Maddalena Visconti
Encyclopedia
Maddalena Visconti was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti
and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala
. Maddalena was Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut by her marriage to Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
.
and was the twelfth of seventeen children born to her parents.
Maddalena's sister, Taddea Visconti
married Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
and was mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
, wife of Charles VI of France
. Isabeau was mother of Charles VII of France
, Catherine, Queen of England
, Isabella, Queen of England and Michelle, Duchess of Valois
. Another sister, Agnes
, married Francesco I Gonzaga
and was executed for supposed adultery in 1391. Maddalena's youngest sister Elisabetta
was married to John II, Duke of Bavaria
. Elisabetta was Duchess of Bavaria-Munich
, so was one of Maddalena's rivals as well as elder sister Taddea.
Maddalena'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.
. Her father wanted to improve relations with Bavaria so married Maddalena, Elisabetta and Taddea to the three rival Dukes. Frederick had been previously married to Anna of Neuffen, with whom he had a daughter, Isabella of Bavaria, but no sons. On Anna's death, Frederick married Maddalena.
The couple had five children:
Maddalena's stepdaughter, Isabella was married to one of Maddalena's relatives, Marco Visconti, Lord of Parma.
From 1375 to 1392 Frederick ruled with his brothers Stephen III
and John II
, Maddalena therefor ruled as consort jointly with sister Taddea, but only for a few weeks, before Taddea died. John II's wife was Katharina of Görz, it is unknown whether Maddalena and Katharina served as consort at the same time.
Frederick managed to administer the richest part of the duchy, Lower Bavaria
-Landshut
which he also kept after the division of Bavaria among the brothers in 1392 when Bavaria-Ingolstadt and Bavaria-Munich were created.
In 1387 Frederick imprisoned the archbishop of Salzburg to force him to finish his alliance with a confederation of cities in Swabia
.
Frederick was an advisor of King Wenceslaus in legal affairs and a favorable candidate for the king's succession when he died at Budweis already in 1393. He was succeeded in Bavaria-Landshut by his son with Maddalena Henry
, leaving Maddalena a widow.
Henry inherited not only the black hair of Maddalena but also the despotic temperament of her family, Visconti, Henry oppressed very cruelly uprisings of the citizenry of Landshut in 1410 and fought successfully against his cousin Louis VII the Bearded, the duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt. He united Louis’ enemies in the Parakeet Society of 1414 and the League of Constance of 1415.
Maddalena died in Bavaria
17 July 1404. She is buried at Kloster Raitenhaslach.
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 :...
. Maddalena was Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut by her marriage to Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou...
.
Family
Maddalena 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 twelfth of seventeen children born to her parents.
Maddalena'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...
. Isabeau was mother of Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
, Catherine, Queen of England
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of France was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, mother of Henry VI, King of England and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor, the grandmother of...
, Isabella, Queen of England and Michelle, Duchess of Valois
Michelle of Valois
Michelle of France was a Duchess consort of Burgundy. She was a daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabella of Bavaria-Ingolstadt...
. 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. Maddalena'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 John II, Duke of Bavaria
John II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke John II of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1375 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was the third son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:...
. Elisabetta was Duchess of Bavaria-Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, so was one of Maddalena's rivals as well as elder sister Taddea.
Maddalena'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
Maddalena married on 2 September 1381 Frederick, Duke of BavariaFrederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou...
. Her father wanted to improve relations with Bavaria so married Maddalena, Elisabetta and Taddea to the three rival Dukes. Frederick had been previously married to Anna of Neuffen, with whom he had a daughter, Isabella of Bavaria, but no sons. On Anna's death, Frederick married Maddalena.
The couple had five children:
- Henry XVI the RichHenry XVI of BavariaHenry XVI of Bavaria , , since 1393 Duke of Bavaria-Landshut. He was a son of duke Frederick and his wife Maddalena Visconti, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti.-Life:...
(1386–1450). - Johann, died young.
- Elisabeth (1383–13 November 1442, AnsbachAnsbachAnsbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
), married to Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg. - Margareta (b. 1384), died young.
- Magdalene (1388–1410), married 1404 to Count Johann Meinhard VII of Görz.
Maddalena's stepdaughter, Isabella was married to one of Maddalena's relatives, Marco Visconti, Lord of Parma.
From 1375 to 1392 Frederick ruled with his brothers Stephen III
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 John II
John II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke John II of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1375 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was the third son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:...
, Maddalena therefor ruled as consort jointly with sister Taddea, but only for a few weeks, before Taddea died. John II's wife was Katharina of Görz, it is unknown whether Maddalena and Katharina served as consort at the same time.
Frederick managed to administer the richest part of the duchy, Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state.- Geography :Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions - Landshut and Donau-Wald. Recent election results mark it as the most conservative part of Germany, generally giving huge...
-Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
which he also kept after the division of Bavaria among the brothers in 1392 when Bavaria-Ingolstadt and Bavaria-Munich were created.
In 1387 Frederick imprisoned the archbishop of Salzburg to force him to finish his alliance with a confederation of cities in Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
.
Frederick was an advisor of King Wenceslaus in legal affairs and a favorable candidate for the king's succession when he died at Budweis already in 1393. He was succeeded in Bavaria-Landshut by his son with Maddalena Henry
Henry XVI of Bavaria
Henry XVI of Bavaria , , since 1393 Duke of Bavaria-Landshut. He was a son of duke Frederick and his wife Maddalena Visconti, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti.-Life:...
, leaving Maddalena a widow.
Henry inherited not only the black hair of Maddalena but also the despotic temperament of her family, Visconti, Henry oppressed very cruelly uprisings of the citizenry of Landshut in 1410 and fought successfully against his cousin Louis VII the Bearded, the duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt. He united Louis’ enemies in the Parakeet Society of 1414 and the League of Constance of 1415.
Maddalena died in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
17 July 1404. She is buried at Kloster Raitenhaslach.