Viridis Visconti

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Viridis Visconti
Duchess of Austria
File:Viridis Visconti (1350-1414), Ds of Austria.jpg
Spouse(s) Leopold III, Duke of Austria
Issue
Noble family House of Visconti (by birth)
Father Bernabò Visconti
Mother Beatrice Regina della Scala
Born c. 1352
Milan, Italy
Died 1 March 1414
Sittich, Carniola

Viridis Visconti (1352–1414) was an Italian noblewoman, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala. By her marriage to Leopold III, Duke of Austria, Viridis was Duchess consort of Austria, Styria and Carinthia, she was also Countess consort of Tyrol.

Family

Viridis was born in Milan, Italy and was the second of seventeen children.

Her sister, Taddea Visconti married Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria and was mother of Isabeau of Bavaria, wife of Charles VI of France. Viridis and the rest of her sisters secured politically advantageous marriages.

Her maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala and his wife Taddea da Carrara. Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti and his wife Valentina Doria.

Viridis' father, Bernabò was described as a cruel and ruthless despot. He was also 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.[1] When Bernabò was in one of his frequent rages, only the children's mother, Beatrice Regina was able to approach him.[2]

Marriage

Viridis married Leopold III, Duke of Austria, son of Albert II, Duke of Austria and his wife Johanna of Pfirt.[3] The couple had six children:

  1. William
  2. Leopold
  3. Ernest the Iron
  4. Frederick
  5. Elisabeth (1378–1392)
  6. Katharina (1385–?) Abbess of St. Klara in Vienna

Viridis was widowed in 1386 and so their eldest son, William became Duke of Austria.

William was engaged to Jadwiga of Hungary, youngest daughter of the neighboring king, was one of the first attempts of the House of Habsburg to extend their sphere of influence in Eastern Central Europe by marrying heiresses, a practice that gave rise to the phrase Bella gerant alii: tu felix Austria nube (Let others make war: thou happy Austria, marry). The wedding was broken off.

Viridis died on 1 March 1414 and out-lived at least three of six children, since her younger daughter, Katherine's date of death is unknown. Viridis is buried in Sittich in Lower Carniola

Ancestry

Family of Viridis Visconti
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teobaldo Visconti
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matteo I Visconti, Lord of Milan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anastasia Pirovana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stefano Visconti, Lord of Milan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Squarcina Borri
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Violante Bonacosa Borri
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brancaleone Doria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Barnabo Doria, Captain of Genoa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Caterina Zancha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Valentina Doria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federico Fieschi, Lord of Genoa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eliana Fieschi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chiara N.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Viridis Visconti
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alberto I della Scala, Lord of Verona
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alboino I della Scala, Lord of Verona
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Verde di Salizzole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mastino II della Scala
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gilberto III da Correggio, Lord of Parma
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beatrice da Correggio
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elena Malaspina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beatrice Regina della Scala
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marsiglio III da Carrara
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jacopo I da Carrara
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
N.N. di Carturo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taddea da Carrara
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pietro Gradenigo, Doge of Venice
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anna Gradenigo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tommasina Morosini
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. Barbara W. Tuchman, A Distant Mirror, p.263
  2. Tuchman, p.254
  3. MILAN Medieval Lands