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Beatrice Regina della Scala

Beatrice Regina della Scala (1331 – 18 June 1384) was Lady of Milan by marriage to Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and politically active as the adviser of her spouse.[1]

Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice Regina della Scala and her husband Bernabò Visconti, painted c. 1350 by an unknown artist
Born1331
Verona, Italy
Died18 June 1384(1384-06-18) (aged 52–53)
Milan, Italy
Noble familydella Scala
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1350)​
Issue
among others...
FatherMastino II della Scala
MotherTaddea da Carrara

Life

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Beatrice Regina was the youngest child and of Mastino II della Scala and Taddea da Carrara.[2] She had three older brothers and one sister, as well as five illegitimate half-siblings. Her father, who was a member of the Scaliger family of Northern Italy, was Lord of Verona, Vicenza, Brescia, Parma, and Lucca.[citation needed] Her paternal grandparents were Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice, daughter of Gilberto III da Correggio of Parma, and her maternal grandparents were Jacopo I da Carrara and Anna Gradenigo, daughter of Pietro Gradenigo, Doge of Venice and Tommasina Morosini.

 
Taddea da Carrara, mother of Beatrice
 
Mastino II della Scala father of Beatrice

Beatrice’s mother, Taddea, had been married off to Mastino as a way to keep peace between the da Carraras and the della Scala families[3] but this failed thus Beatrice grew up within a milieu of martial conflict between her relatives. By the time of Beatrice’s birth the della Scala family had expanded their territory to contain Padua in the north to Treviso in the east. The personal fortune of the family were also large and comparable that of the king of France.[4]

The neighbouring lords of the family felt threatened by the della Scalas and formed a league and in quick succession conquered large parts of the della Scala territories. In the end Beatrice’s father was left holding only two cities; Verona and Vicenza[4]

In the late 1340s Mastino encountered another threat to his lands from Milan and its new lord Giovanni Visconti.

Visconti, however, proposed that by having Mastino’s daughter Caterina marry his nephew, Bernabo Visconti, they would be allies instead.

Lady of Milan

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On 27 September 1350, in Verona, Beatrice Regina was married to Bernabò Visconti, son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria.[2] She was nineteen years of age and he was twenty-seven. The marriage had been arranged between Beatrice’s father and Giovanni Visconti, the ruling lord of Milan and paternal uncle of Bernabo. It would cement a powerful political alliance between Milan and Verona. Bernabo assumed power as Lord of Milan in 1354, henceforth, Beatrice Regina was styled as Lady of Milan.

Beatrice is said to have had "all the graces that the heavens bestow on women".

The name of Regina, and its variations Reina and Rayna,[5] is said to have been added to her name because of her regal bearing.[6] Later historians would acccuse her of arrogance in wanting to be called "queen" despite not having legitimate claim to such a title.

In 1351 Beatrice gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Taddea after her maternal grandmother.

Family

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In 1351, barely a year after Beatrices marriage to Bernabo, her father Mastino della Scala died and was succeeded by her brother Cangrande.

In 1359, Cansignorio, the older brother of Beatrice assassinated their brother Cangrande and succeeded him as lord of Verona.[7] Beatrice’s youngest brother Paolo Alboino then ruled together with Cangrane. On 20 February 1365 Paolo Alboino was arrested on charges of conspiracy against Cansignorio and was imprisoned. Then in 1375 he was killed on his brother's orders,[7] so that Cansignorio's sons, Beatrice’s nephews Antonio and Bartolomeo could succeed him. The latter however were forced by the city of Verona’s bankruptcy to accept the protectorate of their uncle-in-law Bernabo.

The only legitimate sibling of Beatrice still alive after 1375 was her sister Verde (wife Niccolo II d´Este) [8] The families of d´Estes and Viscontis had been in conflict since around the time of their marriage. But the marriages of Beatrice and of her sister Verde to members of the rival families seems to for a time to created a period of intermittent and relative peace between the two rival families.

Beatrice’s brother-in-law Niccollo II d Este would however join forces with Verona and Padua against Beatrice’s husband in 1367 when Bernabo led his forces to attack and attempted to take claim the city of Padua on behalf of Beatrice’s claim of succession.

It has been claimed that Bernabò was a cruel and ruthless despot, and an implacable enemy of the Church. He seized the papal city of Bologna, rejected the Pope and his authority, confiscated ecclesiastical property, and forbade any of his subjects to have any dealings with the Curia. He was excommunicated as a heretic in 1363 by Pope Urban V, who preached crusade against him.[9] When Bernabò was in one of his frequent rages, only Beatrice Regina was able to approach him.[10] She reportedly had a strong will, and her influence upon Bernabò - and thereby upon the policy of Milan - was recognized: Catherine of Siena used her as an intermediary every time she had a political request to Bernabò.[1]

After the conquest of Reggio Emilia in 1356, control over the city was given to Beatrice, with Bernabo stating that all concerns should be adressed to his wife rather than him.[11] Beatrice thereafter handled audiences and decided appeals brought before her.[11]

Despite his close relationship with Beatrice, Bernabo was frequently unfaithful and apart from the many children he had with Beatrice he would also father numerous illegitimate children.

Death

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Beatrice Regina died on 18 June 1384 at the age of fifty-three years. She was buried in Milan and entombed in San Giovanni in Conca . Bernabo then imposed two years of mourning to all Milanese citizens.

A year and a half later, her husband was deposed and later poisoned by his nephew and son-in-law Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who in 1395 became the first Duke of Milan.

In 1892 Beatrice’s and her husband’s remains were removed from San Giovanni in Conca and transferred in 1892 to Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia.

