
, by whom she had three sons. # Lodovico Visconti (1355 – 7 March 1404), Governor and Lord of Parma during 1364–1404 and Governor of Lodi during 1379–1385; married in November 1381 Violante Visconti, widow of
Lionel of Antwerp Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, (; 29 November 133817 October 1368) was the third son, but the second son to survive infancy, of the English king Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. He was named after his birthplace, at Antwerp in the Duc ...
and Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat. They had a son, Giovanni, who possibly left descendants: the family Milano-Visconti, Reichsfreiherren at Utrecht claim descent from him. # Valentina Visconti (ca. 1357 – bef. September 1393), married in September 1378 King
Peter II of Cyprus Peter II (1354 or 1357 – 13 October 1382), called the Fat (French ''Pierre le Gros''), was the eleventh King of Cyprus of the House of Lusignan from 17 January 1369 until his death. Peter W. Edbury: The Kingdom of Cyprus and the Crusades 1191 ...
, of the Royal
House of Lusignan The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries duri ...
, by whom she had one daughter who died in early infancy. # Carlo Visconti (September 1359 – August 1403), Lord of Cremona, Borgo San Donnino and Parma in 1379; married Beatrice of Armagnac, daughter of
John II, Count of Armagnac John II, the Hunchback, (born 1333, died 26 May 1384), Count of Armagnac, of Fézensac, Rodez (1371–1384) and Count of Charolais (1364–1384), Viscount Lomagne and Auvillars, he was the son of John I, Count of Armagnac, of Fezensac and Rodez, Vis ...
and Jeanne de Périgord, by whom he had four children. #
Caterina Visconti Caterina Visconti (1361 – 17 October 1404) was Duchess of Milan as the second spouse of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, and was the mother of two succeeding Dukes of Milan, Gian Maria and Filippo Maria Visconti. Caterin ...
(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 Gian Maria Visconti (or Giovanni Maria; 7 September 1388 – 16 May 1412) was the second Visconti Duke of Milan, the son of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and Caterina Visconti. He was known to be cruel and was eventually assassinated. He had no children ...
, 2nd Duke of Milan; and Filippo Maria Visconti, 3rd Duke of Milan, who fathered
Bianca Maria Visconti Bianca Maria Visconti (31 March 1425 – 28 October 1468) was Duchess of Milan from 1450 to 1468 by marriage to Francesco I Sforza. She was regent of Marche during the absence of her spouse in 1448. She served as Regent of the Duchy of Milan du ...
by his mistress Agnese del Maino. #
Agnese Visconti Agnese Visconti also known as Agnes (1363 – 7 February 1391) was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala. She was consort of Mantua by her marriage to Francesco I Gonzaga. Family Agnese was born in Milan, Italy ...
(1362 – 7 February 1391), married 26 September 1380
Francesco I Gonzaga Portrait of Francesco I Gonzaga Francesco I Gonzaga (1366 – 7 March 1407) was ruler of Mantua from 1382 to 1407. He was also a condottiero. Succeeding his father Ludovico II Gonzaga in 1382, he led a policy of balance between the nearby ...
, of the
House of Gonzaga ) , type = Noble house , country = , estates = Ducal Palace (Mantua) Ducal Palace (Nevers) , titles = * Prince of Arches * Duke of Montferrat * Duke of Mantua * Duke of Guastalla * Duke of Nevers * Duke ...
, by whom she had one daughter. Agnes was executed for alleged adultery. # Rodolfo Visconti (ca. 1364 – January 1389), Lord of Bergamo, Soncino and Ghiara d'Adda in 1379. Unmarried. #
Maddalena Visconti Maddalena Visconti (1366 – 17 July 1404) was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala. Maddalena was Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut by her marriage to Frederick, Duke of Bavaria. Family Maddalena was born in Mila ...
(ca. 1366 – 17 July 1404), married 9 April 1382
Frederick, Duke of Bavaria Frederick (1339 – 4 December 1393) was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily. Family His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou. Her parents were Charles ...
, by whom she had five children including
Henry XVI of Bavaria Henry XVI of Bavaria (1386 – 30 July 1450, in Landshut), (), since 1393 Duke of Bavaria-Landshut. He was a son of duke Frederick and his wife Maddalena Visconti, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti. Life Duke Henry XVI was the first of the three ...
. # Anglesia Visconti (ca. 1368 – 12 October 1439), married in January 1400 King
Janus of Cyprus Janus (1375 – 29 June 1432) was King of Cyprus and titular King of Armenian Cilicia and Jerusalem from 1398 to 1432. Early life Janus was born in Genoa, where his father, James I of Cyprus, was a captive. His mother, Helvis of Brunswick ...
