Violante Visconti

Violante Visconti
Duchess of Clarence Marchioness of Montferrat
File:Violante e Gian Galeazzo Visconti.jpg Violante Visconti with her brother, Gian Galeazzo
Born	1354
Died	November 1386 (aged 31–32) Pavia
Spouse	Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence m. May 1368; dec. October 1368 Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat m. 1377; dec. 1378 Ludovico Visconti m. 1381
Issue	Giovanni Visconti
Full name Violante (Jolantha) Visconti
House	House of Visconti
Father	Galeazzo II Visconti
Mother	Bianca of Savoy

Violante (Jolantha) Visconti (1354 – November 1386) was the second of three children of Galeazzo II Visconti, Lord of Milan and Pavia, and Bianca of Savoy. Her father gave to her the provinces of Alba, Mondovì, Kenites, Cherasco, and Demonte as an inheritance.

As a 13-year-old, with the promise of a large dowry from her father, in addition to her territories, she was married to the third son of King Edward III of England, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, predecessor of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nascente, Milan, on 28 May 1368. The wedding festivities were lavish and ostentatious. The banquet, held outside, included 30 courses of meat and fish presented fully gilded. Between the courses the guests were given gifts such as suits of armor, bolts of cloth, war horses, arms, and hunting dogs. Among the guests were Geoffrey Chaucer, Petrarch, Jean Froissart and John Hawkwood. The marriage was short-lived. Lionel died in Alba on 17 October that year, just five months after the wedding. His death may have been due to food poisoning. The Duchess of Clarence had no issue by the Duke.

On 2 August 1377, Violante's father negotiated a second marriage, to Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat. Sixteen months later, on 16 December 1378, Secondotto was assassinated after a battle at Piacenza (or Asti). They had no issue.

On 18 April 1381, she married a third time to her cousin Ludovico Visconti, lord governor of Lodi and Parma. He was the son of her paternal uncle Bernabò Visconti and his wife, Beatrice Regina della Scala. They had a son, Giovanni Visconti, who was born after 1382. Barbara Tuchman suggests that her brother may have killed her third husband.

Violante died in Pavia in November 1386, at the age of 32.

Ancestors

Family of Violante Visconti

Teobaldo Visconti               Matteo I Visconti                       Anastasia Pirovano               Stefano Visconti                             Squarcina Borri               Bonacossa Borri                       Antonia               Galeazzo II Visconti                                   Brancaleone Doria               Bernabò Doria                       Caterina Zancha               Valentina Doria                             Federico Fieschi, Lord of Genoa               Eliana Fieschi                       Chiara N.               Violante Visconti                                         Thomas II of Savoy               Amadeus V, Count of Savoy                       Beatrice Fieschi               Aimone, Count of Savoy                             Guy II de Bâgé               Sybille of Bage                       Beatrice de Monferrato               Bianca of Savoy                                   Andronikos II Palaiologos               Theodore I, Marquess of Montferrat                       Yolande of Montferrat               Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrato                             Opicino Spinola               Argentina Spinola                       Violante of Saluzzo

External links

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