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92-544: The founder of the Visconti house is a conflicted claim, though widespread credit goes to Galeazzo's ancestor, Ottone Visconti. Other notable figures in the Visconti family include Matteo I (1294–1302), Luchino I (1339–1349) and Bernabò (1354–1385). Prior to his rule over Milan, Galeazzo II was briefly exiled by his uncle, Luchino. During his exile he stayed in Savoy before eventually being invited to return to Milan and share rule over

184-484: A crusade, Matteo resigned his position and died months later. He was succeeded by his son Galeazzo I . Matteo was the son of Teobaldo Visconti , and the great-nephew of the first lord (that is, governor) of Milan, Ottone Visconti . His mother was Anastasia Pirovano. In August, 1269, Matteo married Bonacossa Borri . His great-uncle Ottone appointed him Capitano del Popolo [Captain of the People] of Milan, after winning

276-409: A diploma of a new vicariate for the three brothers was forged after Emperor Charles IV accepted a payment of 150000 florins from them. According to Jane Black, the imperial vicariate granted more privileges to the three brothers compared to the privileges that their predecessors had received. Most of the privileges the three brothers received from the vicariate were related to judicial processes such as

368-584: A few years later submitted to Pope John XXII. In the meantime, Robert, King of Naples had sent both a fleet and an army against Louis and his ally Frederick II of Sicily . Louis spent the winter 1328/29 in Pisa and stayed then in Northern Italy. When his co-ruler Frederick of Habsburg died in 1330, Louis returned from Italy. In fulfillment of an oath, Louis founded Ettal Abbey on 28 April 1330. Franciscan theologians Michael of Cesena and William of Ockham , and

460-475: A longstanding struggle against the papacy, pulled the Visconti family back into battle during the War of Eight Saints in 1375. Another accomplishment of Galeazzo's was to claim Pavia in 1359, which helped him fund military expeditions. Pavia later became a principal residence of the Visconti family. Despite his accomplishments, Galeazzo II Visconti's legacy has largely been coloured by a select few aspects of his life. He

552-547: A means of intimidating the populace in order to cement their new-found rule. Matteo I Visconti Matteo I Visconti (1250–1322) was the second of the Milanese Visconti family to govern Milan . Matteo was born to Teobaldo Visconti and Anastasia Pirovano. In 1287, Matteo's uncle Ottone Visconti , archbishop and first lord of Milan, nominated him as capitano del popolo of Milan. Following his uncle's death in 1295, he succeeded him as lord of Milan. Matteo

644-410: A position in the secular government. In this way, Matteo aided in establishing an enduring lordship over Milan; this moment in time significantly contributed to the hereditary quality of Visconti power. Yet regardless of his achievements, Matteo later died a condemned heretic. Galeazzo I succeeded Matteo I from 1322 to 1327 and preceded Galeazzo II's rule in 1354 by 27 years. Before Galeazzo II became

736-560: A position of power. Matteo il Magno (roughly translated to mean ‘the Great’) ruled from 1294 to 1302 and then again from 1311 to 1322, preceding Galeazzo's rule. Matteo notably achieved control over Pavia, Vercelli , Novara and Como . Though he was temporarily ousted from power by a rebellion, Matteo later received the position of imperial vicar general during his second period of rule. Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV then eventually appointed Matteo as Lord of Milan, thirty years after he first obtained

828-707: A stroke suffered during a bear-hunt in Puch near Fürstenfeldbruck . He is buried in the Frauenkirche in Munich. The sons of Louis supported Günther von Schwarzburg as new rival king to Charles but finally joined the Luxemburg party after Günther's early death in 1349 and divided the Wittelsbach possessions amongst themselves again. In continuance of the conflict of the House of Wittelsbach with

920-538: Is also evidence of Petrarch being a guest of Galeazzo II's court, where he wrote for a number of years before his time in Padua . This is known through the extensive volumes of writing personally belonging to Petrarch which were brought from Padua to the Visconti Libraries for his stint under the Visconti. Galeazzo II's rule would serve to set up Gian Galeazzo's rule of Pavia. It is immediately evident just how influential

1012-513: Is his commitment to both the sponsorship and patronage of scholars and intellectual institutions. Galeazzo II Visconti is known to have established the University of Pavia in 1361, upon moving his court to that city in the face of growing rivalry with his brother, Bernabò Visconti. Galeazzo II's founding of this university came with the help of Emperor Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire , with

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1104-444: Is largely remembered through the successes of his son, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who was able to wrest sole control of Milan from his uncle Bernabò Visconti after Galeazzo's death. Yet, there is obvious continuity between the power gained by Galeazzo II, and the power maintained, and even expanded upon by Gian Galeazzo, which can be attributed in part to the situation Galeazzo II left his son in. On top of his political legacy, Galeazzo II

