Gian Maria Visconti

Duke of Milan (1388–1412)

Gian Maria Visconti
Duke of Milan

Duke of Milan
Reign	3 September 1402 – 16 May 1412
Predecessor	Gian Galeazzo
Successor	Filippo Maria

Born	(1388-09-07)7 September 1388 Abbiategrasso
Died	16 May 1412(1412-05-16) (aged 23) Milan
Spouse	Antonia Malatesta of Cesena
House	Visconti
Father	Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Mother	Caterina Visconti

Gian Maria Visconti (or Giovanni Maria; 7 September 1388 – 16 May 1412) was the second Visconti Duke of Milan, the son of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and Caterina Visconti. He was known to be cruel and was eventually assassinated. He had no children.

Biography

Visconti was born in Abbiategrasso. Following his father's death, he assumed the title of duke at the age of thirteen, under his mother's regency. The Duchy of Milan soon disintegrated: among the various parties contending its lands, the condottiero Facino Cane prevailed.

Taking advantage of Gian Maria's cruelty, he managed to create in him doubts about Caterina, who was imprisoned in Monza, where she died on 17 October 1404, probably murdered.^[1] The duke was famous for his dogs, which were trained to slaughter men.

In 1408, Gian Maria married Antonia Malatesta of Cesena, daughter of Carlo I, lord of Rimini.^[1]^[2] They had no issue.^[3]

A plot by a party of Milanese Ghibellines was raised against the Duke when Facino Cane was terminally ill in Pavia, and Gian Maria was assassinated in front of the church of San Gottardo in Milan.^[1] The dying Facino had his officers swear to support Filippo Maria, Gian Maria's brother, who in fact succeeded him.

In literature

Bellarion,^[4] by Raphael Sabatini

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Adams, John (1794). A defence of the constitutions of government of the United States of America, against the attack of M. Turgot in his letter to Dr. Price, dated the twenty-second day of March, 1778. London: John Stockdale. pp. 153–155. OCLC 2678599. Retrieved 6 November 2010. ... the duke John Maria grew every day more cruel: he imprisoned his own mother, Catharine Visconre, in the castle of Monza, and caused her to be there strangled. ... John Maria Visconte, duke of Milan, while he was at mass, was murdered by Trivulcio, Guerrino, and Baruchino, and other conspirators of several conspicuous families, ...
^ Tonini, Luigi (1884). Rimini (in Italian). Vol. 5. Rimini: Orfanelli e Grandi. p. 22. OCLC 35300205. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
^ Rossi, Antonio Domenico (1830). Ristretto di storia patria ad uso de'Piacentini (in Italian). Maino. p. 245. OCLC 163149045.
^ Sabatini, Raphael (1926). Bellarion the fortunate: a romance. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 1170948.