Bianca Maria Visconti is one of the most famous Milanese duchesses who lived in the 15th century. Her fate is a series of trials and challenges that blinded a steel lady out of her. Some scholars believe that it was she who was able to give her country the much-desired world. Nevertheless, today only a few remember its existence.
So let's recover in the footsteps of history and look at what the world was like in which Maria Visconti lived. What did she have to go through and what contribution did the duchess make to the development of Milan?
Maria Visconti: a biography of the early years
Bianca Maria was born in 1425 in a small village near Bornasco. The mother of the future duchess was Agnes del Marino. Alas, her biography was lost, or maybe completely erased by descendants. All that is known is that she was Filippo Visconti's mistress and bore him an illegitimate daughter.
But the Duke of Milan himself was a very famous person. First of all, his fame was due to cold-blooded prudence and cruelty. So, having married for the sake of power, he subsequently accused his wife of treason and publicly executed her. But he did it not out of jealousy, but in order to legitimize forever his right to the throne.
Alas, marriage to the first wife did not bring Filippo an heir, and therefore the birth of a daughter was very helpful. In addition, from an early age, the girl showed herself as a very gifted person, which greatly flattered her father. Therefore, the duke did everything possible so that Bianca could get the best education.
Engagement to Francesco Sforza
For her father, Maria Visconti was another chess piece that could be used in the political arena. Therefore, do not be surprised that Filippo decided to marry his six-year-old daughter with thirty-year-old condottier Francesco Sforza. Such a union was needed in order to tame the famous adventurer and make him work for the good of Milan.
However, Francesco Sforza himself was not particularly loyal to his future father-in-law. He repeatedly sided with the enemy, which is why their marriage with Bianca often found themselves on the verge of a complete break. Nevertheless, the thirst for a 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 located in Cremona.
The beginning of adulthood
At the time of marriage, the war between the Duchy of Milan and the Republic of Venice was only gaining momentum. For Sforza, these were golden times, as favorable offers came from both parties to the conflict. Because of this, the young condottier often went over to the side of Milan, then again returned to the ranks of the Venetian army.
Maria Visconti all this time obediently followed her husband. And it so happened that in 1442 she was elected regent in Marche. As ruler, she proved herself to be a prudent leader, able to equally use both power 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, which plunged the country into chaos. Suppress riot helped Francesco Sforza. However, he soon received a good offer from the Venetian rulers and again switched to the side of the enemy.
Duchess of Milan
On February 24, 1450, a coup d'etat took place in Milan. By the power of the people, Francesco Sforza was seated on the throne of the duke. Since then, Bianca Maria Visconti has fully supported her husband and helped him rule the country. Especially in those periods when Sforza was busy with the war with Venice and could not pay due attention to other state affairs.
The contribution of the duchess was truly enormous. She not only repaid all discontent inside Milan, but also acquired new influential allies. And after the conclusion of the Lodian peace in 1454, she completely left with a head into social activity.
The sad end of the duchess
The first blow for Maria Visconti was the announcement of the death of her mother, which came to her in 1465. In less than a year, the same fate befell her husband, who had been very ill in recent years. 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, since she was a direct threat to his reign.
However, the story did not forget who Maria Visconti was. A photo of this duchess today adorns the covers of many books related to the cultural heritage of Milan. And therefore, we hope that the memory of such a great ruler will not fade for a long time.