1196-553: Is often remembered in conjunction with his patronage of intellectuals and writers, from his sponsorship of Petrarch to the founding of the University of Pavia . Finally, Galeazzo II is associated with a sinister legacy of brutal torture. This comes from his and his brother's introduction of the Querasima torture protocol at the beginning of their dual reign in Milan. Galeazzo II Visconti was

1288-556: Is that of embarking upon massive building projects. For Galeazzo II, this was the massive palace he constructed at Pavia, which was completed for him in 1363. For his son Gian Galeazzo, this tendency to build as a means of impressing the populace continued. Gian Galeazzo Visconti commissioned the construction of the Certosa of Pavia and provided help and counsel in the construction of the Duomo in Milan when he became Signore of all Milan, following

1380-513: The Ampfing Heath, where Frederick and 1300 nobles from Austria and Salzburg were captured. Louis held Frederick captive in Trausnitz Castle ( Schwandorf ) for three years, but the determined resistance by Frederick's brother Leopold, the retreat of John of Bohemia from his alliance, and a ban by Pope John XXII , who excommunicated Louis in 1324, induced Louis to release Frederick in

1472-655: The Ghibellines out of Novara and Vercelli. Despite this setback, Matteo was appointed Imperial Vicar of Lombardy in 1294 by Adolf of Nassau . The next year, after the death of Ottone, a period of struggle for domination of Milan began anew between the Ghibellines (the supporters of the Kings of the Romans and Holy Roman Emperors and thus also of Matteo as Imperial Vicar) and the Guelphs ,

1564-655: The Imperial Free Cities and the knights and successfully resisted Charles, who was widely regarded as a papal puppet ("rex clericorum" as William of Ockham called him). Also the Habsburg dukes stayed loyal to Louis. In the Battle of Crécy Charles' father John of Luxemburg was killed; Charles himself also took part in the battle but escaped. But then Louis' sudden death avoided a longer civil war. Louis died in October 1347 from

1656-516: The Treaty of Trausnitz of 13 March 1325. In this agreement, Frederick recognized Louis as legitimate ruler and undertook to return to captivity should he not succeed in convincing his brothers to submit to Louis. As he did not manage to overcome Leopold's obstinacy, Frederick returned to Munich as a prisoner, even though the Pope had released him from his oath. Louis, who was impressed by such nobility, renewed

1748-639: The French Pope John XXII ; Louis in turn attempted to depose the pope and install an anti-pope. Louis IV was Duke of Upper Bavaria from 1294 to 1301 together with his elder brother Rudolf I , was Margrave of Brandenburg until 1323, and Count Palatine of the Rhine until 1329, and became Duke of Lower Bavaria in 1340. He was the last Bavarian to be a king of Germany until 1742. He became Count of Hainaut , Holland , Zeeland , and Friesland in 1345 when his wife Margaret inherited those domains. Louis

1840-630: The German King, who was crowned King of Italy on 6   January by Cassone della Torre, tried to find common ground between the Torriani and Visconti. However, on 12   February, German soldiers of Henry VII faced an armed Torriani force, led by Guido della Torre, who did not accept the treaty between their cousin Cassone and Matteo. The King's forces prevailed and Guido della Torre fled Milan. Due to his suspected involvement in della Torre's downfall, Matteo

1932-461: The House of Luxembourg – Margrave Waldemar of Brandenburg and Duke John II of Saxe-Lauenburg , who contested Rudolph of Wittenberg's claim to the electoral vote. This double election was quickly followed by two coronations: Louis was crowned at Aachen  – the customary site of coronations – by Archbishop Peter of Mainz, while the Archbishop of Cologne, who by custom had

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2024-461: The House of Savoy and Gregory XI was compelled to sign a peace treaty with Galeazzo II and Bernabò in the spring of 1375. Peace between Pope Gregory XI and the Visconti family was transient in that soon after their agreement, Bernabò's alliance with Florence, who had a longstanding struggle with the papacy, called for their support in the War of Eight Saints, waged against Gregory XI. Galeazzo II fought against

2116-591: The King of France. Galeazzo II also helped his own son acquire political power through a marriage with the French princess Isabella of Valois, which granted his son the title Count of Vertus. On August 4, 1379, Galeazzo II Visconti died, leaving Bernabò as the last of the three co-ruling brothers of Milan. Bernabò would live until 1385 when he was thrown in jail due to a conspiracy hatched by Galeazzo II Visconti's son, Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Gian Galeazzo succeeded his father and became

