Gian Maria Visconti was the second Visconti

House of Visconti

Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...

 Duke of Milan, the son of Gian Galeazzo Visconti

Gian Galeazzo Visconti

Gian Galeazzo Visconti , son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca of Savoy, was the first Duke of Milan and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance...

 and Caterina Visconti

Caterina Visconti

Caterina Visconti, Duchess of Milan was a member of the Italian noble family Visconti, which ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447. She was the second wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, and was the mother of two succeeding Dukes of Milan, Gian Maria Visconti and Filippo Maria Visconti...

.

Biography

He assumed the title at thirteen, under his mother's regency. The Duchy soon disintegrated: among the various parties contending its lands, the condottiero Facino Cane

Facino Cane

thumb|Facino Cane.Facino Cane da Casale , born Bonifacio Cane, was an Italian condottiero.-Biography:Cane was born in Casale Monferrato to a noble family....

 prevailed. Taking advantage of Gian Maria's cruelty, he managed to create in him doubts about Caterina, who was imprisoned in Monza

Monza

Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...

, where she died on 17 October 1404, probably murdered. The duke was famous for his dogs, which were trained to slaughter men.

In 1408 Gian Maria married Antonia Malatesta of Cesena

Antonia Malatesta of Cesena

Antonia Malatesta of Cesena, also known as Antonia Malatesta of Rimini, was the daughter of Carlo I Malatesta, Lord of Cesena, Fano, Pesaro, and Rimini. To help ally himself with the House of Malatesta, Giovanni Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan married Antonia in the city of Brescia in 1408. They...

, daughter of Carlo I

Carlo I Malatesta

Carlo I Malatesta was an Italian condottiero during the Wars in Lombardy and lord of Rimini, Fano, Cesena and Pesaro...

 lord of Rimini

Rimini

Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...

. They had no issue.

A plot by a party of Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

ese Ghibellines was raised against the Duke when Facino Cane was ill in Pavia

Pavia

Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...

, and Gian Maria was assassinated in front of the church of San Gottardo

San Gottardo, Milan

San Gottardo in Corte or San Gottardo a Palazzo is a church in Milan, northern Italy.It was built as Ducal Chapel by Azzone Visconti in 1330, and finished in 1336, as indicated by an inscription on the walls. It was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin but Azzone, who suffered from gout,...

 in Milan. The dying Facino had his officers swear to support Filippo Maria

Filippo Maria Visconti

Filippo Maria Visconti was ruler of Milan from 1412 to 1447.-Biography:Filippo Maria Visconti, who had become nominal ruler of Pavia in 1402, succeeded his assassinated brother Gian Maria Visconti as Duke of Milan in 1412. They were the sons of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Gian Maria's predecessor, by...

, Gian Maria's brother, who in fact succeeded him.

Ancestors