Legacy

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She gave her name to the church of Santa Maria alla Scala in Milan, and by extension, the La Scala opera house (Teatro alla Scala) which was built on the same site four hundred years later.

Issue

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Together Bernabò and Beatrice Regina had at least between 15[12] and 17[10] documented children:

  1. Taddea Visconti (1351 – 28 September 1381), married on 13 October 1364 Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria,[13] by whom she had three children including Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen consort of King Charles VI of France
  2. Verde Visconti (1352 – bef. 11 March 1414), married on 23 February 1365 Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria,[13] by whom she had six children.
  3. Marco Visconti (November 1353 – 3 January 1382), Lord of Parma in 1364; married in 1367 Elisabeth of Bavaria,[13] by whom he had one daughter.
  4. Antonia Visconti (ca. 1354 – 26 March 1405), engaged in 1366 to King Frederick III of Sicily, but he died before the wedding took place; married 27 October 1380 Eberhard III, Count of Wurttemberg,[13] by whom she had three sons.
  5. Valentina Visconti (ca. 1357 – bef. September 1393), married in September 1378 King Peter II of Cyprus,[13] by whom she had one daughter who died in early infancy.
  6. Lodovico Visconti (1358 – 7 March 1404), Governor and Lord of Parma during 1364–1404 and Governor of Lodi during 1379–1385; married in November 1381 Violante Visconti,[13] widow of Lionel of Antwerp and Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat. They had a son, Giovanni, who possibly left descendants: the family Milano-Visconti, Reichsfreiherren at Utrecht claim descent from him.
  7. Carlo Visconti (September 1359 – August 1403), Lord Cremona, Borgo San Donnino and Parma in 1379; married Beatrice of Armagnac,[13] daughter of John II, Count of Armagnac and Jeanne de Périgord, by whom he had four children.
  8. Caterina Visconti (1361 – 17 October 1404), married on 2 October 1380 as his second wife, Gian Galeazzo Visconti 1st Duke of Milan,[13] by whom she had two sons, Gian Maria Visconti, 2nd Duke of Milan; and Filippo Maria Visconti, 3rd Duke of Milan, who fathered Bianca Maria Visconti by his mistress Agnese del Maino.
  9. Agnese Visconti (1362 – 7 February 1391), married 26 September 1380 Francesco I Gonzaga,[13] by whom she had one daughter. Agnes was executed for alleged adultery.
  10. Rodolfo Visconti (ca. 1364 – January 1389),[13] Lord of Bergamo, Soncino and Ghiara d'Adda in 1379. Unmarried.
  11. Maddalena Visconti (ca. 1366 – 17 July 1404), married 9 April 1382 Frederick, Duke of Bavaria,[13] by whom she had five children including Henry XVI of Bavaria.
  12. Anglesia Visconti (ca. 1368 – 12 October 1439),[13] married in January 1400 King Janus of Cyprus, but the union was childless and was dissolved 1407/1409; he married in 1411 as his second wife, Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche by whom he had six children.
  13. Mastino Visconti (March 1371 – 19 June 1405),[13] Lord of Bergamo, Valcamonica and Ghiaradadda in 1405; married in 1385 to his cousin Cleofa della Scala daughter of his maternal uncle Cangrande II della Scala, by whom he had three children.
  14. Elisabetta Visconti (1374 – 2 February 1432), married on 26 January 1395 Ernest, Duke of Bavaria,[13] by whom she had five children including Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.
  15. Lucia Visconti (ca. 1380 – 14 April 1424), married firstly on 28 June 1399 Frederick of Thuringia (future Elector of Saxony) but the union was dissolved on grounds of non-consummation shortly after; married secondly on 24 January 1407 Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent.[13] No issue.

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ a b Tuchman 1978, p. 333.
  2. ^ a b Rapelli 2011, p. 296.
  3. ^ Kyle, Sarah R. (2016-08-12). Medicine and Humanism in Late Medieval Italy: The Carrara Herbal in Padua. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-99778-2.
  4. ^ a b Ring, Trudy; Watson, Noelle; Schellinger, Paul (2013-11-05). Southern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-25965-6.
  5. ^ Fino, Alemanio; Terni, Pietro (1844). Storia di Crema: Terni ristampata con annotazioni di Gius. Racchetti per cura di Giov. Solera (in Italian). Luigi Rajnoni.
  6. ^ Ruskin, John (1885). On the Old Road: A Collection of Miscellaneous Essays, Pamphlets, Etc., Etc., Published 1834-1885. G. Allen.
  7. ^ a b Wiel, Alethea (2021-02-09). The Story of Verona. Litres. ISBN 978-5-04-328899-8.
  8. ^ Lazzarini, Isabella (2021-02-22). L'ordine delle scritture: Il linguaggio documentario del potere nell'Italia tardomedievale (in Italian). Viella Libreria Editrice. ISBN 978-88-3313-652-3.
  9. ^ Tuchman 1978, p. 263.
  10. ^ a b Tuchman 1978, p. 254.
  11. ^ a b Vitiello, Joanna Carraway (2016-02-02). Public Justice and the Criminal Trial in Late Medieval Italy: Reggio Emilia in the Visconti Age. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-31135-0.
  12. ^ Mauro Colombo, Gian Luca Lapini, Matteo Sormani Turconi, Guido Maria Ratti. "I Visconti — Storia di Milano". www.storiadimilano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o de Mesquita 1941, p. 411.

Sources

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  • de Mesquita, D. M. Bueno (1941). Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan (1351-1402): A Study in the Political. Cambridge University Press.
  • Rapelli, Paola (2011). Symbols of Power in Art. Getty Publications.
  • Tuchman, Barbara W. (1978). A Distant Mirror. Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
Preceded by Lady of Milan
1350–1384 		Succeeded by
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