Otton Visconti

Otton Visconti , in Italian Ottone Visconti (born in 1207 with Invorio, in current the Province of Novare, Piedmont - died the August 8th 1295 with Chiaravalle Milanese, today suburb of Milan) was Archbishop of Milan and took share active with quarrels political which tore the North of Italy, which made the political fortune of the family Visconti, of the left gibelin.

Biography

Otton was the oldest son of Uberto Visconti (NC-ap.1267), lord of Massino, Albizzate and Besnate and of Berta (Pirovano?). It had five brothers and sisters:

Azzone, bishop of Vintimille
Andreotto
Obizzo, lord of Massino, Albizzate and Besnate, father of Teobaldo (or Tibaldo), grandfather of Matthieu which will succeed Otton,
Béatrice which will marry Egidio, count of Cortenova,
Gaspare, chief of line of the lords of Caronno, Jerago and Fagnano

After having been with the service of the archbishop of Milan Leone da Perego, Otton, in September 1247, entered to the service of the apostolic legate, the cardinal Ottaviano Ubaldini, whom it followed during one decade in his legations to Italy and France. Then, he was procurator of the archbishop at the pontifical court and became canon of Desio. Ghost of France, the cardinal Ottaviano Ubaldini passed by Milan and took again Otton Visconti with his service.

In spite of the opposition of Martino della Torre, chief of Credenza de Sant' Ambrogio (Belief of Saint Ambroise) , an organization politico-nun which held the reins of the capacity in Milan, Otton was named archbishop of Milan, the July 22nd 1262, by the pope Urbain IV. Martino della Torre, made indignant by the election of Otton imposed by the pope, occupied the archbishop's palace as of August. The apostolic legate Filippo di Pistoia excommunicated Martino della Torre and jetta the interdict on Milan to have refused the archbishop. Consequently, the war will be open between Otton and those which are opposed to its ecclesiastical career, the family Guelfe della Torre , supported by its trustworthy called Torriani .

April 1st 1263, day of Easter, Otton entered to Arona, a village on southern bank of the Lake Maggiore, with a formed procession of noble refugees dispersed in the lombardes cities and took possession of the seat ambrosien formally. The Milanese army besieged Arona then and gave a also opinion in the fortress archiépiscopale of Angera, located at 2 km opposite Arona, on the other side of the lake. Otton Visconti wrote of Arona to Capitole novarois to require the excommunication of the podestat of Mantoue, Francesco della Torre, brother of Martino, the Council and the Commune because of their assistance to besieging Milanese. Threatened by the infantry of the general captain of Milan, Pelavicino, Ottone the May 5th went. The marquis Pelavicino made destroy the fortifications of Arona and the castle of Angera and Brebbia.
Otton was withdrawn at Novare, but in June, the podestat Francesco della Torre drove out it and Otton took refuge near the pope, with Montefiascone. Otton excommunicated even the bishop of Novare which had returned to the podestat of the hostages that Otton had entrusted to him. In November, Martino della Torre died and was replaced with the head of Credenza by his/her Filippo brother. The following year, in October 1264, the pope Urbain IV, support of Otton, died and, in November, Pelavicino its place of general captain of Milan yielded to Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis XI. Spite, Pelavicino changed for the camp Gibelin and became the enemy of della Torre. The new pope, Clement IV, did not make large - thing for Otton if it is not that he refused, in August 1265, to relieve Otton and to agree the proposal to name at the apostolic post of legate Raimondo della Torre. Della Torre continued to impose their law on Milan. Filippo della Torre died in September 1265, replaced by a cousin, Napo della Torre. Another brother, Paganino della Torre, became podestat of Verceil and were assassinated four months later, in January 1266, on the initiative of the marquis Pelavicino: the reprisals were atrocious, 53 noble Milaneses were decapitated in public place. In December 1266, Clément IV pressed Milan to accept its archbishop Otton Visconti. But Otton remained in exile. In November 1268, when Clément IV died in his turn, the case of Otton Visconti had still not been regulated. The papal seat remained vacant during three years and, in April 1273, the new pope Gregoire X, of passage to Milan, confirmed the validity of the election of Otton. In 1274, a true psychosis seized Milan, the della Torre proscribed approximately two hundred noble Milaneses obliged to flee in exile with Novare and Pavia, a special militia was created to protect the city from an attack of Otton.
In 1276, Napo della Torre demolished a troop pavesane and made a big number of Milanese noble prisoners of which Théobald Visconti, nephew of the archbishop and father of Matthieu. Otton Visconti was with Verceil when it accepted the news; it put at the head of the army refugees, occupied Castelseprio, but was put in escape by Napo. Otton took refuge with Lurate meadows of Like.
The year 1276 saw four popes following one another: in January, it was the death of Gregoire X, then Innocent V reigned only five months, Adrien V reigned only one month and in September, Jean XXI was élu.
In 1277, the ostracism of which was victim Otton Visconti soon will end, fifteen years after its nomination at the post of archbishop of Milan. And, derision of the fate, that will occur in the city of which he was canon in this time. The January 20th, the Battle of Desio, for little “combative” that it was, was a decisive victory for the archbishop. It demolishes there the Torriani , of which mainly Francesco which finds death there and Napo which, locked up, will die one year half later. It returns finally triumphantly in the city of Milan.

The years which will follow will not be therefore the quiet years. The della Torre will start again a war of attrition against the Milaneses by taking Lodi then Castelseprio, by occupying the area between the rivers Adda and Tessin. Otton will call upon the marquis Guillaume VII of Montferrat, will make it elect general captain of Milan for five years, then ten years and even will make name lord of Milan in 1278 after until it the Milanese army was made beat by the Torriani with San Donato. A new battle, to Vaprio d' Adda, against the Torriani will give the victory to Visconti, the May 25th 1281, day of San Dionigi (Holy Dionysius). The enemy army is overcome and dispersed, Cassone della Torre is killed with the combat, Raimondo della Torre is turned over from there to the the Friuli and peace is signed with Lodi. Saint Dionysius becomes the second guard of Visconti, with Sainte Agnes. Confronted with the requirements and the tergiversations of the marquis de Montferrat, Otton will drive out it of Milan, fine 1281, and will be made of it an enemy who will be combined with the della Torre . The following years will be a little calmer than the preceding ones.

In December 1287, Otton made name captain of the people his great nephew Mathieu. Its function to him will be assure two years later and, in 1291, the General advice of the city will name it lord of Milan. Tired capacity, it left the reins of the city to its great nephew and was withdrawn with the monastery of Chiaravalle Milanese. It died there, 88 years old.

It seems that Otton was never established captain of the people or lord of Milan, functions undoubtedly incompatible with that of archbishop whom he exerted. He was not either general vicar of the empire. But, by its character at the very least soaked and its behavior of man of war able to raise armies, to form town militia, it had almost the seizure on the political matters, as well interior as foreign of Milan, while the podestats and the captains of the people of the city changed every six months. In theory, the Master of Milan was the emperor which reigned on a good number of seigniories of the North of Italy. The gibelins Visconti were certainly appropriate to him and the companies of Otton avoided to him having to delegate its powers to a designated sovereign.

Source

New illustrated Larousse , 1907, vol.7
Storia di Milano

External bonds

Melegnano.net: Biography of Ottone Visconti
'' Gesta di Ottone Visconti (the gesture of Otton Visconti) ''

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