Violante's Later Life lo^ 



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, 1381.^ On May 6, 1385, as has been stated 

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

 Rodolfo, was arrested and lodged in prison. In December of 

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



he died in 15 {sic) days. Benvenuto {R. /. 6". 2^. 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: 

 'quum 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. I. S. 16. 797-8). The desire to placate Bernabo was at least 

 partly responsible for the union of Lodovico and Violante (/?. /. 6". 16. 

 543 )» 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. /. 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. Magenta i. 170-171 ; Ros- 

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

 Mantua, 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. L 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. I. 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 II 

 (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. L S. 16. 774), and Gian Galeazzo gave her a dowry of 100,000 florins 

 (Corio). 



'' See p. 19. 