2208-689: The Palatinate , who objected to the election of his younger brother, Duke Rudolph I of Saxe-Wittenberg , and Henry of Carinthia , whom the Luxembourgs had deposed as King of Bohemia . These four electors chose Frederick as King. The Luxembourg party did not accept this election and the next day a second election was held. Upon the instigation of Peter of Aspelt , Archbishop of Mainz , five different electors convened at Frankfurt and elected Louis as King. These electors were Archbishop Peter himself, Archbishop Baldwin of Trier and King John of Bohemia – both of

2300-607: The Papacy when Pope Gregory XI condemned both Bernabò and Galeazzo II Visconti as heretics as well as revoking their title as imperial vicar by the Holy Roman Emperor once more in 1372. In the year 1359, the Galeazzo II Visconti conquered the city of Pavia, which became his base of operations. Those who were exiled from Pavia prior to the Visconti conquest were allowed to return and they were granted political amnesty. Although

2392-544: The Papacy, Charles IV revoked the vicariate that he granted to the Visconti family in 1361, although he returned the title to them four years later on the condition that they remained loyal and obedient to the Holy Roman Empire and its emperor. Another war broke out in 1372 when Galeazzo II tried to retake the city of Asti, which was opposed by the Count of Savoy. Visconti military activity in the 1370s led to another conflict with

2484-519: The Romans from 1314, King of Italy from 1327, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1328 until his death in 1347. Louis' election as king of Germany in 1314 was controversial, as his Habsburg cousin Frederick the Fair was simultaneously elected king by a separate set of electors. Louis defeated Frederick in the Battle of Mühldorf in 1322, and the two eventually reconciled. Louis was opposed and excommunicated by

2576-505: The Teutonic Order a privilege to conquer Lithuania and Russia, although the Order had only petitioned for three small territories. Later he forbade the Order to stand trial before foreign courts in their territorial conflicts with foreign rulers. Louis concentrated his energies also on the economic development of the cities of the empire, so his name can be found in many city chronicles for

2668-592: The Tuscan Guelphs on the Scrivia River near Voghera , which was followed by the capture of Pavia. This re-established Ghibelline control. For security, Matteo built a castle with a Milanese garrison in the city, captained by his son Luchino. In an attempt to halt imperial influence over northern Italy, Pope John XXII declared in his bull of 1317, Si fratrum , that anyone claiming the title "Imperial Vicar" without papal consent would be excommunicated. This bull

2760-439: The University of Pavia, Galeazzo II Visconti personally entertained scholarly figures at his court, and offered patronage to them while they remained there. Literary greats like Geoffrey Chaucer ventured from England to Milan whilst it was under the control of the Visconti to study the vast libraries of the Visconti family, which contained works by figures like: Virgil , Seneca , Ovid , Macrobius , Dante , and Petrarch. There

2852-426: The Visconti brothers of international mercenary support. The battle between the papacy and the Visconti brothers continued until Gregory signed a peace treaty with the brothers in the spring of 1378. Galeazzo's distinction and authority over different city-states was crucial in helping fund military campaigns against the papacy and in helping to perpetuate his rule over north Italy. The financing of military expeditions

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2944-785: The Visconti family legacy. During the fourteenth century, the pope and emperor had little influence over Italian political affairs. Nobility did not ensure power. Therefore, Italian city-states were left to choose their leader whose responsibility was to defend their city from external enemies and to wage war on rival cities in hopes of gaining more territory. Members of powerful merchant families, such as Galeazzo II, would often be selected for these positions and would seize neighbouring cities in order to extend their rule; affluence and their family name would gain them recognition and help them to become elected as city-state leader. They would then be awarded designations such as ‘vicarite for life’ in order to legitimize their authority over civilians. Galeazzo II

3036-590: The Visconti family's incursions in Faenza. Galeazzo II encountered more conflicts with the Papacy during his rule as signore due to his own policy of expanding Visconti influence with his brother Bernabò in North Italy. When the Visconti tried to re-establish their influence in Bologna, a conflict between the Visconti family and the Papacy occurred and this led to the excommunication of Bernabò for heresy. Furthermore, persuaded by

3128-463: The Visconti influence, emperor Charles IV gave vicariate of Pavia to Giovanni Palaeologus II. After a rebellion led by the Augustinian friar Jacopo Bussolari broke out, calling for the city's independence, Galeazzo recognized Pavia's vulnerability and seized the city-state for himself. Though the citizens resisted his domination, they eventually gave in to Galeazzo's control. Throughout his rule, Galeazzo

3220-489: The Visconti legacy forged by Galeazzo II. Yet another legacy of Galeazzo II Visconti with his son is the importance placed on education. Gian Galeazzo, upon ascending to the throne at Pavia, remained content to study, retreating from the mess of Italian politics in Northern Italy, and focussing on his Humanist studies at the University of Pavia; the same university which his father had set up when he moved his seat of power there. The final Visconti legacy passed from father to son

