The Wedding 57 



of other members of her family^^ — beauty naturally suggested by 

 the name 'English/ which was attaching itself to the Visconti.^^ 

 Her character at this time can only be inferred from the 

 impression it produced in her maturity. When we consider that 

 most women would have found her sorrows and trials unendura- 

 ble/^ it is no slight thing to have deserved the praise of the 

 Milanese annalist, that she was kind, intelligent, devout, and 

 chaste/* 



VI. THE WEDDING 



After an interview of nine days, the wedding took place on 

 Monday, June 5.^ The wedding-ceremony itself was per- 

 formed — probably on a staging or balcony specially erected — 

 over the portal, or central doorway, of the Cathedral of Milan, 

 or rather of what was called the Winter Metropolitan Basilica.^ 



"Cf. pp. 48, 50. Of Azzo (d. 1339) we are told (Giulini 5. 272) that 

 he was of a rubicund complexion, and that his hair was so fair as to be 

 almost white, but that it shone like gold. 



" See p. 26. 



" For her subsequent history, see pp. 107 ff. 



"So I translate 'bona, sapiens, pia, et honesta' {R. I. S. 16. 546). 



* So Annal. Med., Frag., Cron. Monf. Corio says June 15, being 

 wrong here, as concerning the date of Lionel's arrival at Milan. Kittredge 

 {Eng. Stud. 26, 326, note 8) says May 28; Barnes, May 29, 1367; Holin- 

 shed (2. 686), June 15, 1367 or 1368. 



^ Directly across the square from its fagade was the small Summer 

 Metropolitan Basilica of Sta. Tecla (No. 4 on plan). The Winter Basilica, 

 or Santa Maria Ma^giore, was so much smaller than the present Cathe- 

 dral that a great part of it was for many years included, with room on 

 every side, within the walls of the present building. It was restored in 

 1 170, the ladies of Milan having devoted their jewels to this purpose. In 

 1353 it was damaged by the fall of its high campanile, which destroyed 

 several houses. It was at once restored by the archbishop, but could still 

 be described, when it was a question of the erection of the present Cathe- 

 dral, as ruined and dilapidated (consumptam et dirupatam) . The basilica 

 was much shut in by other buildings, but had an enclosed space, or court, 

 in front (Boito, // Duomo di Milano, p. 11): A good deal of red marble 

 (a speckled sort, brought from near Verona) was used in the old basilica 

 (cf. Boito, pp. 186, 209), and there still remain eight statues of apostles 

 on the wall of the north aisle of the Cathedral, on which Lionel and 

 Violante may have looked (four of them figured in Boito, PI. 38; cf. 

 PP- 53-4). A description of the old fagade, so far as we are informed 



