Agnese Visconti
Encyclopedia
Agnese Visconti also known as Agnes (Milan
, 1363 - Mantua
, 1391) was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti
and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala
. She was consort of Mantua
by her marriage to Francesco I Gonzaga
.
, Italy
and was the ninth of seventeen children.
Agnese's sister, Taddea Visconti
married Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
and was mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
, wife of Charles VI of France
. Agnese and the rest of her sisters secured politically-advantageous marriages.
Agnese's maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala
and his wife Taddea da Carrara. Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti
and his wife Valentina Doria
.
Agnese's father, Bernabò was a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church. He seized the papal city of Bologna
, rejected the Pope and his authority, confiscated ecclesiastical property, and forbade any of his subjects to have any dealings with the Curia
. He was excommunicated as a heretic
in 1363 by Pope Urban V
, who preached crusade against him. When Bernabò was in one of his frequent rages, only the children's mother, Beatrice Regina was able to approach him.
family. Her father arranged for her to marry condottiero Francesco I Gonzaga
, ruler of Mantua
. He was the son of Ludovico I Gonzaga and Alda d'Este. Agnese brought a dowry of 50,000 gold scudi and the cities of Parma
, Cremona
, Brescia
and Bergamo
The couple had only one daughter:
Agnese was later accused by her husband of having committed adultery with Antonio Scandiano. Agnese may not have been guilty, as her husband wanted to end his alliance with her father and wanted to form one instead with Gian Galeazzo Visconti
. He could have just divorced Agnese, but to break off all relations with her father completely, it was necessary for Agnese to die. She was executed in Mantua
1391 along with her alleged lover.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, 1363 - Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, 1391) was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti
Bernabo Visconti
Bernabò Visconti was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.-Life:He was born in Milan, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti...
and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice Regina della Scala was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Scaliger family of Northern Italy. She was the wife of Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and the mother of his seventeen legitimate children.- Family :...
. She was consort of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
by her marriage to Francesco I Gonzaga
Francesco I Gonzaga
thumb|Portrait of Francesco I Gonzaga at [[Ambras Castle]], [[Innsbruck]].Francesco I Gonzaga was ruler of Mantua from 1382 to 1407. He was also a condottiero....
.
Family
Agnese was born in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was the ninth of seventeen children.
Agnese's sister, Taddea Visconti
Taddea Visconti
Taddea Visconti, Duchess of Bavaria was an Italian noblewoman of the Visconti family who ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447...
married Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Stephen III of Bavaria was a Duke of Bavaria since 1375. He was the eldest son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:...
and was mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
, wife of Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
. Agnese and the rest of her sisters secured politically-advantageous marriages.
Agnese's maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy.He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother Alberto II were associated in the rule of Verona. Soon, however, Mastino's...
and his wife Taddea da Carrara. Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti
Stefano Visconti
Stefano Visconti was a member of the House of Visconti that ruled Milan from the 14th to the 15th century. He was the son of Matteo I Visconti....
and his wife Valentina Doria
Doria
Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
.
Agnese's father, Bernabò was a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church. He seized the papal city of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, rejected the Pope and his authority, confiscated ecclesiastical property, and forbade any of his subjects to have any dealings with the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
. He was excommunicated as a heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
in 1363 by Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
, who preached crusade against him. When Bernabò was in one of his frequent rages, only the children's mother, Beatrice Regina was able to approach him.
Marriage
Agnese's father led a policy of balance between the nearby powers of the GonzagaHouse of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
family. Her father arranged for her to marry condottiero Francesco I Gonzaga
Francesco I Gonzaga
thumb|Portrait of Francesco I Gonzaga at [[Ambras Castle]], [[Innsbruck]].Francesco I Gonzaga was ruler of Mantua from 1382 to 1407. He was also a condottiero....
, ruler of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
. He was the son of Ludovico I Gonzaga and Alda d'Este. Agnese brought a dowry of 50,000 gold scudi and the cities of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
and Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
The couple had only one daughter:
- Alda Gonzaga (? -30 July 1405), who married in 1405 Francis II Novello da Carrara, Lord of PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
.
Agnese was later accused by her husband of having committed adultery with Antonio Scandiano. Agnese may not have been guilty, as her husband wanted to end his alliance with her father and wanted to form one instead with Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti , son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca of Savoy, was the first Duke of Milan and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance...
. He could have just divorced Agnese, but to break off all relations with her father completely, it was necessary for Agnese to die. She was executed in Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
1391 along with her alleged lover.