3312-449: The Visconti name through various military campaigns in the fourteenth century. These military operations allowed him to come into control of densely populated areas and to, therefore, amass a significant amount of power that would be passed down to his son Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Gian Galeazzo's inheritance helped him come closest in uniting all of Italy under a central rule, therefore marking the important contribution that Galeazzo II made to

3404-413: The battle of Desio. In 1289 and 1294, the citizens of Milan re-elected him Captain of the people. Following the death of William VII, Marquess of Montferrat in 1292, Matteo expanded his influence westward, taking Casale, gaining the lordships of Novara and Vercelli , and the captaincy of Alessandria . His expansion was temporary as William's son, John of Monferrat , re-took Alessandria and forced

3496-673: The behest of his remaining uncle, Giovanni Visconti . His uncle also made him governor of Bologna . The following year, Galeazzo commissioned the Visconti Castle, otherwise known as Castello Visconteo located in Pavia. The castle became the main Pavian residence of the Visconti family. During the same year, another significant event occurred in his life on September 28. Perhaps partially reflective of his fondness for Savoy as formed during his years in exile, Galeazzo went on to marry Bianca of Savoy . She

3588-562: The brothers and to revoke their territorial possessions. Galeazzo stood to lose Angevin cities in Piedmont after pope Gregory attempted to suppress his army by forming alliances with local and international powers such as Genoa, Amedeo of Savoy, the Marquis of Monferrato, Niccolo D’Este, Albert, Duke of Austria, Gerald, the elector of Nuremberg and Charles, the Holy Roman Empire. By doing so, Gregory XI looked to gain territory regionally and to deprive

3680-487: The city with his relatives, Bernabò and Matteo II Visconti. Galeazzo's fame is outstripped by that of his son Gian Galeazzo; under Gian Galeazzo, the Visconti's status was elevated from mere rulers to dukes of Milan. Galeazzo II became co-ruler of Milan with his brothers Bernabò and Matteo II through a statute forged by the Milanese General Council. During his time as signore, Galeazzo II was focused on increasing

3772-435: The court in the papal city, citing his age and the precarious state of health. The next month the court convicted Matteo in absentia of necromancy. In December, the Pope asked his appointee, the de jure Archbishop of Milan, Aicardo da Camodeia, to open a new case of heresy against Matteo and his son, Galeazzo . Archbishop Camodeia judged them as heretics, condemned Matteo, and ordered the confiscation of his property and

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3864-552: The duchy of Bavaria. John's mother , a member of the Luxemburg dynasty, had to return to Bohemia. In 1342 Louis also acquired Tyrol for the Wittelsbach by voiding the first marriage of Margarete Maultasch with John Henry of Bohemia and marrying her to his own son Louis V, thus alienating the House of Luxemburg even more. In 1345 the emperor further antagonized the lay princes by conferring Hainaut , Holland , Zeeland , and Friesland upon his wife, Margaret II of Hainaut . The hereditary titles of Margaret's sisters, one of whom

3956-413: The dynastic power they were later infamous for. Previously, the Visconti family had only enjoyed limited privileges within the city. As a result of his efforts, Ottone was recognized as the official founder of the Visconti house over Azzone. As the archbishop of Milan from 1277 to 1294, Ottone wrested control over Milan from its previous rulers before skillfully manoeuvring his nephew Matteo I Visconti into

4048-548: The eastern one. In 1362 Galeazzo's own health worsened and he moved his court to Pavia, which he had reconquered two years earlier, and where he died in 1378. Though Galeazzo died of natural causes, the same cannot be said for his last remaining brother. Bernabò received a fate similar to Matteo's and was assassinated in 1385. Galeazzo's son, Gian Galeazzo succeeded his father and uncle's rule and went on to achieve fame greater than that of his sibling and father. Beginning his twenty-five-year rule in 1378, Gian Galeazzo eventually became

4140-658: The election of a successor. Henry's son John , King of Bohemia since 1310, was considered by many prince-electors to be too young, and by others to be already too powerful. One alternative was Frederick the Fair, the son of Henry's predecessor, Albert I , of the House of Habsburg . In reaction, the pro- Luxembourg party among the prince electors settled on Louis as its candidate to prevent Frederick's election. On 19 October 1314, Archbishop Henry II of Cologne chaired an assembly of four electors at Sachsenhausen , south of Frankfurt . Participants were Louis' brother, Rudolph I of

