Antonia Visconti
Encyclopedia
Antonia Visconti was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti
and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala
. Antonia was Countess of Württemberg
by her marriage.
and was the tenth of seventeen children born to her parents.
Antonia's sister, Taddea Visconti
married Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
and was mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
, wife of Charles VI of France
and ancestor to some notable people in history, including the Tudor Dynasty
. Another sister, Agnes
, married Francesco I Gonzaga
and was executed for supposed adultery in 1391. Antonia's youngest sister Elisabetta
was married to Ernest, Duke of Bavaria
.
Antonia'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
.
Her 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 Beatrice Regina (her mother) was able to approach him.
. This was different from other family marriages because most of Antonia's sisters married members of the House of Wittelsbach. Ten years after the first suggestion of marriage, a marriage contract was drawn up, Antonia's family was to provide a dowry of ten thousand florins plus another twenty thousand in florins jewelry. However, Antonia never married Frederick because he died 27 January 1377 before the marriage could take place. Antonia could have became Queen consort of Sicily if she had married Frederick.
Antonia married in Bad Urach
three years later on 27 October 1380 to Eberhard III, Count of Württemberg
. Antonia laid out water gardens in their castle grounds, known as "der Frau von Mailand Garten".
Antonia and Eberhard had three sons, only one live to adulthood:
Some believe that the couple had another child.
Antonia and Eberhard were married for twenty-five years. On 26 March 1405 Antonia died, leaving her husband and surviving son. Eberhard remarried after Antonia's death to Elisabeth, daughter of John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
and Margaret of Bohemia. They had a daughter, also called Elisabeth.
Tests were sone on the genetics of the House of Württemberg
by Gerhard O. Schwerdfeger. There were cases of metal illness in the family and according to Schwerdfeger the gene came from the House of Visconti
. Otto of Bavaria
and Ludwig II of Bavaria
both had a mental disorder, they are both descended from Antonia. Antonia's father, did have frequent rages.
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 :...
. Antonia was Countess of Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
by her marriage.
Family
Antonia 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 ,...
and was the tenth of seventeen children born to her parents.
Antonia'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...
and ancestor to some notable people in history, including the Tudor Dynasty
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
. Another sister, Agnes
Agnese Visconti
Agnese Visconti also known as Agnes was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala...
, married 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....
and was executed for supposed adultery in 1391. Antonia's youngest sister Elisabetta
Elisabetta Visconti
Elisabetta Visconti , also known as Elisabeth or Elizabeth, was a younger child of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala...
was married to Ernest, Duke of Bavaria
Ernest, Duke of Bavaria
Ernest of Bavaria-Munich , , from 1397 Duke of Bavaria-Munich.-Biography:Ernest was a son of John II and ruled the duchy of Bavaria-Munich together with his brother William III....
.
Antonia'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...
.
Her 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 Beatrice Regina (her mother) was able to approach him.
Marriage
Antonia was originally betrothed to Frederick III the SimpleFrederick III the Simple
Frederick III , called the Simple, was King of Sicily from 1355 to 1377. He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. He succeeded his brother Louis...
. This was different from other family marriages because most of Antonia's sisters married members of the House of Wittelsbach. Ten years after the first suggestion of marriage, a marriage contract was drawn up, Antonia's family was to provide a dowry of ten thousand florins plus another twenty thousand in florins jewelry. However, Antonia never married Frederick because he died 27 January 1377 before the marriage could take place. Antonia could have became Queen consort of Sicily if she had married Frederick.
Antonia married in Bad Urach
Bad Urach
Bad Urach is a town in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 14 km east of Reutlingen, at the foot of the Swabian Alb, and is known for its spa and therapeutic bath.-History:...
three years later on 27 October 1380 to Eberhard III, Count of Württemberg
Eberhard III, Count of Württemberg
Eberhard III of Württemberg der Milde , ruled from 1392-1417 as the Count of Württemberg, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire.-Life:...
. Antonia laid out water gardens in their castle grounds, known as "der Frau von Mailand Garten".
Antonia and Eberhard had three sons, only one live to adulthood:
- Eberhard IV, Count of WürttembergEberhard IV, Count of WürttembergEberhard IV of Württemberg , Count of Württemberg.-Life:He was elder son of Count Eberhard III and Antonia Visconti. On 13 November 1397 he became engaged to Henriette of Mömpelgard...
, (23 August 1388, StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
–2 July 1419, WaiblingenWaiblingenWaiblingen is a town in the southwest of Germany, located in the center of the densely populated Stuttgart Region, directly neighboring Stuttgart. It is the capital of the Rems-Murr district...
), successor to his father. - Ulrich (died young)
- Ludwig (died young)
Some believe that the couple had another child.
Antonia and Eberhard were married for twenty-five years. On 26 March 1405 Antonia died, leaving her husband and surviving son. Eberhard remarried after Antonia's death to Elisabeth, daughter of John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
John III of Nuremberg , Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from the House of Hohenzollern. He was elder son of Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen.-Family and children:...
and Margaret of Bohemia. They had a daughter, also called Elisabeth.
Tests were sone on the genetics of the House of Württemberg
House of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
by Gerhard O. Schwerdfeger. There were cases of metal illness in the family and according to Schwerdfeger the gene came from the House of Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
. Otto of Bavaria
Otto of Bavaria
Otto , was King of Bavaria from 1886 to 1913. He was the son of Maximilian II and his wife, Marie of Prussia, and younger brother of Ludwig II...
and Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
both had a mental disorder, they are both descended from Antonia. Antonia's father, did have frequent rages.