Bianca Maria Visconti
Bianca Maria Visconti (born March 31, 1425 in Settimo Pavese, Lombardy , Italy ; † October 23, 1468 in Melegnano , Italy) was Duchess of Milan from 1450 to 1468 .
Life
Origin and childhood
Bianca Maria Visconti was born near Settimo Pavese and was the illegitimate daughter of Filippo Maria Visconti , Duke of Milan, and his mistress Agnese del Mainio. Agnese was the daughter of Ambrogio del Maino, a Milanese nobleman. She served Filippo's wife Beatrice di Tenda as lady-in-waiting. In addition to Bianca Maria, Filippo and Agnese had another daughter, either Caterina Maria or Lucia Maria, who was born in 1426 but died shortly after the birth.
When she was six months old, Bianca Maria moved with her mother to a castle in Abbiategrasso , where a residence had been established for them. Her father also spent a lot of time there. Bianca Maria spent her entire childhood and youth in Abbiategrasso, where she received a humanistic upbringing. She shared her father's passion for horses and hunting.
marriage
In 1430, at the age of five, Bianca Maria was promised to Condottiere Francesco I. Sforza , who was 24 years older. In the same year the contract between Milan and the Sforza had expired, the engagement should now serve to bind the powerful general to Milan. It has also been suggested that Visconti Sforza should have promised to appoint him as the legitimate heir to the duchy. Sforza took on Bianca Maria's rich dowry, which included territories near Cremona , Castellazzo Bormida , Bosco Marengo and Frugarolo . The engagement contract was signed on February 23, 1432 in the castle of Porta Giovia, the residence of the Visconti in Milan. Bianca Maria's official representative was her godfather, Andrea Visconti, General of the Humiliates . It is not certain whether Bianca Maria and her mother were present at the ceremony, according to some sources, she was said to have first visited Milan as an adult woman.
In the years that followed, the suspicious Filippo Maria tried twice to break off his engagement with the ambitious Sforza. In 1434 Sforza had allied himself with Pope Eugene IV , who sent him to fight against Milan. The subsequent attempt to betroth Bianca Maria to Leonello d'Este , Margrave of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio was only a political move to force Sforza to abandon the alliance with Venice against Milan. Bianca Maria's trip to Ferrara in September 1440 is also her first confirmed trip outside Abbiategrasso. The attempt to force Sforza to change the alliance was unsuccessful and Bianca Maria returned to her castle in April 1441.
In the same year, Francesco Sforza was captured by Niccolò Piccinino , who demanded that Visconti be the price for the release of Sforza to rule over Piacenza . Visconti then reconciled with Sforza and confirmed Sforza's engagement to Bianca Maria.
Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti were married on October 24, 1441 in the Abbey of San Sigismondo in Cremona, which they preferred to the cathedral of the city for security reasons . The wedding celebration lasted several days and consisted of lavish banquets, competitions, a race and a tournament. There was also a large cake depicting the torrazzo, the town's church tower. It is possible that this cake is the origin of the torrone .
First years of marriage
On November 7th, 1441 Filippo Maria issued a decree reducing the rights of his vassals, including Francesco. He then preferred to withdraw to the safe territory of Veneto , to the small town of Sanguinetto . In the same year Francesco and Bianca Maria were invited to Venice by the Venetian Doge . Shortly afterwards the news reached that Piccinino threatened Sforza's possessions in the Marche . Bianca Maria later accompanied her husband to Rimini , Gradara and Jesi , where they were guests of Sigismondo Malatesta . Here she stayed in the castle while Francesco led a military operation against Piccinino. Bianca Maria was also appointed Regent of the Marches by her husband, although she was only 17 years old. Although this choice seems surprising, Bianca Maria had shown herself capable of diplomacy in administration. The couple got along very well, but although Francesco had feelings for his wife, he was often unfaithful to her. Bianca Maria largely ignored this, but in 1443 one of her husband's mistresses disappeared and was murdered under mysterious circumstances.
