Bianca Maria Visconti - one of the most famousMilanese Duchesses, who lived in the XV century. Her fate is a series of trials and challenges that the steel lady has made of her. Some scientists believe that it was she who was able to give her country such a welcome peace. And nevertheless today only a few remember its existence.
So let's recover in the footsteps of history and look at what the world in which Maria Visconti lived was. What did she have to go through and what contribution did the duchess make to the development of Milan?
Maria Visconti: biography of the early years
Bianca Maria was born in 1425 in a smalla village near Bornasko. The mother of the future duchess was Agnes del Marino. Alas, her biography was lost, and maybe completely erased by descendants. It is only known that she was the mistress of Filippo Visconti and gave birth to his illegitimate daughter.
But the Duke of Milan himself was a veryknown. First of all, his fame was due to cold-blooded prudence and cruelty. So, marrying for power, he subsequently accused his wife of treason and publicly executed her. But he did it not out of jealousy, but in order to forever legitimize his right to the throne.
Alas, the marriage with the first wife did not bring Filippoheir, and therefore the birth of his daughter was very useful. In addition, from an early age the girl showed herself as a very gifted person, which was very flattering to her father. Therefore, the Duke did everything possible to enable Bianca to obtain the best education.
Engagement with Francesco Sforza
For Father Maria Visconti was another chessa figure that could be used in the political arena. Therefore, it should not be surprising that Filippo decided to marry his six-year-old daughter with the thirty-year-old Condottiere of Francesco Sforza. Such a union was needed in order to tame a famous adventurer and make him work for the benefit of Milan.
However, Francesco Sforza himself was not very specialdevotion to his future test. He repeatedly turned to the side of the enemy, because of which their marriage with Bianka often ended on the brink of a complete break. Yet the desire to get the title and a decent inheritance outweighed the benefits offered by the enemies. And therefore on October 24, 1441, Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti got married. It happened in the abbey of San Sigismondo, which is in Cremona.
The Beginning of Adulthood
At the time of marriage, the war between the Duchy of Milanand the Venetian Republic only gained its momentum. For Sforza it was a golden time, as the profitable offers came from both parties to the conflict. Because of this, the young condottiere often went over to the side of Milan, then again returned to the ranks of the Venetian army.
Maria Visconti all the time obediently followedfor her husband. And it so happened that in 1442 she was elected regent in Marc. As ruler, she proved herself to be a sensible leader who could equally enjoy both strength and diplomacy.
The turning point in her life was the death of her father.The death of the Duke of Milan led to civil strife that plunged the country into chaos. Frustration helped Francesco Sforza. However, he soon received a successful proposal from the Venetian rulers and again took the side of the enemy.
The Duchess of Milan
February 24, 1450 in Milan occurredcoup d'état. The power of the people on the duke's throne was set Francesco Sforza. Since then, Bianca Maria Visconti has fully supported her husband and helped him run the country. Especially in those periods when Sforza was busy with the war with Venice and could not pay enough attention to other public affairs.
The contribution of the Duchess was truly enormous.She not only extinguished all the discontent within Milan, but also acquired new influential allies. And after the conclusion of the Peace of Lodi in 1454, she completely left her head in social activities.
The sad end of the Duchess
The first blow for Maria Visconti was the noticeabout the death of her mother, which came to her in 1465. Less than a year later, the same fate overtook her husband, who in recent years was very sick. The title of duke in 1466 passed to the eldest son of Bianca Galeazzo Maria Sforza. As for the Duchess herself, she died on October 28, 1968. Rumor has it that her own son poisoned her, as she was a direct threat to his rule.
However, the story has not forgotten who Mary wasVisconti. The photo of this duchess today adorns the covers of many books related to the cultural heritage of Milan. And therefore let us hope that the memory of such a great ruler will not fade away for a long time.