4232-576: The emperor reconciled the sons of his late brother Rudolph and returned the Palatinate to his nephews Rudolf and Rupert . After the death of Henry of Bohemia , the duchy of Carinthia was released as an imperial fief on 2 May 1335 in Linz to his Habsburg cousins Albert II, Duke of Austria , and Otto, Duke of Austria , while Tyrol was first placed into Luxemburg hands. With the death of duke John I in 1340 Louis inherited Lower Bavaria and then reunited

4324-401: The father had been on his son. It is thought that Galeazzo II and his brother, Bernabò Visconti, came to rule after a successful plot against their third brother, Matteo II. Very much in the same vein, Gian Galeazzo was able to mastermind a coup d'état against Bernabò, his uncle. This bloody legacy of homicide, at first taking the form of fratricide , and then avunculicide , is a large part of

4416-519: The fictitious counts of Angera, Matteo occupied Angera castle, property of the archbishop of Milan. He commissioned a fresco in the main hall of the castle which illustrated the victory of the Visconti family over Napoleone della Torre at the battle of Desio . Matteo, despite his lack of military talent, had warlike sons who were directly involved in the war against the Guelphs. In October 1315 Matteo's sons, Marco Visconti and Luchino Visconti defeated

4508-608: The first official duke of Milan in 1395. In his political life, Galeazzo II Visconti worked to expand the power of his family. The Visconti first became the hereditary rulers of Milan on May 31, 1349, when the General Council of Milan created a statute that the office of dominus generalis would be inherited by the legitimate male descendants of Matteo Visconti, who was the grandfather of Galeazzo II Visconti. One of Matteo Visconti's sons, Luchino Visconti, wanted his son Luchino Novello to succeed him as signore of Milan, but this proposal

4600-495: The granting of the university's charter. The University of Pavia, carefully fostered by Galeazzo II, and in turn, by his son, Gian Galeazzo , would develop into a leader amongst the Northern Italian scholarly institutions, and would directly precipitate the widespread circulation of legal and medical texts throughout Pavia. Figures such as Lorenzo Valla would later be associated with the university. One step beyond establishing

4692-401: The ground and repeatedly dropped with the intention of dislodging the shoulder joints, resulting in immense pain. Galeazzo II Visconti, along with his brother Bernabò, is credited with the institution of this particularly vicious means of torture. It is thought that this torture protocol was proclaimed in an edict upon the ascent to the rulership of Milan by both Galeazzo II and Bernabò, likely as

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4784-427: The influence of the family as signore. Galeazzo II Visconti's most notable military campaigns were against Pope Gregory XI , beginning roughly around 1367. A series of battles were fought between the papacy and members of the Visconti family, including Bernarbò and Galeazzo Visconti that ultimately ended in a peace treaty. However, this agreement would be revoked when Bernarbò's alliance with Florence, who had also held

4876-503: The new Pope Benedict XII in Avignon . King Philip VI had prevented any agreement between the Emperor and the Pope. Thus, the failure of negotiations with the papacy led to the declaration at Rhense in 1338 by six electors to the effect that election by all or the majority of the electors automatically conferred the royal title and rule over the empire, without papal confirmation. King Edward III

4968-509: The old friendship with Frederick, and they agreed to rule the Empire jointly. Since the Pope and the electors strongly objected to this agreement, another treaty was signed at Ulm on 7 January 1326, according to which Frederick would administer Germany as King of the Romans , while Louis would be crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in Italy. However, after Leopold's death in 1326, Frederick withdrew from

5060-518: The overthrow of Bernabò Visconti. Galeazzo II is famously known for instituting the Quaresima Torture Protocol. Rather than one method of torture, this marathon of depravity lasted for forty days with the express intention of resulting in the death of the individual, who, by undergoing this regimen, had already been branded a traitor by the state, and marked for execution. The Quaresima protocol involves several torture mechanisms employed on

5152-566: The papacy alongside his brother until his death in 1378. Along with his many accomplishments in life, Galeazzo II Visconti left behind a tangible and important legacy after his death in 1378. He was most well known for having left behind: continued Visconti rule under Gian Galeazzo Visconti, his son; his prolific patronage of intellectuals and their associated institutions; and finally, the Quaresima torture protocol, for which he has become infamous. The first, and most commendable legacy of Galeazzo II

5244-588: The papacy in 1373. Military figures such as John Hawkwood and Amadeo of Savoy were hired to attack the Visconti brothers and their city-states, Pavia and Piacenza. However, Amadeo of Savoy helped to end the long-standing battle between the papacy and the Visconti brothers after recognizing the increasingly oppressive nature of the papacy, which hoped to destroy the Milanese family at all costs, and which did not recognize their legitimate territorial dominions. Galeazzo II's marriage to Bianca of Savoy re-formed an alliance with

