Venetian-Milanese War of 1404-06

The Visconti Milanese state forged by Gian Galeazzo Visconti had rapidly disintegrated after his death, with many northern and central Italian cities reverting to local lords.

In 1404, Venetians take control of the former Milanese possessions of …

…Bassano, where the Venetians do not alter the citadine magistratures, limiting their interference to imposing a Captain chosen by the Venetian Senate.

The city is to become home to a flourishing industry producing wool, silk, iron and copper, and mainly for ceramics; in the eighteenth century it will become especially famous in all Europe for the presence of the Remondini printers.

…Vicenza, the seat of a Lombardy duchy in the sixth century, which had in 1311 submitted to the Scaligeri lords of Verona, who had fortified it against the Visconti of Milan, and…

Pandolfo, acting as advisor of Visconti’s widow Caterina, has taken advantage of this position, as well as of other condottas for Italian states, to enlarge his small seigniory and ravage the neighboring states and cities (like Trezzo and Como in 1403, followed by Brescia in 1404, which he receives from the Visconti as payment of his two hundred thousand ducati credit.

Gian Maria Visconti has gained fame for his dogs, which are trained to slaughter men.

Taking advantage of the duke's native cruelty, Facino had managed to create in him doubts about his mother Caterina, who has been imprisoned in Monza, where she dies in 1404, most likely by poison.

Verona had been ruled by the Carraresi of Padua from 1402.

Guglielmo, the natural son of Can Grande II, had driven them out in 1402 with the support of the people, but died ten days later.

Verona therefore submits to Venice in 1405.

The Venetians, taking Padua from Milan in 1405, terminate the Carrara family line in 1405 with the death, by strangulation, of Lord Francesco II Novello Carraresi, who had retained the lordships of Padua and Verona under an agreement.

The Venetians will mostly remain in control here until the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797.