User:Kansas Bear/Matteo I Visconti

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Matteo I Visconti
Lord of Milan and Imperial Vicar
Lord of Milan
Rule1295–1322
PredecessorOttone Visconti
SuccessorGaleazzo I Visconti
Born1250
Died24 June 1322(1322-06-24) (aged 71–72)
Crescenzago
Noble familyHouse of Visconti
Spouse(s)Bonacossa Borri
IssueGaleazzo I
Luchino
Stefano
Giovanni
FatherTeobaldo Visconti
MotherAnastasia Pirovan

Matteo I Visconti (1250–1322) was the second of the Milanese Visconti family to govern Milan.[1] Matteo was born to Teobaldo Visconti and Anastasia Pirovano.

In 1287, Matteo's uncle Ottone Visconti, the first lord of Milan, nominated him as capitano del popolo of Milan. Following his uncle's death, he succeeded him as lord of Milan. Matteo was appointed numerous times as Imperial Vicar over the whole of Lombardy, while expanding, with the assistance of his sons, his sphere of influence to Piedmont, Emilia, Bologna, and Genoa. Caught between the Papal and Imperial power struggle over northern Italy, Matteo would renounce his imperial title for "General Lord of the Milanese People". Found guilty on the charge of necromancy, excommunicated, and facing a crusade, Matteo resigned his position and died months later. He was succeeded by his son Galeazzo I.

Life[edit]

The early years[edit]

Matteo was the son of Teobaldo Visconti, and the great-nephew of the first lord i.e. governor of Milan, Ottone Visconti.[1] His mother was Anastasia Pirovano.[2] In August, 1269, Matteo married Bonacossa Borri.[3] His great-uncle Ottone appointed him Capitano del Popolo [Captain of the People] of Milan, after winning the battle of Desio.[4][5] In 1289 and 1294, the citizens of Milan re-elected him Captain of the people.[6]

Imperial influence[edit]

The bust and coat-of-arms of Matteo Visconti at the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, in Milan. It is located in the outer wall of the chapel of St. Thomas, also known as Visconti Chapel. Visconti had it constructed in 1297 when he was 47 years, and at this time his portrait was carved.

Following the death of William VII, Marquess of Montferrat in 1292, Matteo expanded his influence westward taking Casale, gaining the lordships of Novara and Vercelli, and the captaincy of Alessandria.[7] His expansion was temporary as William's son, John of Monferrat, re-took Alessandria and forced the Ghellibines out of Novara and Vercelli.[7]

Despite this setback, Matteo was appointed Imperial Vicar of Lombardy in 1294 by Adolf of Nassau.[8] The next year, after the death of Ottone, a period of struggle for domination of Milan began anew between the Ghibellines (the supporters of the Kings of the Romans and Holy Roman Emperors and thus also of Matteo as Imperial Vicar) and the Guelphs, the partisans of the Pope led by the traditional enemies of the Visconti, the Della Torre family. In 1299, Albert I of Germany reappointed him as Imperial Vicar.[7]

Matteo managed to remain at the helm of the city until June 1302, when Guido della Torre again took the lordship of Milan, through a league formed by the Torriani and the anti-Visconti families of the cities of Cremona, Pavia, Piacenza, Novara, Vercelli, Lodi, Crema, and Monferrato led by Alberto Scotti and Ghiberto da Correggio.[9] Matteo's home in Milan was attacked and looted. Forced into exile, Matteo remained for several years a guest of the Scaliger family at Nogarola (Motteggiana).[9]

