Ottone Visconti (1207 8 August 1295) was
Archbishop of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has ...
and
Lord of Milan, the first of the
Visconti line. Under his rule, the
commune of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
became a strong
Ghibelline
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...
city and one of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
's seats in Italy.
Biography
Early life
Born in
Invorio, near
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It ...
, Ottone was one of the six children of Uberto Visconti, lord of
Massino, and Berta Pirovano. Along with his brother Azzone (later
Bishop of Ventimiglia), Ottone was forced into an ecclesiastical career by his family. He became
canon of
Desio
Desio ( lmo, label= Brianzoeu, Des) is a town and in the Province of Monza and Brianza, Italy.
History
In 1277 it was the location of the battle between the Visconti and della Torre families for the rule of Milan. On 24 February 1924, Desio re ...
and in 1247
chamberlain of the powerful
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Ottaviano degli Ubaldini Ottaviano or Attaviano degli Ubaldini (1214 – 1273) was an Italian cardinal, often known in his own time as simply ''Il Cardinale'' (''The Cardinal'').
Life
Born at Florence into a noble local Ghibelline family, he was appointed Archbishop of ...
. Under his patronage, Ottone was appointed by
Archbishop of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has ...
Leone da Perego as his envoy to
France in 1252, gaining the trust of
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254.
Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universiti ...
, becoming his chaplain.
After the death of Leone da Perego in 1257, Ottone was supported by Cardinal Ubaldini as successor to the
Archdiocese of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has ...
, against
Raimondo della Torre's candidacy. This action displeased city's lord
Martino della Torre (relative of Raimondo), who claimed the historical autonomy of Milan on Archbishop appointments. Despite Martino's opposition,
Pope Urban IV chose Ottone as new Archbishop on 22 July 1262.
Power struggle in Milan
The Pope's choice did not stop the hostility of Martino della Torre, who occupied
Milan Cathedral
Milan Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Milano ; lmo, Domm de Milan ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary ( it, Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente, links=no), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lomba ...
on August 1262, resulting in his
excommunication by the papal legate
Filippo di Pistoia. This act started a war between Martino's family, the
Della Torre or ''Torriani'', and the
Visconti. The two families were also politically opposed: the Della Torre were historically
Guelphs
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...
and allied of
Charles I of Anjou
Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) i ...
, while the Visconti were
Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...
and exponents of low nobility.
Still in
Montefiascone
Montefiascone is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Viterbo, in Lazio, central Italy. It stands on a hill on the southeast side of Lake Bolsena, about north of Rome.
History
The name of the city derives from that of the Falisci (''Mons ...
, near
Viterbo
Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo.
It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early histor ...
, where he received Pope's appointment, Ottone marched to
Arona on 1 April 1263, where he met several nobles who had fled Milan owing to their opposition to Della Torre. Informed on Ottone's presence in
Lombardy
(man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman)
, population_note =
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, ...
, Martino sent his troops to put Arona under siege. Ottone, who occupied the near
Rocca of Angera, was forced to surrender on 5 May 1263. Back in Montefiascone, Ottone lost his powerful ally Urban IV, who died on October 1264. Della Torre, however, never obtained Raimondo's formal appointment, and after Martino's death, the once-loyal
Pallavicino family switched to the Visconti side, plotting the assassination of Paganino della Torre,
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
of
Vercelli
Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians ...
, on January 1266. In response, the new lord of Milan
Napoleone della Torre executed 53 nobles, suspected of scheming. This vicious act undermined Della Torre's grab on Milan, aggravated by
Pope Gregory X, a Visconti of
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
, who in 1273 confirmed Ottone Visconti as legal Archbishop of Milan. Napoleone della Torre reacted exiling all noble families who did not support him, causing the formation of an ''
émigré
An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate".
French Huguenots
Many French Huguenots fled France follow ...
'' coalition in Novara and
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...
. Using their financial and military support, Ottone's nephew
Teobaldo Visconti led an army in Vercelli, occupying
Castelseprio. Defeated by Torriani's forces, Teobaldo fled to
Lurate, near
Como, but after a battle in
Gallarate
Gallarate (; Lombard: ''Galaraa'') is a city and ''comune'' of Alto Milanese of Lombardy and of Milan metropolitan area, northern Italy, in the Province of Varese. It has a population of some 54,000 people.
It is the junction of railways to Va ...
, his last forces were defeated and he was beheaded by Napoleone della Torre in 1276. Ottone, returned to Lombardy in the same year, recruited his supporters near Desio, where he was canon, and after a
bloody battle on January 1277, Visconti emerged victorious. Napoleone della Torre was imprisoned and tortured to death in
Castel Baradello, while his brother Francesco was executed after the battle. Ottone entered in Milan on 22 January 1277, becoming the first Visconti ''de facto'' ruler of the city.
Rule and final years
Having become Lord of Milan at the age of 69, Ottone tried to strengthen his family's power on city and Lombardy. The years of his rule were not peaceful: Della Torre still claimed the ''
signoria
A signoria () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
The word signoria comes from ''signore'' , or " lord"; an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government; governing authori ...
'' (Italian for "lordship") and conquered
Lodi and Castelseprio, ruling as rogue power in the region between
Adda and
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
rivers. Ottone sought the support of his ally
William VII, Marquess of Montferrat, who demanded the city's government as ''
Capitano generale'' (general-captain), granted to him in 1278. After William VII's side switched in 1281, Ottone re-acquired full powers on the city, and in the battle of
Vaprio d'Adda of 1281, his forces defeated
Cassone della Torre, who was killed in the battle, while Raimondo, the elder claimant to Milan Archdiocese, fled to
Friuli.
In 1287, the old Ottone appointed his grand-nephew
Matteo I Visconti as new ''Capitano generale'' and left political affairs to him. On May 1288, Matteo Visconti also gained the title of
Imperial vicar by
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death.
Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which ...
,
who thus avoided to intervene directly in the Lombard political situation while still nominal ruler of Milan. In his final years, Ottone never got involved in the politics of Milan, concentrating only on religious affairs. He died on 8 August 1295, aged 88, in the
Abbey of Chiaravalle, and was buried in Milan Cathedral.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Visconti, Ottone
1207 births
1295 deaths
Rulers of Milan
Archbishops of Milan
13th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops
Ottone
Burials at Milan Cathedral