In 1442 Francesco was excommunicated. Four years later, Filippo Maria Visconti, seriously ill, tried to reconcile with Francesco. However, the latter remained suspicious and preferred to concentrate on the defense of his territories, which were threatened by papal troops, although Bianca Maria had begged him to reconcile with her father. In 1447 Sforza finally accepted the position of governor of the Duchy of Milan. However, Visconti changed his mind again as he was jealous and suspicious of Sforza's popularity in Milan. At the same time the new Pope Nicholas V demanded the return of Jesi. It was a very difficult time for Bianca Maria and Francesco.
Francesco Sforza returned the city of Jesi to the Pope in exchange for 35,000 guilders and moved with his wife towards Milan. The news of Filippo Maria Visconti's death, who died on the night of August 13-14, 1447, reached her in Cotignola . Bianca Maria was very angry when she heard of the looting of the Visconti property in Milan after the death of Filippo. Bianca Maria and Francesco moved to Milan with 4,000 horsemen and 2,000 foot soldiers when the newly founded Ambrosian Republic offered Francesco the title of First General in the face of the threat from Venice. Bianca Maria wanted Francesco to decline, but Francesco accepted. Over the next three years he endeavored to recapture the cities that had declared their independence from Milan after Filippo Visconti's death.
In May 1448 Venice attacked Cremona while Sforza was in Pavia . Bianca Maria put on parade armor and hurried with some troops and the people to defend the bridge with a lance. The fight was to last until evening and establish Bianca Maria's reputation as a daring and warlike woman, but this remained a unique episode in Bianca Maria's life.
After the Venetian danger had been removed, Bianca Maria settled with a large court in the Visconti Castle in Pavia. Due to her good relationship with her Visconti relatives, she gained popularity and received loans to support her husband financially. On February 24, 1450, a revolt broke out in Milan. The Venetian ambassador was killed as the Republic of Venice was blamed for the famine in Milan. Thereupon an assembly of citizens, nobles and notables asked Francesco to rule the city.
Duchess of Milan
The day the new ducal couple move in is controversial: either March 22 or March 25. Francesco and Bianca Maria refused the triumph chariot, but instead reached the cathedral on horses. For the first time the title of duke had been bestowed by the citizens of the city.
During the first years of the reign, Bianca Maria worked with her husband to get back her father's possessions and to renovate the ducal palace. Francesco had to go to war against Venice again, while Bianca Maria stayed behind in Milan and administered the duchy. This is evidenced by the correspondence with her husband, which offers an insight into the upbringing of her children, state affairs, financial difficulties and her everyday life. The letters also show Bianca Maria's decisive character, as she never hesitated to express her opinion, even when she contradicted her husband. Accusations of his extramarital adventures can also be found in the letters.
In 1453, Bianca Maria in Pavia hosted René I of Anjou , who was to move to Cremona to fight with his army on the side of Sforza. Bianca Maria later showed him the construction site of the new Castello Sforzesco in Milan.
Last years
After the Peace of Lodi in 1454, Bianca Maria devoted herself not only to diplomacy and the repair and decoration of the ducal residences, but also public works. The ducal couple had a large hospital built in Milan, the Ospedale Maggiore , and Bianca Maria also helped many poor women. In 1459 Pope Pius II convened the Council of Mantua to organize a war against the Ottomans . Bianca Maria offered 300 riders and Francesco was proposed as military leader, but the war never materialized. Francesco and Bianca Maria's support for the Pope ensured that the latter granted them indulgences for the cathedral and the Ospedale Maggiore in Milan.
In 1462 Francesco Sforza fell seriously ill with gout and dropsy. During his illness, Bianca Maria's political and administrative skills ensured that the state did not fall apart as a result of rebellions instigated by Venice. As regent, Bianca Maria acted very effectively. She also helped arrange the marriage of Jacopo Piccinino, Niccolò's son, and Drusiana, an illegitimate daughter of Francesco.