, but the union was childless and was dissolved 1407/1409; he married in 1411 as his second wife, Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche, of the Royal House of Bourbon, by whom he had six children. # Mastino Visconti (March 1371 – 19 June 1405), Lord of Bergamo, Valcamonica and Ghiaradadda in 1405; married in 1385 Cleofa
della Scala The Della Scala family, whose members were known as Scaligeri () or Scaligers (; from the Latinized ''de Scalis''), was the ruling family of Verona and mainland Veneto (except for Venice) from 1262 to 1387, for a total of 125 years. History Wh ...
, by whom he had three children. #
Elisabetta Visconti Elisabetta Visconti (1374 – 2 February 1432), also known as ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'', was a younger child of Bernabò Visconti and his wife, Beatrice Regina della Scala. Elisabetta was a member of the House of Visconti. Family Elisabett ...
(1374 – 2 February 1432), married on 26 January 1395
Ernest, Duke of Bavaria Ernest of Bavaria-Munich (german: Ernst, Herzog von Bayern-München), (Munich, 1373 – 2 July 1438 in Munich), from 1397 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. Biography Ernest was a son of John II and ruled the duchy of Bavaria-Munich together with h ...
, by whom she had five children including
Albert III, Duke of Bavaria Albert III the Pious of Bavaria-Munich (; 27 March 1401 – 29 February 1460), since 1438 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was born in Wolfratshausen to Ernest, Duke of Bavaria and Elisabetta Visconti, daughter of Bernabò Visconti. Life Albert ...
. # Lucia Visconti (ca. 1380 – 14 April 1424), married firstly on 28 June 1399 Frederick of Thuringia (future Elector of Saxony) but the union was dissolved on grounds of non-consummation shortly after; married secondly on 24 January 1407
Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent, 5th Baron Holand, KG (6 January 1383 15 September 1408) was the Earl of Kent from 1400 to 1408. He was the 106th Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1403. Edmund was born in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, the second ...
. No issue. His illegitimate offspring by Donnina del Porri, legitimated in a ceremony after the death of his wife in 1384, were as follows: * Palamede (d. 1402). * Lancellotto (d. after 1413). * Sovrana, married Giovanni de Prato. * Ginevra, married Leonardo Malaspina, Marchese di Gragnola (d. 1441). 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. * Enrica (born ca. 1344), married Franchino Rusconi dei Signori di Como. * Margherita (ca. 1345 – d. after 1413), Abbess of the Convent of Santa Margherita. * Ettore (ca. 1346 – 1413), who briefly took the Lordship of Milan (16 May – 12 June 1412), married Margherita Infrascati. —With Montanina de Lazzari: * Sagramoro (d. 1385), Lord of Brignano, married Achiletta Marliani, this branch finish with two Ladyes: Claudia Visconti of Brignano, married in 1585 to Lodovico Marazzani Landi, Lord of Paderna and Villa del Riglio from 1602 Lodovico Marazzani Visconti Lord of Paderna, from 1605 Count Lodovico Marazzani Visconti, Count of Paderna and Villa del Riglio and Flerida Visconti of Brignano married with Alessandro Marazzani Landi, Lord of Paderna and Villa del Riglio and one Lord: Alessandro Visconti, Lord of Brignano, Doctor in Laws in Pavia University * Donnina (1360–1406), married in 1377 to Sir
John Hawkwood Sir John Hawkwood ( 1323 – 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or '' condottiero'' in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it i ...
. —With Beltameda Cassa: * Elisabetta sotta(d. 1388), married in 1378 to Count Lutz I von Landau, leader of the "Grand Company" of Condottiere in Italy. —With Giovannola Montebretto: * Bernarda (d. 1376), married Giovanni Suardi. —With Caterina Freganeschi: * Galeotto (d. after 1413). * Riccarda, married Bernardon de la Salle. —With unknown mistresses: * Lionello (d. after 1404). * Isabella. * Damigella. * Isotta, married (annulled 1382) Carlo Fogliani. * Daughter, married Bernardo della Sala, Lord Soriano nel Cimino. * Valentina (d. after 10 April 1414), married Antonio Visconti, Lord of Belgioioso.


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Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visconti, Bernabo 1319 births 1385 deaths 14th-century Italian nobility Assassinated Italian people Burials at Milan Cathedral Bernabo Visconti People excommunicated by the Catholic Church Rulers of Milan