Bianca Maria Visconti - Grand Duchess of Milan

Bianca Maria Visconti - one of the most famous Milanese duchesses, who lived in the XV century. Her destiny is a series of trials and challenges that the steel lady has made of her. Some scholars believe that it was she who was able to give her country such a welcome world. 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 small 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 very well-known 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 forever legitimize his right to the throne.

Alas, marriage with the first wife did not bring Philip the heir, 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 the father Maria Visconti was another chess figure, which 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 did not have a special devotion 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 the marriage, the war between the Duchy of Milan and the Venetian Republic was only gaining momentum. For Sforza, these were golden times, as 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 obediently followed her husband all the time. And so it so happened that in 1442 she was elected regent in Mark. As ruler, she showed herself as a sensible leader, able to equally enjoy both strength and diplomacy.

The turning point in her life was the death of her father. The demise of the Duke of Milan led to civil strife, which plunged the country into chaos. Suppress the riot 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

On February 24, 1450, a coup d'état took place in Milan. The power of the people to the throne of the Duke was planted by Francesco Sforza. Since then, Bianca Maria Visconti fully supported her husband and helped him manage the country. Especially in those times when Sforza was engaged in war with Venice and could not pay due attention to other state affairs.

The duchess's contribution was truly enormous. She not only extinguished all the discontent within Milan, but also acquired new influential allies. And after the conclusion of the Lodi Peace in 1454, and at all went headlong into social activities.

The sad end of the duchess

The first blow to Maria Visconti was a notice of her mother's death, which she received in 1465. Less than a year, the same fate overtook her husband, who in recent years was seriously ill. The title of duke in 1466 passed to the eldest son of Bianca Galeazzo Maria Sforza. As for the duchess herself, she died October 28, 1968. It is rumored that her own son poisoned her, since she was a direct threat to his rule.

However, history did not forget about who Maria Visconti was. Photo of this duchess today adorns the covers of many books related to the cultural heritage of Milan. And therefore we will hope that the memory of such a great ruler will not fade away for a long time.