5336-548: The papacy, battles between the two factions occurred frequently. Both groups would form alliances with local and international powers in order to suppress their rival's army and to prevent their opponent's accumulation of power. Galeazzo II was drawn into warfare with Pope Gregory XI when serving an alliance with his brother, Bernabò V; the papacy became his biggest military opponent during his reign of northern Italian city-states. The rivalry between Bernabò and Pope Gregory XI had been carried down from Pope Urban V , who sought to expel

5428-635: The partisans of the Pope led by the traditional enemies of the Visconti, the Della Torre family. In 1299, Albert I of Germany reappointed him as Imperial Vicar. Matteo managed to remain at the helm of the city until June 1302, when Guido della Torre again took the lordship of Milan, through a league formed by the Torriani and the anti-Visconti families of the cities of Cremona , Pavia , Piacenza , Novara, Vercelli, Lodi, Crema, and Monferrato led by Alberto Scotti and Ghiberto da Correggio. Matteo's home in Milan

5520-418: The partition of their lands was ended in 1313, when peace was made at Munich. In the same year, on November 9, Louis defeated his Habsburg cousin Frederick the Fair who was further aided by duke Leopold I . Originally, he was a friend of Frederick, with whom he had been raised. However, armed conflict arose when the guardianship over the young Dukes of Lower Bavaria ( Henry XIV , Otto IV , and Henry XV )

5612-451: The philosopher Marsilius of Padua , who were all on bad terms with the Pope as well, joined Emperor Louis in Italy and accompanied him to his court at Alter Hof in Munich which became the first imperial residence of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1333, Emperor Louis sought to counter French influence in the southwest of the empire so he offered Humbert II of Viennois the Kingdom of Arles which

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5704-467: The pope entrusted the bishops of Asti and Como to enforce the peace accords with the threat of excommunication and interdict. In September, the pope appointed Aicardo Camodeia, a Franciscan , as Archbishop of Milan. During this time, the papal legate, Cardinal Bertrand du Poujet , proclaimed from Asti a holy crusade against the Visconti. In 1322 at Avignon, Pope John XXII raised the charge of necromancy against Matteo. Matteo refused to appear before

5796-463: The prestige and influence of the Visconti. He forged ties with Holy Roman emperor Charles IV , who granted him and his two brothers, the shared title of imperial vicar. Although Visconti military activities in North Italy allowed Galeazzo II to set up his base of operations in Pavia , it also drew him into conflict with the Papacy. His death on August 4, 1378, allowed his son Gian Galeazzo Visconti to expand

5888-576: The privileges he granted. In 1330 the emperor for example permitted the Frankfurt Trade Fair , and in 1340 Lübeck , as the leading member of the Hanseatic League , received the coinage prerogative for golden gulden . In 1323 Louis gave Brandenburg as a fiefdom to his eldest son Louis V after the Brandenburg branch of the House of Ascania had died out. With the Treaty of Pavia in 1329

5980-624: The regency of the Empire and returned to rule only Austria. He died on 13 January 1330. After the reconciliation with the Habsburgs in 1326, Louis marched to Italy and was crowned King of Italy in Milan in 1327. Already in 1323, Louis had sent an army to Italy to protect Milan against the Kingdom of Naples , which was together with France the strongest ally of the papacy. But now the Lord of Milan Galeazzo I Visconti

6072-440: The right to crown the new king, crowned Frederick at Bonn . In the following conflict between the kings, Louis recognized in 1316 the independence of Switzerland from the Habsburg dynasty. After several years of bloody war, victory finally seemed within the grasp of Frederick, who was strongly supported by his brother Leopold . However, Frederick's army was decisively defeated in the Battle of Mühldorf on 28 September 1322 on

6164-440: The right to raise imperial taxes. The diploma also granted the Visconti brothers full control over communal laws and customs in their territory. The title of imperial vicar was also hereditary, meaning that the future lords of Milan would be granted the same rights that were granted to the Visconti brothers by Charles IV. Although Galeazzo II and Bernabò continued to refer to themselves as dominus generalis in their official documents,

6256-629: The ruler of Milan he was preceded by: Azzone (1329–1339), Luchino I (1339–1349), and Giovanni (1339–1354). Prior to his rule, Galeazzo was a fairly self-possessed individual. He had proven himself to be a capable diplomat and a lover of the arts. In particular, he was one of Petrarch's many patrons. Galeazzo also expressed a love for travelling: in 1343, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem . He briefly resided in Savoy for several years, where his uncle Luchino had exiled him in 1345. Following his exile and Luchino's death, Galeazzo returned to Milan in 1349 at

