Lodrisio Visconti, the son of Pietro, of…

1339 CE

Lodrisio Visconti, the son of Pietro, of the powerful House of Visconti of Milan, and Antiochia Crivelli, had, after military training under his father, helped his cousin Matteo Visconti and the latter's son Galeazzo in the reconquest of Milan against the Torriani in 1312.

Galeazzo had been named capitano del popolo in Milan in 1322, but was soon forced to leave the city due to a revolt set up by his cousin Lodrisio Visconti.

With the support of Emperor Louis IV, Galeazzo had defeated an army sent against him by the Pope at Vaprio.

Azzone Visconti, born in Ferrara to Beatrice d'Este as the sole legitimate son of Galeazzo, was lord of Piacenza in 1322, but in the same year, together with his father, had been forced to flee.

In 1325, he had taken part in the victorious Battle of Altopascio against the Guelphs.

In 1328, after accusations of betrayal from his brother Marco, as well as that of the assassination of his brother Stefano Visconti, the emperor had him imprisoned in Monza.

Lodrisio, together with another cousin, Marco, he had been instrumental in the imprisonment of Galeazzo and his son.

When the two were freed in March of that year, Lodrisio had fled to his territory of Seprio.

Azzone had besieged him and destroyed his castle, but Lodrisio was able to escape to Vicenza, being hired by Mastino II della Scala, lord of Verona.

Azzone’s uncle, Luchino Visconti, a son of Matteo I Visconti and Bonacossa Borri, and ruler of Pavia from 1315, was from 1320 podestà of Vigevano, where he erected the castle that is still visible.

In 1323, along with all his family, he was excommunicated with the charge of heresy.

His younger brother Giovanni had been elected archbishop by the Capitol of Milan in 1317, but Pope John XXII had refused to confirm the election and instead raised Aircardus from Comodeia to that position.

In 1323 John had excommunicated him, together with his entire family, with an accusation of heresy.

Visconti had found an ally in the antipope Nicholas V, who gave him the title of cardinal.

In 1331, he became bishop and lord of Novara.

Meanwhile, his nephew Azzone had bought, for sixty thousand (or one hundred and twenty-five thousand) florins the title of imperial vicar of Milan by the emperor Louis IV in opposition to the Pope, who nominally held the right of the nomination.

Azzone had paid only twelve thousand of the promised florins, the feeble Louis being unable to force the payment.

In the same years he was named as one of the assassins of his uncle Marco Visconti, but was never condemned.

On March 15, 1330, Azzone had been appointed perpetual lord of Milan.

He had married Caterina di Savoia, daughter of Louis II of Vaud, in 1331.

That same year, Charles of Bohemia, the son of King John of Bohemia and future emperor as Charles IV, was nearly poisoned to death at a banquet in Pavia.

Azzone was again suspected.

In August of the same year he allied with Theodore I, Marquess of Montferrat, against King Robert of Anjou, in order to capture his possessions in northwestern Italy.

In 1332 he also conquered Bergamo and Pizzighettone, continuing in 1335 with Lodi, Crema and other Lombardy lands who had ceded themselves to the Papal States, as well as Vercelli and Cremona.

Lodrisio has meanwhile assembled a company of mercenary troops with the help of the Scaligers of Verona, who seek vengeance for Azzone's support to Venice during the war with Verona.

In January 1339 he musters a large army, mostly from Germany, with twenty-five hundred cavalry, eight hundred infantry and two hundred crossbowmen: baptized Compagnia di San Giorgio ("Company of St. George"), it is the first organized compagnia of mercenaries led by an Italian condottiero.

After invading the territory of Milan, Lodrisio's army is defeated in early February at the Battle of Parabiago, in which Azzone, suffering from gout, does not participate.

He is captured and, together with his son Ambrogio, imprisoned within an iron cage in the castle of San Colombano al Lambro.

Here he will remain for ten years, until he is freed by the new Milanese lord, archbishop Giovanni Visconti.