Agnese del Maino
Agnese del Maino | |
|---|---|
| Born | c.1411 |
| Died | 13 December 1465 (aged 54) |
| Known for | Mistress of Filippo Maria Visconti |
| Children | Bianca Maria Visconti Caterina Maria Visconti |
Agnese del Maino (c. 1411 – 13 December 1465) was a Milanese noblewoman and the mistress of
Family
Agnese was born around 1411 in Milan. She was the daughter of Ambrogio del Maino,[citation needed] a Count Palatine and ducal questore or chief of police. Her mother's name and identity is unknown. Agnese had two brothers, Lancillotto del Maino and Andreotto del Maino, who were both courtiers and members of the ducal council. She became the mistress of Filippo Maria Visconti, the last duke of Milan of the Visconti dynasty, whose wife Beatrice Lascaris di Tenda had been executed for adultery in 1418 and had produced no children.
Birth of a daughter
On 31 March 1425 at
On 25 October 1441, 16-year-old Bianca Maria was married, in a magnificent ceremony at the Abbey of San Sigismondo in
Death of Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti died on 13 August 1447; he was not quite fifty-five years old. Bianca Maria was his only direct heir, albeit illegitimate. His death, without legitimate offspring, resulted in the creation of the short-lived
A revolt broke out in Milan on 24 February 1450, due to a famine in the city which resulted in rampant starvation and brought about much suffering to the populace. One month later on 25 March, after the disputed succession to the duchy was decided in their favour consequent to a meeting of nobles and leading citizens, Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria made their triumphal entry into the city as the Duke and Duchess of Milan. The Ambrosian Republic had ended and was replaced by the Sforza dynasty which would rule Milan until 1535. Agnese resided with them at the ducal court, overseeing the education of her grandchildren. Extant diplomatic papers record that Agnese was a conspicuous participant in court functions,[3] until her death on 13 December 1465 at the age of fifty-four years. Her daughter, Bianca Maria died three years later on 28 October 1468. Francesco had died in 1466, and his eldest son Galeazzo Maria succeeded him as Duke of Milan.
Agnes del Maino in art and drama
There are two contemporary paintings of Agnese which survive to this day; the artists, however, remain unknown. Agnese is a character in the 1833 tragic opera
References
- ^ "Filipo Maria of Milan". www.madmonarchs.nl. Archived from the original on 19 May 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
- ^ A History of Milan Under the Sforza, by Cecilia M. Ady, edited by Edward Armstrong, published in New York by G.P. Putnam's Sons; and in London; Metheun and Company, 1907, chapter 41
- ^ Nadia Covini. (2006). Princesses and Ladies of Power at the Sforza court. Retrieved on 3 December 2008
