Lucia Visconti

Lucia Visconti (Milan, 1372 – April 14, 1424) was the daughter of Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and Beatrice Regina della Scala. She was one of seventeen legitimate children.

The Visconti household were the rulers of Milan from 1277 to 1447. As a result of this, she grew up extremely wealthy. Lucia Visconti is part of line that includes other powerful Visconti women, such as Isabeau of Bavaria, Valentina Visconti and Caterina Visconti. As a noblewoman in a powerful family, they were often expected to enter into marriages to form or strengthen alliances. Lucia and her sisters were all involved in Bernabo’s dynastic policy, as he married them off into many different ruling houses across Europe.

Lucia herself was connected to various potential marriage partners, including both Henry Bolingbroke and then Frederick of Thuringia. However, in 1406 Lucia was to marry Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent. Lucia’s marriage with Edmund was complicated, as Edmund was selected as a husband for her though she had originally wanted to marry King Henry IV. As her father had died prior to the marriage, it was King Henry who gave her away at Edmund and Lucia’s wedding. Lucia and Edmund’s marriage lasted only a year before he died. From January 1407 to April 14, 1424 she was the Countess of Kent. She would not return to Milan. While widowhood for some consisted of being dependent on others, Lucia Visconti used her power and title to overcome debt. Her relationship with King Henry allowed her to avoid obstacles in which most widows would have to overcome. When she died in 1424 she left what money she had to nobles and lords in England. Due to her relationship with powerful political figures, Lucia remained a respected noblewoman.

The Visconti Family acquired the signoria of Milan in 1277, when Archbishop Ottone Visconti defeated the Guelfs at Desio, usurping their power. Otto took the title of signore from Martino della Torre. Prior to this, the family had been growing ever more powerful. By the early 12th century, the Visconti family had extended their control over two-thirds of the island of Sardinia, though the family is most commonly known for its dominance in the Italian city of Milan. Ottone Visconti (1277–1295) and his successor Matteo Visconti (1287–1302, 1317–1322) had several political disagreements with other prominent families. The Visconti family was expelled by their rivals in 1302, the della Torre’s, but was restored to power in 1311 by Matteo. The Visconti’s were restored by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII, who also made Matteo the military vicar of Lombardy at this time. In his time, Matteo also made several territorial gains, as he was able to take control of Pavia, Vercelli, Novara and Como. Following Matteo, there was a long line of powerful successors in the Visconti family, who created a stable state in Milan. This line started with Galeazzo I (1322–1327), Azzone (1329–1339), Giovanni (1339–1354) and Archbishop of Milan starting in 1342, Luchio (1339–1349), Matteo II (1354–1355), Galeazzo II (1354–1378), and ended with Barnabó (1354–1385), who was the father of Lucia.

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