Valentina Visconti, Queen of Cyprus
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Valentina Visconti, Duchess of Orléans
Valentina Visconti (died 1393) was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti
and his wife Beatrice della Scala. She was Queen consort of Cyprus and titular Queen consort of Jerusalem.
and was the eleventh of seventeen children of a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church.
was visiting Milan
, Valentina's father Bernabò promised Peter that his daughter would marry Peter's son the future Peter II of Cyprus
. The first choice of Peter's marriage would have been to a daughter of John V Palaiologos
; this suggestion was rejected for political reasons, since the Latins did not encourage the marriage of Peter to a Greek princess. The justification that was given to the Palaiologos messengers was that the king was busy with the dangers that threatened Cyprus because of the Genoese
invasion of the island.
In 1373, Valentina was about to leave to Milan for Cyprus to marry Peter, but the wedding had to be postponed because of fighting between Cyprus and the Genoese.
In September 1377, the marriage was performed by proxy. The bride left Milan the following year.
Peter and Valentina had one daughter who died at the age of two in Nicosia
in 1382.
It is known that Valentina did not get along with her mother-in-law Eleanor of Aragon
due to her being involved in many issues and scandals.
To prevent more problems between the two Peter had Eleanor sent back to her homeland of Catalonia
, which she protested.
.
Some sources report that Valentina remarried in 1383, taking as her second husband a Count Galeazzo
Queen Valentina died in 1393.
Valentina Visconti (died 1393) 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 della Scala. She was Queen consort of Cyprus and titular Queen consort of Jerusalem.
Early Life and Family
Valentina 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 eleventh of seventeen children of a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church.
Marriage
In 1363, King Peter I of CyprusPeter I of Cyprus
Peter I of Cyprus or Pierre I de Lusignan was King of Cyprus, and Titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on 24 November 1358 until his own death in 1369. He was also Latin King of Armenia from either 1361 or 1368...
was visiting Milan
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 ,...
, Valentina's father Bernabò promised Peter that his daughter would marry Peter's son the future Peter II of Cyprus
Peter II of Cyprus
Peter II of Cyprus or Pierre II le Gros de Lusignan , called The Fat, was king of Cyprus from 17 January 1369 until his death.-Biography:...
. The first choice of Peter's marriage would have been to a daughter of John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
; this suggestion was rejected for political reasons, since the Latins did not encourage the marriage of Peter to a Greek princess. The justification that was given to the Palaiologos messengers was that the king was busy with the dangers that threatened Cyprus because of the Genoese
Genoese
Genoese may refer to:* A person from Genoa* The Genoese dialect a variant of main Ligurian language* The Republic of Genoa, a state in Liguria from ca. 1100 to 1805 with various possessions in the Mediterranean...
invasion of the island.
In 1373, Valentina was about to leave to Milan for Cyprus to marry Peter, but the wedding had to be postponed because of fighting between Cyprus and the Genoese.
In September 1377, the marriage was performed by proxy. The bride left Milan the following year.
Peter and Valentina had one daughter who died at the age of two in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
in 1382.
It is known that Valentina did not get along with her mother-in-law Eleanor of Aragon
Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Cyprus
Eleanor of Aragon was Queen consort of Cyprus as the wife of King Peter I of Cyprus. She was a member of the House of Barcelona as the daughter of Peter of Aragon and his wife Joan of Foix.-Queen of Cyprus:...
due to her being involved in many issues and scandals.
To prevent more problems between the two Peter had Eleanor sent back to her homeland of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, which she protested.
Widowhood
On 13 October 1382, Valentina was widowed. Cyprus tried to obtain a regent for their daughter and thus the government of the kingdom, and Valentina wished to take up this post. Even her mother-in-law Eleanor of Aragon had been regent to Peter when he was a minor. However, Valentina's daughter died along with all hopes of a regency. Cyprus should have gone to his sister Margaret and her children but it instead went to Peter's uncle, James IJames I of Cyprus
James I of Cyprus was Regent of Cyprus for his infant nephew Peter from 1369. When Peter died in 1382, James became King of Cyprus that year...
.
Some sources report that Valentina remarried in 1383, taking as her second husband a Count Galeazzo
Queen Valentina died in 1393.