Violante's Later Life 109 



Thus a second time widowed, Violante returned to Pavia, this 

 time tO' the care of her brother, Gian Galeazzo. He, terrified by 

 the threats of his uncle Bernabo,'^ wedded Violante, not more 

 than 26 years old, to the latter's son, Lodovico, then 22,^ probably 

 in April or May, isSi.*^ On May 6, 1385, as has been stated 

 above,^^ her husband, with his father, Bernabo, and his brother, 

 Rodolfo, was arrested and lodg"ed in prison. In December of 

 that year Bernabo died in confinement, having eaten, as was 



he died in 15 {sic) days. Benvenuto {R. /. S. 23. 597) affirms that on 

 the nth of December he was struck on the head by one of his servants, 

 and died on the i6th ; Corio (p. 493) adds, 'in a stable.' Jovius' words are: 

 'qunm Otho in montibus Parmensium ab agresti agasone confossus, ignobili 

 fato perierit,' which Stow (see p. 62) renders : 'being in the hils of Pavie 

 [sic}, stabbed through of a base horse-keeper, where he likewise died 

 obscurely.' His body was carried into Parma, and buried before the high 

 altar of the Cathedral (Benvenuto; Corio; Annal. Med.), being strewn 

 with spices, and lapped in lead {R. I. S. 16. 770: 'in quadam cassetta 

 plumbea cum aromatibus'). 



^ Bernabo had prohibited Gian Galeazzo, his sons, and Violante, from 

 contracting matrimony except with Bernabo's sons or daughters, and com- 

 manded his own sons to treat Gian Galeazzo as a deadly enemy if he dis- 

 obeyed {R. L S. 16. 797-8). The desire to placate Bernabo was at least 

 partly responsible for the union of Lodovico and Violante {R. I. S. 16. 

 S43). as well as for Gian Galeazzo's own marriage to Caterina, the 

 daughter of Bernabo, on Nov. 15, 1380 (Rosmini 2. 149-150; Leo 3. 325-6). 



* He was born in September, 1358 {R. I. S. 17. 499 says he was 28 years 

 old in 1385), and probably baptized Sept. 30 (Sunday, Oct. i, according 

 to R. L S. 15. 484, but that was Monday) ; cf. INIagenta i. 170-171 ; Ros- 

 mini 2. 89-91 ; Giulini 5. 433-4. His sponsors, the lords of Ferrara, 

 ]\Iantua, and Bologna, purchased their peace with Bernabo with costly 

 christening-gifts (Muratori 8. 309) ; thus Aldovrandino HI, Marquis of 

 Ferrara, presented the infant with a silver vase, containing a golden cup 

 full of pearls, rings, and precious stones {R. I. S. 16. 729; Corio, p. 457), 

 the whole being valued at 10,000 florins {R. I. S. 15. 484). The occasion 

 was celebrated with jousts and tournaments {R. L S. 15. 629; 16. 729; 

 Corio, p. 457). Lodovico was the second son, Marco being the first 

 (Corio, p. 509). In 1378 he had accompanied his sister Valentina to 

 Cyprus {R. L S. 16. 771; cf. Giulini 5. 605), to be married to Pierre H 

 (cf. p. 118). 



^ Corio, p. 500 ; R. L S. 16. 543, 773-4 ; cf . Muratori 8. 395 ; Giulini 5- 

 623; Rosmini 2. 149; Magenta i. 171. The wedding was at Pavia 

 {R. I. S. 16. 774), and Gian Galeazzo gave her a dowry of 100,000 florins 

 (Corio). 



" See p. 19. 