The biggest problem for Bianca Maria at this time was her eldest son, Galeazzo Maria , whose unstable and treacherous character caused her many problems. Her mother Agnese del Maino died on December 13, 1465. Shortly afterwards, on March 8, 1466, Francesco Sforza also died. Bianca Maria quickly took the reins and called Galeazzo Maria back home to take control while he fought alongside the French king. Galeazzo was considerate of his mother at first and was grateful, but his greed and ruthlessness soon ensured that he acted independently and ignored Bianca Maria's advice. Over time, Bianca Maria assumed an increasingly insignificant position at court and was ultimately forced to leave Milan by her son. She moved to Cremona. According to some sources, she is said to have considered ceding control of the city to Venice, as she was in regular contact with Ferdinand I of Naples , who tried to overthrow Galeazzo.
death
Contrary to the advice of her advisors, Bianca Maria decided to attend Galeazzo's wedding on May 9, 1468. After the end of the festival, her daughter Ippolita accompanied her to Serravalle , from where she made her way to Cremona. On the way, however, in Melegnano , she fell ill. A fever forced her to stay in bed until August, but she corresponded a lot. Her condition worsened in early October. She died on October 28th after entrusting her younger children, Elisabetta and Ottaviano, to their brother Galeazzo. Bianca Maria was buried next to her husband in Milan Cathedral. The funeral oration commissioned by Galeazzo was written by the humanist Francesco Filelfo .
Her death caused suspicion. Galeazzo Maria Sforza was accused of poisoning her by several people, including Bartolomeo Colleoni. It is certain that some people who were closely connected to Galeazzo and who were later involved in other cases of poisoning were in Melegnano at the time of Bianca Maria's illness. Poisoning has therefore not been proven, but it is quite possible.
progeny
From her marriage to Francesco Sforza, Bianca Maria had nine children, seven sons and two daughters:
- Galeazzo Maria (January 24, 1444 - December 26, 1476), Duke of Milan from 1466 to 1476; ∞ 1. Dorotea Gonzaga; ∞ 2. Bona of Savoy
- Ippolita Maria (April 18, 1446 - August 20, 1484), ∞ Alfonso II of Naples
- Filippo Maria (December 12, 1449 - 1492), Count of Corsica
- Sforza Maria (August 18, 1451 - July 29, 1479), Duke of Bari from 1464 to 1479
- Ludovico Maria (July 27, 1452 - May 27, 1508), Duke of Bari from 1479 to 1494 and Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1499; ∞ Beatrice d'Este
- Francesco Galeazzo Maria (* August 5, 1453/54), died young
- Ascanio Maria (March 3, 1455 - May 28, 1505), abbot of Chiaraville, bishop of Pavia , Cremona , Pesaro and Novara , cardinal
- Elisabetta Maria (June 10, 1456; † 1473), ∞ Guglielmo VIII. Paleologo, Margrave of Montferrat.
- Ottaviano Maria (April 30, 1458; † 1477), Count of Lugano
Individual evidence
- ↑ The majority of sources cite October 23 as the date of death. However, Caterina Santoro mentions October 28th in her biography. However, some letters of condolence on the Duchess's death have been preserved in the Milan State Archives, written on October 23rd and 24th. The actual place of death is Melegnano, while Cremona was mostly mentioned elsewhere.
- ↑ a b c Bianca Maria Visconti. In: SMU Bridwell Library. Retrieved May 6, 2020 .
- ^ A b c d e Franco Catalano: Bianca Maria Visconti . In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani . tape 10 . Treccani, 1968.
- ^ Bernardino Corio: Mediolanensis Patria historia .
- ↑ Jacobo Piccolomini: Pii secundi, pontificis max, Commentarii rerum memorabilium quae temporib ... Retrieved on May 6, 2020 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Visconti, Bianca Maria |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Duchess of Milan |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 31, 1425 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Settimo Pavese, Lombardy , Italy |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 23, 1468 |
| Place of death | Melegnano , Italy |