6348-482: The signore of all the lands that were controlled by his father. After his death in 1367, Cardinal Albonoz left Italy particularly susceptible to control by mercenaries. This would give rise to merchant families within Italian city-states, like the Visconti family who came to dominate Milan and the rest of northern Italy by the fifteenth century. Galeazzo II Visconti, alone, played an important role in centralizing power under

6440-495: The son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria . The House of Visconti held family ties to Pisa , Sardinia and Milan . Originally, the founding of the Milanese Visconti line was a particularly contested issue. Galeazzo's ancestors, Azzone and Ottone Visconti both held legitimate claims to be considered the founder of their house. However, it was under Ottone that the power of the Visconti house expanded before becoming

6532-440: The title of imperial vicar from the Holy Roman Emperor and although the exact cause of his death was unknown, he left his brothers Galeazzo II and Bernabò as the two remaining co-rulers of Milan. During the reign of the three brothers, they wanted to increase their privileges and governing powers, so they decided to re-establish good relations with Holy Roman Empire so they could acquire the status of imperial vicars. On May 8, 1355,

6624-435: The two brothers eventually referred to themselves as imperial vicars as well to demonstrate their abundance of power to their subjects. Prior to Galeazzo II Visconti's ascension to power, Milan was ruled by Giovanni Visconti, who brought Galeazzo II and Bernabò back from exile. Giovanni's military activities drew the ire of the Papacy during the late 1340s, which led to the Papacy writing a letter of complaint to Galeazzo II for

6716-408: The two brothers had agreed on sharing authority in Milan, Galeazzo's absence from the city allowed his brother Bernabò to possess complete authority over the city. In 1361, Galeazzo II was also able to officially establish a university in Pavia due to a charter that was granted to him by Emperor Charles. Galeazzo II had also married off his son Gian Galeazzo to Isabella of Valois, who was the daughter of

6808-451: The vacating of all his offices. At the end of May 1322, Matteo ceded power to his son Galeazzo and retired to Crescenzago . Matteo died on 24 June 1322. Matteo married Bonacossa Borri ; they had: Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV Louis IV (German: Ludwig ; 1 April 1282 – 11 October 1347), called the Bavarian ( Ludwig der Bayer , Latin : Ludovicus Bavarus ), was King of

6900-554: The victim for an entire day. This is followed by a reprieve of one day's time, to allow the victim to recuperate enough to endure yet another day of suffering. The prescribed tortures included: the Rack , the Wheel , Flaying , Eye-gouging, the cutting off of facial features and limbs, as well as the Strappado ; a form of torture where the subject's hands were bound behind his back, and then hoisted off

6992-479: Was tyrannical . The use of violent tactics, assistance from exiled opponents, expansionist ideals which challenged the papacy at the expense of subjects, and seizing power over regions without permission of the rightful overload, empire or papacy were traits found within Galeazzo's rule. An example of his alleged tyranny was when Galeazzo II unrightfully seized the city-state, Pavia, on 13 November 1359. In order to weaken

7084-437: Was a daughter named Violante . She was born in 1354, the same year Galeazzo assumed shared rule over Milan with his two brothers, Matteo II and Bernabò . He married his daughter off to Lionel of Antwerp , son of Edward III of England , and gave a dowry of 200,000 gold florins. Matteo was assassinated early on in their rule in 1355. Upon Matteo's death, Galeazzo obtained the western part of Lombardy , while Bernabò received

7176-475: Was also accused of heresy , seeking to kill the pope, and fighting to claim lordship of all of Italy, which support the allegations of tyrannical rule. Galeazzo's brother Bernabò Visconti, whom he fought alongside when challenging the papacy, has also been considered a tyrant. Bernabò was particularly brutal towards the church and was listed as an enemy as a result. Together, the brothers fought against Pope Urban V and Pope Gregory XI and were both excommunicated by

7268-404: Was an opportunity to gain full authority over Savoy, Provence, and its surrounding territories. Humbert was reluctant to take the crown due to the conflict that would follow with all around him, so he declined, telling the emperor that he should make peace with the church first. Emperor Louis also allied with King Edward III of England in 1337 against King Philip VI of France, the protector of

7360-539: Was appointed numerous times as Imperial Vicar over the whole of Lombardy , while expanding, with the assistance of his sons, his sphere of influence to Piedmont , Emilia , Bologna , and Genoa . Caught between the Papal and Imperial power struggle over northern Italy, Matteo would renounce his imperial title as "General Lord of the Milanese People". Found guilty on the charge of necromancy , excommunicated , and facing