In 1311, Matteo met the German King Henry VII at Asti and from this, received a mandate to reach a peace agreement in Lombardy.[10] On 4 December that year, Matteo and the archbishop Cassone della Torre signed an agreement.[10] Between December 1310 and February 1311, the German King, who was crowned King of Italy on 6 January by Cassone della Torre, tried to find a common ground between the Torriani and Visconti.[11] However, on 12 February, German soldiers of Henry VIII faced an armed Torriani led by Guido della Torre who did not accept the treaty between their cousin Cassone and Matteo.[12] The King Henry’s forces prevailed and Guido della Torre fled Milan. Due to his suspected involvement in della Torre's downfall, Matteo was exiled for a time, but on 13 July 1311, the King Henry sold the title of imperial vicar for Milan to Matteo.[13] They then organized a league that included Milan, Como, Novara, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Lodi, Cremona, and Piacenza, which had all become Ghibelline cities loyal to the Emperor. Just over a year later, the Emperor died on 24 August 1313 at Buonconvento in Tuscany.[14] In 1314, claiming descent from the fictitious counts of Angera, Matteo occupied Angera castle, property of the archbishop of Milan.[15][16] He commissioned a fresco in the main hall of the castle which illustrated the victory of the Visconti family over Napo leon della Torre at the battle of Desio.[17]

Suppression of the Guelphs[edit]

Matteo, despite his lack of military talent, had warlike sons who were directly involved in the war against the Guelphs.[18] In October 1315 Matteo's sons, Marco Visconti and Luciano Visconti defeated the Tuscan Guelphs on the Scrivia River near Voghera, which was followed by the capture of Pavia.[19] This re-established Ghibelline control and for security Matteo built a castle with a Milanese garrison in the city, captained by his son Luchino.[19]

A plaque on the Osii Loggia in Piazza Mercanti ("Merchant square") in Milan, built in 1316 by Scoto da San Gimignano for Matteo I Visconti
A plaque on the Osii Loggia in Piazza Mercanti ("Merchant square") in Milan, built in 1316 by Scoto da San Gimignano for Matteo I Visconti. Picture by Giovanni Dall'Orto

Papal animosity[edit]

In 1317 in an attempt to halt imperial influence over northern Italy,[20] Pope John XXII declared in his bull, Si fratrum,[21] that anyone claiming the title "Imperial Vicar" without papal consent would be excommunicated.[19] This bull was specifically directed at Matteo of Milan, Cangranda della Scala in Verona and Este in Ferrara.[22] In response, Matteo took the title "General Lord of the Milanese People".[19] The pope appointed two emissaries, Bernard Gui and Bertrand de la Tour, to investigate the Ghibelline areas of Milan, Lombardy, and Romagna.[23] These emissaries insisted on the freeing and restoration of Guelphs.[23] When their peace efforts failed, the pope entrusted the bishops of Asti and Como to enforce the peace accords with the threat of excommunication and interdict.[23] In September, the pope appointed Aicardo Camodeia, a Franciscan, as Archbishop of Milan.[24] During this time, the papal legate, Cardinal Bertrand du Poujet, proclaimed from Asti a holy crusade against the Visconti.[25]

Excommunication[edit]

In 1322 at Avignon, Pope John XXII raised the charge of necromancy against Matteo.[26] Matteo refused to appear before the court in the papal city, citing his age and the precarious state of health. The next month the court convicted Matteo in absentia of necromancy.[27] In December, the Pope asked his appointee, the de jure Archbishop of Milan, Aicardo da Camodeia, to open a new case of heresy against Matteo and his son, Galeazzo. Archbishop Camodeia judged them as heretics, condemned Matteo, and ordered the confiscation of his property and the vacating of all his offices.[28]

At the end of May 1322, Matteo ceded power to his son Galeazzo and retired to Crescenzago. Matteo died 24 June 1322.[29]

Family[edit]

