GIOVANNI, brother of the preceding, archbishop of Milan and lord of the city from 1349 to was one of the most notable characters of his time. He befriended Petrarch, extended the Visconti sway over Bologna (1350), defied Pope Clement VI., annexed Genoa (1353), and died on Oct. 5, of ter having established the rule of his family over the whole of .northern Italy except Piedmont, Verona, Mantua, Ferrara and Venice. The Visconti from the time of Archbishop Giovanni were no longer mere rivals of the Della Torre or dependants on imperial caprice, but real sovereigns with a recognized power over Milan and the surrounding territory. The State was partitioned on the death of Giovanni among his brother Stefano's three sons, Matteo II., Galeazzo II. and Bernabo. MATTED II., who succeeded to Bologna, Lodi, Piacenza and Parma, abandoned himself to the most revolt ing immorality, and was assassinated in 1355 by direction of his brothers, who thenceforth governed the State jointly and with considerable ability. GALEAZZO II., who held his court at Pavia,
was the patron of Petrarch, the founder of the University of Pavia, and a gifted diplomat. He married his daughter Violante to the duke of Clarence, son of Edward III. of England, giving a dowry of 200,000 gold florins; and his son Gian Galeazzo to Isabella, daughter of King John of France. He died in 1378. BERNA136, who held his court at Milan, was involved in constant warfare, to defray the expenses of which he instituted very oppressive taxes. He fought Popes Innocent VI. and Urban V., who proclaimed a crusade against him, and the emperor Charles IV., who declared the forfeiture of his fief. He endeavoured to exercise sole power in the State after the death of his brother, but his young nephew Gian Galeazzo put him to death (1385).