7452-584: Was attacked and looted. Forced into exile, Matteo remained for several years a guest of the Scaliger family at Nogarola ( Motteggiana ). In 1311, Matteo met the German King Henry VII at Asti and from this, received a mandate to reach a peace agreement in Lombardy. On 4   December that year, Matteo and the archbishop Cassone della Torre signed an agreement. Between December 1310 and February 1311,

7544-692: Was born in Munich , the son of Louis II , Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine, and Matilda , a daughter of King Rudolph I . Though Louis was partly educated in Vienna and became co-regent of his brother Rudolf I in Upper Bavaria in 1301 with the support of his Habsburg mother and her brother, King Albert I , he quarreled with the Habsburgs from 1307 over possessions in Lower Bavaria . A civil war against his brother Rudolf due to new disputes on

7636-430: Was dependent on the taxation of Galeazzo's city-states, some of which included Milan and Pavia, which he claimed in 1359 and made the primary residence of the Visconti family. However, multiple wars, heavy taxation and refusal to align with the papacy generated disapproval amongst Galeazzo's subjects. Inconsistent and costly governance caused resistance against Galeazzo II's rule. It has been argued that Galeazzo II's reign

7728-522: Was deposed since he was suspected of conspiring with the pope. In January 1328, Louis entered Rome and had himself crowned emperor by the aged senator Sciarra Colonna , called captain of the Roman people . Three months later, Louis published a decree declaring Pope John XXII ( Jacques Duèze ), who resided in Avignon , deposed on grounds of heresy . He then installed a Spiritual Franciscan , Pietro Rainalducci as antipope Nicholas V , who soon left Rome and

7820-517: Was entrusted to Frederick, even though the late Duke Otto III , the former King of Hungary, had chosen Louis. On 9 November 1313, Frederick was defeated by Louis in the Battle of Gammelsdorf and had to renounce the tutelage . This victory caused a stir within the Holy Roman Empire and increased the reputation of the Bavarian Duke. The death of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII in August 1313 necessitated

7912-476: Was exiled for a time, but on 13   July 1311 King Henry sold the title of imperial vicar for Milan to Matteo. They then organized a league that included Milan, Como, Novara, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Lodi, Cremona, and Piacenza, which had all become Ghibelline cities loyal to the Emperor. Just over a year later, the Emperor died on 24   August 1313 at Buonconvento in Tuscany . In 1314, claiming descent from

8004-431: Was granted this title as was his brother, Bernabò Visconti, once they gained territory in northern Italy. The Visconti family's seizing of territory, in particular, was seen as a major threat to the Papacy. Members of the merchant family often took spiritual authority into their own hands and regulated temporal affairs throughout their land. As this served to further centralize the Visconti power and drew authority away from

8096-601: Was rejected by Galeazzo II, Matteo II and Bernabò Visconti, who were the sons of Stefano Visconti. After the death of Giovanni Visconti, who was the brother of Galeazzo, Luchino and Stefano Visconti, the General Council of Milan created another statute which proclaimed that Galeazzo II, Matteo II and Bernabò Visconti were to govern Milan as co-rulers because they were the only male adult descendants of their grandfather Matteo Visconti. Other territories under Visconti jurisdiction were to be divided among them as well. Matteo II Visconti died five months after he and his two brothers obtained

8188-575: Was specifically directed at Matteo of Milan, Cangranda della Scala in Verona and Este in Ferrara. In response, Matteo took the title "General Lord of the Milanese People". The pope appointed two emissaries, Bernard Gui and Bertrand de la Tour, to investigate the Ghibelline areas of Milan, Lombardy , and Romagna . These emissaries insisted on the freeing and restoration of Guelphs. When their peace efforts failed,

8280-618: Was the Emperor's guest at the Imperial Diet in the Kastorkirche at Coblence in 1338 and was named Vicar-General of the Holy Roman Empire. However in 1341, the Emperor deserted Edward III but came to terms with Philip VI only temporarily. For the expected English payments were missing and Louis intended to reach an agreement with the Pope one more time. Louis IV was a protector of the Teutonic Knights . In 1337 he allegedly bestowed upon

8372-465: Was the daughter of Aimone, Count of Savoy and the sister of Amadeo of Savoy . The marriage between the two consequently further cemented the alliance between Savoy and Milan. Together, the couple had two known children. Almost immediately after getting married, the two had their first and most well-known child, a son by the name of Gian Galeazzo in 1351 who was married off to Isabelle , the daughter of King John of France . Their only other known child

8464-587: Was the queen of England, were ignored. Because of the dangerous hostility of the Luxemburgs, Louis had increased his power base ruthlessly. The acquisition of these territories and his restless foreign policy had earned Louis many enemies among the German princes. In the summer of 1346 the Luxemburg Charles IV was elected rival king, with the support of Pope Clement VI . Louis himself obtained much support from

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