He married Bonacossa Borri, they had:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Campbell 2003.
  2. ^ Benedetti 2009, p. 26.
  3. ^ Paoletti & Radke 2002, p. 517.
  4. ^ Gamberini 2015, p. 22.
  5. ^ Williman 2010.
  6. ^ Clarke 2016, p. 122.
  7. ^ a b c Armstrong 1932, p. 24.
  8. ^ Lee 2018, p. 52.
  9. ^ a b Armstrong 1932, p. 25.
  10. ^ a b Starn 1982, p. 56.
  11. ^ Armstrong 1932, p. 32.
  12. ^ Law 2000, p. 443.
  13. ^ Armstrong 1932, p. 33.
  14. ^ Herde 2000, p. 536.
  15. ^ Dunlop 2009, p. 177.
  16. ^ Marina 2013, p. 379.
  17. ^ Marina 2013, p. 396.
  18. ^ Armstrong 1932, p. 44.
  19. ^ a b c d Armstrong 1932, p. 45.
  20. ^ Godthardt 2012, p. 17.
  21. ^ Applauso 2018, p. 134.
  22. ^ Herde 2000, p. 539.
  23. ^ a b c Andenna 2015, p. 76.
  24. ^ Andenna 2015, p. 75.
  25. ^ Beattie 2007, p. 26.
  26. ^ Russell 1972, p. 194.
  27. ^ Law 2000, p. 451.
  28. ^ Andenna 2015, p. 77.
  29. ^ Armstrong 1932, p. 46.
  30. ^ Peterson 2008, p. 326.
  31. ^ Armstrong 1932, p. 26.
  32. ^ a b c Lodge 1901, p. 545.
  33. ^ Williams 1998, p. 34.
  34. ^ Black 2009, p. 242.

Sources[edit]

  • Andenna, Giancarlo (2015). "The Lombard Church in the Late Middle Ages". In Gamberini, Andrea (ed.). A Companion to Late Medieval and Early Modern Milan: The Distinctive Features of an Italian State. Brill.
  • Gamberini, Andrea (2015). "Milan and Lombardy in the Era of the Visconti and the Sforza". In Gamberini, Andrea (ed.). A Companion to Late Medieval and Early Modern Milan: The Distinctive Features of an Italian State. Brill.
  • Applauso, Nicolino (2018). "Sarcasm and its Consequences in Diplomacy and Politics in Medieval Italy". In Baragona, Stephen Alan; Rambo, Elizabeth Louise (eds.). Words that Tear the Flesh: Essays on Sarcasm in Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Cultures. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
  • Armstrong, Edward (1932). "Italy in the time of Dante". In Tanner, J.R.; Previte-Orton, C.W.; Brooke, Z.N. (eds.). The Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. VII. Cambridge University Press.
  • Beattie, Blake R. (2007). Angelus Pacis: The Legation of Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, 1326-1334. Brill.
  • Benedetti, Marina (2009). "La costruzione ideologico-giuridica di una rete di rapporti in Lombardia all'inizio del Trecento". In Rigon, Antonio; Veronese, Francesco (eds.). L'età dei processi: inchieste e condanne tra politica e ideologia nel '300 (in Italian). Istituto storico italiano per il Medio Evo.
  • Black, Jane (2009). Absolutism in Renaissance Milan: Plenitude of Power Under the Visconti and the Sforza 1329-1535. Oxford University Press.
  • Campbell, Gordon, ed. (2003). "Visconti family". The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance. Oxford University Press.
  • Clarke, M.V. (2016). The Medieval City State: An Essay on Tyranny and Federation in the Later. Routledge.
  • Dunlop, Anne (2009). Painted Palaces: The Rise of Secular Art in Early Renaissance Italy. Pennsylvania State University Press.
  • Godthardt, Frank (2012). "The Life of Marsilius of Padua". In Moreno-Riano, Gerson; Nederman, Cary (eds.). A Companion to Marsilius of Padua. Brill.
  • Herde, Peter (2000). "From Adolf of Nassau to Lewis of Bavaria, 1292-1347". In Jones, Michael (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 1300-c. 1415. Vol. Vol. VI. Cambridge University Press. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • Law, John (2000). "The Italian north". In Jones, Michael (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 1300-c. 1415. Vol. Vol. VI. Cambridge University Press. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • Lee, Alexander (2018). Humanism and Empire: The Imperial Ideal in Fourteenth-Century Italy. Oxford University Press.
  • Lodge, Richard (1901). The Close of the Middle Ages, 1273-1494. The Macmillan Company.
  • Marina, Areli (2013). "The Langobard Revival of Matteo il Magno Visconti, Lord of Milan". I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance. Vol. 16, No. 1/2 September. University of Chicago Press. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • Paoletti, John T.; Radke, Gary M. (2002). El arte en la Italia del Renacimiento (in Italian). Ediciones Akal, S.A.
  • Peterson, Janine Larmon (2008). "The Politics of Sanctity in Thirteenth-Century Ferrara". Traditio. 63: 307–326. doi:10.1017/S0362152900002178.
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1972). Witchcraft in the Middle Ages. Cornell University Press.
  • Starn, Randolph (1982). Contrary Commonwealth: The Theme of Exile in Medieval and Renaissance Italy. University of California Press.
  • Williams, George L. (1998). Papal genealogy: The families and descendants of the popes. McFarland. ISBN 9780786403158.
  • Williman, Daniel (2010). "Visconti family". In Bjork, Robert E. (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Oxford University Press.




