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Caterina Visconti
Duchess of Milan , second wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, first Duke of Milan

Caterina Visconti

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Biography

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.Caterina served as Regent of Milan from 1402 to 1404, during her elder son's minority, but due to Gian Maria's suspicion of her alleged treason (planted in his mind by her enemy, the condottiero Facino Cane), he had his mother arrested and imprisoned in the castle of Monza, where she was presumably poisoned in 1404.

Family

Bernabò Visconti and Beatrice Regina della Scala, the parents of Caterina Visconti

Caterina was born in Milan, one of the seventeen children of Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and Beatrice Regina della Scala (1331 – 18 June 1384). Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti, Lord of Milan, and Valentina Doria, and her maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala and Taddea da Carrara.

Her niece, Isabeau of Bavaria, daughter of her eldest sister, Taddea, was a Queen consort of France upon her marriage in 1385 to King Charles VI. Following the murder of her maternal grandfather, Isabeau became one of the most implacable enemies of Caterina's husband Gian Galeazzo and his daughter, Valentina, Duchess of Orleans.

Marriage

Early in 1379, a possible marriage was discussed between Caterina and King Richard II of England. The King's tutor and advisor, Sir Simon Burley went to Milan to negotiate, but he had misgivings about the match. Bernabò also rejected it, as he favoured another alliance for his daughter. On 2 October 1380, in the Church of San Giovanni in Conca, at the age of about nineteen, Caterina married her first cousin, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, whose first wife Isabelle of Valois had died in 1373 in childbirth, leaving him three sons who all died young, and a daughter, Valentina Visconti, who, in 1389, married Louis, Duke of Orleans. From Isabelle, Gian Galeazzo had inherited the title of Count of Vertus in Champagne.

In 1385, Gian Galeazzo deposed Caterina's father, Bernabò as Lord of Milan. Bernabò was imprisoned at the Castle of Trezzo where he was allegedly poisoned on orders of Gian Galeazzo.

Caterina became the Duchess of Milan on 11 May 1395, when her husband was created the first duke by Wenceslaus, King of the Romans for 100,000 florins. To commemorate the event, a missal was painted by Anovelo da Imbonate, depicting, in the foreground, the kneeling figures of Caterina and Gian Galeazzo. It is now in the library of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. Her husband granted her the castle of Monza and the signoria of Vicenza. Caterina and her husband commissioned the construction of the Certosa di Pavia, which began on 27 August 1396.

Issue

She and Gian Galeazzo had three children:

Regency and death

When Gian Galeazzo died of a fever on 3 September 1402, Caterina became regent for her son Gian Maria who was fourteen years old. The Duchy was riven by strife and numerous revolts as rival factions between Gian Galeazzo's legitimate and illegitimate heirs contested for land and power during her regency. Caterina's faction was led by Francesco Barbavara, Count of Valsesia, and a member of the regency council. The faction led by her enemy, the condottiero Facino Cane, however prevailed; thus he, along with the illegitimate sons of Gian Galeazzo, created doubts about Caterina's loyalty in her son's mind. Convinced of his mother's treachery, Gian Maria had Caterina arrested on 18 August 1404 and imprisoned in her own castle of Monza, where she died on 17 October 1404, allegedly of poisoning. She was about forty-three years old.

Her son Gian Maria was assassinated in 1412 by a group of Milanese Ghibellines. Caterina's second son Filippo Maria succeeded him as Duke of Milan.

Ancestry

16. Teobaldo Visconti
16. Teobaldo Visconti
8. Matteo I Visconti
17. Anastasia Pirovano
4. Stefano Visconti
18. Squarcina Borri
9. Bonacossa Borri
19. Antonia
2. Bernabò Visconti
20. Brancaleone Doria
10. Bernabò Doria
21. Caterina Zancha
5. Valentina Doria
22. Federico Fieschi
11. Eliana Fieschi
23. Chiara
1. Caterina Visconti
24. Alberto I della Scala
12. Alboino I della Scala
25. Verde di Salizzole
6. Mastino II della Scala
26. Gilberto III da Correggio
13. Beatrice da Correggio
27. Elena Malaspina
3. Beatrice Regina della Scala
28. Marsiglio III da Carrara
14. Jacopo I da Carrara
29. ... di Carturo
7. Taddea da Carrara
30. Pietro Gradenigo
15. Anna Gradenigo
31. Tommasina Morosini
16. Teobaldo Visconti
8. Matteo I Visconti
17. Anastasia Pirovano
4. Stefano Visconti
18. Squarcina Borri
9. Bonacossa Borri
19. Antonia
2. Bernabò Visconti
20. Brancaleone Doria
10. Bernabò Doria
21. Caterina Zancha
5. Valentina Doria
22. Federico Fieschi
11. Eliana Fieschi
23. Chiara
1. Caterina Visconti
24. Alberto I della Scala
12. Alboino I della Scala
25. Verde di Salizzole
6. Mastino II della Scala
26. Gilberto III da Correggio
13. Beatrice da Correggio
27. Elena Malaspina
3. Beatrice Regina della Scala
28. Marsiglio III da Carrara
14. Jacopo I da Carrara
29. ... di Carturo
7. Taddea da Carrara
30. Pietro Gradenigo
15. Anna Gradenigo
31. Tommasina Morosini
8. Matteo I Visconti
17. Anastasia Pirovano
4. Stefano Visconti
18. Squarcina Borri
9. Bonacossa Borri
19. Antonia
2. Bernabò Visconti
20. Brancaleone Doria
10. Bernabò Doria
21. Caterina Zancha
5. Valentina Doria
22. Federico Fieschi
11. Eliana Fieschi
23. Chiara
1. Caterina Visconti
24. Alberto I della Scala
12. Alboino I della Scala
25. Verde di Salizzole
6. Mastino II della Scala
26. Gilberto III da Correggio
13. Beatrice da Correggio
27. Elena Malaspina
3. Beatrice Regina della Scala
28. Marsiglio III da Carrara
14. Jacopo I da Carrara
29. ... di Carturo
7. Taddea da Carrara
30. Pietro Gradenigo
15. Anna Gradenigo
31. Tommasina Morosini
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