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Lucia Visconti
Lucia Visconti (c. 1380 – 14 April 1424) was a Milanese aristocrat who was the Countess of Kent by marriage from 1407 to 1424. She was one of fifteen legitimate children of Bernabò Visconti, who, along with his brother Galeazzo, was Lord of Milan. Her father negotiated for his infant daughter to marry Louis II of Anjou but Bernabò was deposed and the negotiations dropped. As a teenager, it was then intended that she marry the English noble Henry Bolingbroke, whom she had met as a girl, but after he was banished to France, the marriage negotiations were suspended. She was briefly wedded in 1399 to Frederick IV of Thuringia, the son of Landgrave Balthasar, before the marriage was annulled.
In 1407 she married Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent; there were no children. The relationship was troubled, as Edmund had had an affair shortly before the wedding, and a daughter from that relationship was born after they were married. In September 1408, Edmund was killed in battle. Henry IV guaranteed Visconti a third of the income from her portion of her husband's lands in England, but for the rest of her life she was constantly affected by money problems, as the dowry promised by her family upon her marriage was never paid: reprisals taken against Milanese merchants in London in 1464 and 1489 were probably both related to the unpaid dowry.
Lucia died in 1424 and was buried in Austin Friars, London.
Lucia Visconti was born in Milan in 1380 to Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan (ruling jointly with his brother Galeazzo II), and Beatrice Regina della Scala, one of fifteen legitimate children. As was typical of girls born to noble families, she and her nine sisters were expected to marry members of other noble families to form or strengthen alliances. Her sisters Valentina and Anglesia, became Queens of Cyprus, and another sister Caterina married their cousin Gian Galeazzo (son of Galeazzo II), who became the first Duke of Milan.
Between 1382 and 1384, Bernabò actively sought marriage negotiations for his infant daughter with Louis II, the Duke of Anjou and the future King of Naples. A marriage would have cemented Visconti's future as Queen of Sicily. Bernabò remained in close contact with Marie of Blois, widow of Louis I, attempting to come to terms on a marriage contract. At the time, there was discord in the Visconti family. Gian Galeazzo, who succeeded his father in 1378, saw the impending marriage as a threat – an alliance which would enhance his uncle's position in the family at the expense of his own. In the spring of 1385, Bernabò was deposed and taken prisoner by his nephew. The marriage contract between Louis II and Lucia Visconti was cancelled and upon Bernabò's death in December 1385, Gian Galeazzo became the sole ruler of Milan, giving him the authority to determine whom Lucia Visconti was to wed.
The most notable potential suitor lined up for Visconti was Henry, the Duke of Lancaster (the future King Henry IV of England), who visited Milan in 1393 and had captured her imagination. In 1399, when arrangements between the two of them were being discussed, Henry – whose first wife died in 1394 – was banished to France for ten years by King Richard II and had his lands taken. For Gian Galeazzo, political security came first and foremost and as such, he put the negotiations on hold, insisting that Henry return to favour at court before any further talks could proceed. Visconti was smitten with Henry and told her sister Caterina that if she could be sure of marrying him, she would wait for Henry "to the very end of her life, even if she knew that she would die three days after the marriage".
Later that year, Henry returned to England and overthrew Richard with the help of the King of France, but the marriage negotiations never resumed.
Instead, Gian Galeazzo offered Visconti to Frederick, son of the landgrave Balthasar of Thuringia, and they were married in 1399, but the marriage was never consummated and she was able to obtain an annulment on the grounds that she was forced into it. A musical piece entitled Più chiar che'l sol by Antonello da Caserta is believed to have been written for the wedding.
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Lucia Visconti
Lucia Visconti (c. 1380 – 14 April 1424) was a Milanese aristocrat who was the Countess of Kent by marriage from 1407 to 1424. She was one of fifteen legitimate children of Bernabò Visconti, who, along with his brother Galeazzo, was Lord of Milan. Her father negotiated for his infant daughter to marry Louis II of Anjou but Bernabò was deposed and the negotiations dropped. As a teenager, it was then intended that she marry the English noble Henry Bolingbroke, whom she had met as a girl, but after he was banished to France, the marriage negotiations were suspended. She was briefly wedded in 1399 to Frederick IV of Thuringia, the son of Landgrave Balthasar, before the marriage was annulled.
In 1407 she married Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent; there were no children. The relationship was troubled, as Edmund had had an affair shortly before the wedding, and a daughter from that relationship was born after they were married. In September 1408, Edmund was killed in battle. Henry IV guaranteed Visconti a third of the income from her portion of her husband's lands in England, but for the rest of her life she was constantly affected by money problems, as the dowry promised by her family upon her marriage was never paid: reprisals taken against Milanese merchants in London in 1464 and 1489 were probably both related to the unpaid dowry.
Lucia died in 1424 and was buried in Austin Friars, London.
Lucia Visconti was born in Milan in 1380 to Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan (ruling jointly with his brother Galeazzo II), and Beatrice Regina della Scala, one of fifteen legitimate children. As was typical of girls born to noble families, she and her nine sisters were expected to marry members of other noble families to form or strengthen alliances. Her sisters Valentina and Anglesia, became Queens of Cyprus, and another sister Caterina married their cousin Gian Galeazzo (son of Galeazzo II), who became the first Duke of Milan.
Between 1382 and 1384, Bernabò actively sought marriage negotiations for his infant daughter with Louis II, the Duke of Anjou and the future King of Naples. A marriage would have cemented Visconti's future as Queen of Sicily. Bernabò remained in close contact with Marie of Blois, widow of Louis I, attempting to come to terms on a marriage contract. At the time, there was discord in the Visconti family. Gian Galeazzo, who succeeded his father in 1378, saw the impending marriage as a threat – an alliance which would enhance his uncle's position in the family at the expense of his own. In the spring of 1385, Bernabò was deposed and taken prisoner by his nephew. The marriage contract between Louis II and Lucia Visconti was cancelled and upon Bernabò's death in December 1385, Gian Galeazzo became the sole ruler of Milan, giving him the authority to determine whom Lucia Visconti was to wed.
The most notable potential suitor lined up for Visconti was Henry, the Duke of Lancaster (the future King Henry IV of England), who visited Milan in 1393 and had captured her imagination. In 1399, when arrangements between the two of them were being discussed, Henry – whose first wife died in 1394 – was banished to France for ten years by King Richard II and had his lands taken. For Gian Galeazzo, political security came first and foremost and as such, he put the negotiations on hold, insisting that Henry return to favour at court before any further talks could proceed. Visconti was smitten with Henry and told her sister Caterina that if she could be sure of marrying him, she would wait for Henry "to the very end of her life, even if she knew that she would die three days after the marriage".
Later that year, Henry returned to England and overthrew Richard with the help of the King of France, but the marriage negotiations never resumed.
Instead, Gian Galeazzo offered Visconti to Frederick, son of the landgrave Balthasar of Thuringia, and they were married in 1399, but the marriage was never consummated and she was able to obtain an annulment on the grounds that she was forced into it. A musical piece entitled Più chiar che'l sol by Antonello da Caserta is believed to have been written for the wedding.