Visconti family

The ruling dynasty of *Milan which grew through the 13th and 14th centuries by exploiting their Ghibelline loyalty to the emperors, the riches of their *Lombard principality, and the prestige of the ‘Ambrosian’ church. Archbishop Ottone Visconti (d. 1295) won popular favour away from the rival *della Torre family and in 1287 chose as *podestà his grand-nephew Matteo I (d. 1322), a loyal Ghibelline. Matteo was forced into exile by the della Torre in 1302, but Emperor *Henry VII restored him in 1310 and made him military vicar of Lombardy. Matteo began to occupy Lombard cities under the imperial aegis; he died excommunicated, having abdicated in favour of his son Galeazzo I (d. 1328).

Galeazzo defeated a papal army at Vaprio (1324), but Emperor Louis IV suspected his loyalty and imprisoned him. His son Azzo (d. 1339) bought the vicariate, murdered his uncle and rival Marco, and secured the Visconti state, now including the occupied or dependent cities of Como, *Bergamo, Crema, *Cremona, *Pavia, Piacenza, Novara, and Vercelli. He was succeeded by a condominium of two other uncles, Luchino (d. 1349) and Archbishop Giovanni (d. 1354). Luchino acquired *Parma and the dependency of *Pisa, made peace with the church, and was poisoned by his wife. Giovanni added Bobbio, Tortona, and Asti, and a personal lordship of *Genoa. He even held *Bologna against the church from 1350. His three nephews divided the vast inheritance: Matteo II held Bologna, Piacenza, and Parma until he died, possibly by poison, in 1355. The magnificent Bernabò dominated Milan tyrannically and pressed his territories for taxes and aids to wage nearly constant war against the church until Emperor *Charles IV took away the imperial vicariate (1372), Pope Gregory XI mobilized for total war, and peace became strategically necessary. Galeazzo II won the personal lordship of Pavia and kept his court there, founded the university, and welcomed *Petrarch. Galeazzo sought successes in marital diplomacy, marrying his daughter Violante to the duke of *Clarence (d. 1368), son of *Edward III of England, and his son Gian Galeazzo (d. 1402) to Isabella of *Valois (d. 1372), grandmother of the *Orléans kings of France (her dowry included the county of Vertus in *Champagne).

When Galeazzo II died (1378) Bernabò tried to gather all the Visconti properties into his own hands, but Gian Galeazzo held Pavia, and by a coup in 1385 captured Bernabò, Milan, and the state machinery and treasure. He pushed the principality aggressively eastward almost to the Adriatic, adding *Verona, *Vicenza, *Padua, Belluno, and Feltre, and taking the title of duke of Milan in 1395. Gian Galeazzo’s heirs came from his second marriage to his first cousin Caterina: Gian Maria (d. 1412) in Milan and Filippo Maria (d. 1447) in Pavia, duke of Milan after his brother’s assassination. They saw their father’s empire lost, city by city. By marrying Filippo Maria’s illegitimate daughter Bianca, Francesco Sforza took up the remains of the Visconti heritage. See also guelph party and ghibelline party.

-- Daniel Williman (2010) in the The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages , ed. Robert E. Bjork [1]

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