VISCONTI, v,'.s-Vin'tt.. A celebrated family of Lombardy. The first of the name who appears prominently in history is UTTONE, who became. in 1078, Viscount of the Archbishopric of Milan. In 1203 another OrroNE ( 1205-95) was appointed Archbishop of Milan by Pope Urban 1V. His appointment wa, opposed by the popular party, headed by Martino della Torre, lint Ottone came oil victorious in the struggle with the Torriani, and established his 111 Milan. The contest was continued by his grand-nephew, MATTE() (125013221, who appointed Imperial vicar in 1295. Matte() proved himself a prudent temperate ruler. Expelled by the Torriani and their allies in 1302, he was restored in 1311 by the aid of the Emperor Henry VII., and reap pointed Imperial vicar in consideration of the payment of 40,000 florins. Pavia, Alessandria, Tortona, Cremona, Bergamo. and Lodi were forced to acknowledge his authority. A quarrel, however. arose with Pope John XXII., regarding the to the Milan archiepiscopate; and Matteo was excommunicated. Matteo died in the same year, having previously abdi cated. His son, GALEAZZO I. (1277-1328), was chosen his successor, and immediately the Pope proclaimed a crusade against the heretical Vis conti, and an army under Raymond of Cardona advanced in 1323 on Milan. The Emperor Louis IV. sent aid to the Visconti and the crusaders were totally defeated at Vavrio, on the Adda (1324). Soon after Galeazzo, by the intrigues of his ambitious brother Marco, was exiled, but his eldest son, Azzo (1302-39), succeeded him, while the Antipope Nicholas V. confirmed the third son, GIOVANNI, in the archiepiscopate. Azzo was the greatest prince of the race, ruled Milan wisely and well, and extended his sway over almost the whole of Lombardy. The Council General of Milan elected his two uncles, Gm VANN' (1290-1354) and LUCCIIINO (1287-1349), as joint rulers to succeed him; on the latter, who was able. resolute, and unscrupulous, devolved the government. Montferrat was added to the do minions of the Visconti and Pisa became a tributary. Lneehino's tyrannical acts provoked enemies, and he died by poison. From this time Giovanni. who had been since 1342 Archbishop. reigned alone. lie bought Bologna in 1350; in 1353 accepted the lordship of Genoa, which had been almost crushed by its rival, Venice; and taking up the quarrel of his new subjects, equipped a fleet which, under Paganino Doria, gained a complete victory over the Venetians. He was the generous patron and friend of Petrarch. His three nephews conjointly succeeded him, but in 1355 the eldest died by poison, and his domin ions were shared between the other two, GALEAzzo II. (died 1378) and BERNABO (died 1385).
Bologna, which belonged to Bernabti, fell into the hands of the Pope, who excommunicated Bernabo for attempting to recover possession of it. Urban V. proclaimed a crusade against Bernab6, which was joined by all the principal Italian princes; and he was ultimately forced to accept a sum of money in place of Bologna. His brother Galeazzo 11., who had established his residence at Pavia, was the "nrcenas" of his time; he steadily be friended Petrareh, founded the 'University of Pavia. and collected a considerable library.
On Galeazzo's death (1378) his son, nIAN CIALEAZZO (c.1347-1402), succeeded him in Pavia and its dependencies; and by treacherously seiz ing and imprisoning his uncle, Bernabi". of Milan, became sole ruler of Lombard:v. Ile had all the great qualities and most of the vices of his race, and openly aspired to the sovereignty of Italy. Ile conquered Padua, Verona, and Vi cenza : extended his dominions to the gates of Florence, which he also attacker]: and in 1395 purchased from the Emperor Wenceslas the abso lute sovereignty of his dominions. with the title of Duke of Milan. lle was a great patron of let ters and science. gathered eminent men of all classes around him, reorganized the University of Piacenza, established a magnificent library, con stringed the famous Inidge over the Ticino at Pavia, and commenced the erection of the Cathe dral of Milan. Il is daughter, Valentina, married Louis, the younger brother of Charles VI. of France. and bevanie the grandmother of Louis XII.. who upon this relationship founded his claims to the Milanese. (flan Galeazzo's sons, Gl.i uiAiil.? (Giovanni Maria ) (1388-1112) and Fitaeeo MARIA (1391-1447), reigned in succes sion; the former, who was cowardly, suspicious, mid of a cruelty verging on insanity, was mur dered, and the younger brother became sole ruler. The Venetians on the east, the Marquis of Montferrat on the west, and the Pope on the south. Wore rapidly curtailing his dominions, when, by a happy stroke of policy, lie espoused Beatrice di Tends, the widow of a condottieri leader, and thus obtained the services of a vet eran hand of soldiers. His fortunate choice of Cannagnola (q.v.) as his general • led to the restoration of the former boundary line of his dominions. In 1441 he engaged the services of the celebrated condottiffe Francesco Sforza (see SFonz.s.), to whom he gave his 'natural daughter Bianca in marriage; and on his (loath the Vis conti family was succeeded by that of Sforza (q.v.) in the lordship of the Milanese. Col lateral branches of the Visconti still exist in Lombardy. Consult: Sismondi, Ilistoire dcs Hpubliques italien nes (Paris, 1826-33) ; Sy monds, Age of the Despots (London, 1S75).