Taddea Visconti
Encyclopedia
Taddea Visconti, Duchess of Bavaria (1351 – 28 September 1381) was an Italian noblewoman of the Visconti
family who ruled Milan
from 1277 to 1447. She was the first wife of Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
, and the mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
, Queen consort of King Charles VI of France
.
, Lord of Milan, and Beatrice Regina della Scala
(1331–18 June 1384). She had sixteen younger siblings. Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti
, Lord of Milan, and Valentina Doria
, and her maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala
and Taddea da Carrara.
Her father Bernabò, continually at war with the papacy, was a ruthless despot who would, in 1385, be overthrown by his nephew and son-in-law Gian Galeazzo Visconti
and later poisoned in the castle of Trezzo.
was the wealthiest and most powerful of the German states at the times. Bernabò managed to secure the marriages of four of his children to members of the ruling Wittelsbach
family. Taddea, being the eldest, was the first of the four Visconti children selected.
In 1367, Taddea married, as his first wife, Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingolstadt, who, on 13 May 1375, became Duke of Bavaria. He ruled jointly with his brothers Frederick
and John II
in Bavaria-Landshut. Taddea brought a dowry of 100,000 gold ducats.
Her husband Stephen was described as "reckless, prodigal, ostentatious, amorous, restless without a tournament or war and well-suited to a Visconti daughter"
The marriage produced three children:
Taddea died on 28 September 1381 in Munich
at the age of thirty. She was buried in Unsere Liebe Frau
. Less than four years later, her daughter, Isabeau, became Queen consort of France. Taddea's husband Stephen married secondly, on 16 January 1401, Elisabeth of Cleves
, daughter of Count Adolf III of Cleves. This second marriage was childless.
Through Isabeau's youngest daughter, Catherine of Valois
, Taddea was an ancestress of the Tudor dynasty which ruled England from 1485 to 1603.
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...
family who ruled 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 ,...
from 1277 to 1447. She was the first wife of Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Stephen III of Bavaria was a Duke of Bavaria since 1375. He was the eldest son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:...
, and the mother of Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
, Queen consort of King Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
.
Family
Taddea was born in Milan in 1351 sometime after 27 June, the eldest child of Bernabò ViscontiBernabo Visconti
Bernabò Visconti was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.-Life:He was born in Milan, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti...
, Lord of Milan, and Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice Regina della Scala was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Scaliger family of Northern Italy. She was the wife of Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and the mother of his seventeen legitimate children.- Family :...
(1331–18 June 1384). She had sixteen younger siblings. Her paternal grandparents were Stefano Visconti
Stefano Visconti
Stefano Visconti was a member of the House of Visconti that ruled Milan from the 14th to the 15th century. He was the son of Matteo I Visconti....
, Lord of Milan, and Valentina Doria
Doria
Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
, and her maternal grandparents were Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala
Mastino II della Scala was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy.He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother Alberto II were associated in the rule of Verona. Soon, however, Mastino's...
and Taddea da Carrara.
Her father Bernabò, continually at war with the papacy, was a ruthless despot who would, in 1385, be overthrown by his nephew and son-in-law 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 later poisoned in the castle of Trezzo.
Marriage
BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
was the wealthiest and most powerful of the German states at the times. Bernabò managed to secure the marriages of four of his children to members of the ruling Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
family. Taddea, being the eldest, was the first of the four Visconti children selected.
In 1367, Taddea married, as his first wife, Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingolstadt, who, on 13 May 1375, became Duke of Bavaria. He ruled jointly with his brothers Frederick
Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou...
and John II
John II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke John II of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1375 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was the third son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:...
in Bavaria-Landshut. Taddea brought a dowry of 100,000 gold ducats.
Her husband Stephen was described as "reckless, prodigal, ostentatious, amorous, restless without a tournament or war and well-suited to a Visconti daughter"
- Louis VII, Duke of BavariaLouis VII, Duke of BavariaDuke Louis VII of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt from 1413 until 1443. He was a son of Stephen III and Taddea Visconti.-Biography:...
(c. 1368–2 May 1447), married firstly Anne de Bourbon, by whom he had issue, and secondly, Catherine d'AlençonCatherine of AlençonCatherine d'Alençon was a younger daughter of Peter II of Alençon and his wife Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine. Catherine was the second wife of Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria...
. He had several illegitimate children by various mistresses. - Isabeau of BavariaIsabeau of BavariaIsabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
, (early 1370–24 September 1435), Queen consortQueen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of King Charles VI of FranceCharles VI of FranceCharles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
, whom she married on 17 July 1385. - unnamed son (born and died in 1377)
Taddea died on 28 September 1381 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
at the age of thirty. She was buried in Unsere Liebe Frau
Munich Frauenkirche
The Frauenkirche is a church in the Bavarian city of Munich that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It is a landmark and is considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city.The church towers are widely visible because of local height...
. Less than four years later, her daughter, Isabeau, became Queen consort of France. Taddea's husband Stephen married secondly, on 16 January 1401, Elisabeth of Cleves
Elisabeth of Cleves
Myntha Elisabeth of Cleves was the daughter of the Duke of Cleves - Adolf III of the Marck and Margaret of Jülich. She married Reginald of Falkenburg in 1393, who died in 1396. In 1401, she started a new marriage with the Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria but had no children.-See also:*Duchy of...
, daughter of Count Adolf III of Cleves. This second marriage was childless.
Through Isabeau's youngest daughter, Catherine of Valois
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of France was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, mother of Henry VI, King of England and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor, the grandmother of...
, Taddea was an ancestress of the Tudor dynasty which ruled England from 1485 to 1603.