Obizzo Visconti, 22nd Great-grandfather

October 9, 2014 — ancestor, history, Milan, Obizzo Visconti

Visconti Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms of the Visconti of Milan depicting the biscione, a serpent who appears to be swallowing a human.

The effectual founder of the Visconti of Milan, Ottone, wrested control of the city from the rival Della Torre family in 1277.
The family, once risen to power, loved to claim legendary versions about its origins. Fancy genealogies were en vogue at the time, while established facts reflect quite sober and almost humble beginnings in the lesser nobility. The branch of the Visconti family that came to rule Milan was originally entrusted with the lordship of Massino (nowadays Massino Visconti), a hamlet in lovely position over Lago Maggiore, where they were in charge since the twelfth century as archiepiscopal vassals.
It is thought that the Milanese Visconti had their origins in a family of capitanei (cfr. the modern surname Cattaneo) whom archbishop Landulf of Milan (978-998) had granted certain feudal holdings known as caput plebis (at the head, likely in geographical and not hierarchical sense, of the pieve, an ecclesiastical lesser subdivision). A document from the year 1157 says the Visconti were holders of the captaincy of Marliano (today Mariano Comense); late chronicler Galvano Fiamma confirms this version. Decades before that, surely before 1070, they had gained the public office of viscount, to be later inherited down the male line (Biscaro, ASL, “I maggiori dei Visconti di Milano”). Soon the family dispersed into several branches, some of which were entrusted fiefs far off from the Lombard metropolis; the one which gave the Medieval lords of Milan is said to be descended from Umberto (d. in the first half of the 12th century).
The Visconti ruled Milan until the early Renaissance, first as Lords, then, from 1395, with the mighty Gian Galeazzo who almost managed to unify Northern Italy and Tuscany, as Dukes. Visconti rule in Milan ended with the death of Filippo Maria Visconti in 1447. He was succeeded, after a short-lived republic, by his son-in-law Francesco I Sforza, who established the reign of the House of Sforza.

Visconti rulers of Milan
Ottone Visconti, Archbishop of Milan (1277 – 1294)
Matteo I Visconti (1294 – 1302; 1311 – 1322)
Galeazzo I Visconti (1322 – 1327)
Azzone Visconti (1329 – 1339)
Luchino I Visconti (1339 – 1349)
Bernabò Visconti (1349 – 1385)
Galeazzo II Visconti (1349 – 1378)
Matteo II Visconti (1349 – 1355)
Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1378 – 1402) {1st Duke of Milan & nephew of Bernabò Visconti}
Giovanni Maria Visconti (1402 – 1412)
Giacomo Visconti (1412 – 1447)

Obizzo Visconti

Obizzo Visconti (1198 – 1266)
is my 22nd great grandfather
Theobald Visconti (1220 – 1276)
son of Obizzo Visconti
Matteo I Visconti (1250 – 1322)
son of Theobald Visconti
Stefan Visconti (1289 – 1327)
son of Matteo I Visconti
Bernabo Lord Milan di Visconti (1319 – 1385)
son of Stefan Visconti
Veridis Duchess Austria Visconti (1352 – 1414)
daughter of Bernabo Lord Milan di Visconti
Ernst I “Ironside” Archduke of Austria Habsburg (1377 – 1424)
son of Veridis Duchess Austria Visconti
Katharina Archduchess Austria Von Habsburg (1420 – 1493)
daughter of Ernst I “Ironside” Archduke of Austria Habsburg
Christof I VanBaden (1453 – 1527)
son of Katharina Archduchess Austria Von Habsburg
Beatrix Zahringen (1492 – 1535)
daughter of Christof I VanBaden
Sabine Grafin VonSimmern (1528 – 1578)
daughter of Beatrix Zahringen
Marie L Egmond (1564 – 1584)
daughter of Sabine Grafin VonSimmern
Richard Sears (1590 – 1676)
son of Marie L Egmond
Silas Sears (1638 – 1697)
son of Richard Sears
Silas Sears (1661 – 1732)
son of Silas Sears
Sarah Sears (1697 – 1785)
daughter of Silas Sears
Sarah Hamblin (1721 – 1814)
daughter of Sarah Sears
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse

OBIZZO Visconti (-after 1258). m FIORINA Mandelli, daughter of RUFFINO Mandelli & his wife Aldesia Pietrasanta.  Obizzo & his wife had two children:
a) TIBALDO Visconti (-beheaded Gallarate 1276). The Annales Mediolanenses record that “Archiepiscopum Ottonem…Tibaldi nepotis sui” was beheaded “in Galerate” in 1276 . m ANASTASIA Pirovano, niece of Cardinal Uberto Pirovano Archbishop of Milan, daughter of — (-1276, bur [Milan San Eustorgio]). The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified. Tibaldo & his wife had [four] children:
i) MATTEO [I] Visconti (Invorio 15 Jul 1250-Crescenzago 28 Jun 1322). Giovanni di Musso´s Chronicon Placentinum records that “Dominus Mafæus Vicecomes nepos Domini Ottonis Vicecomitis Archiepiscopi Mediolani” was installed as “Populi Mediolani Capitaneus” in 1287 and shortly after as “Dominus Generalis civitatis Mediolani” . Lord of Milan.
– see below.
ii) UBERTO Visconti (-22 Apr 1315, bur Milan Dominican Church). The Annales Mediolanenses record the death in 1315 of “Nobilis Miles Ubertus Vicecomes frater magni Matthæi Vicecomitis” and his burial “in conventu Fratrum Prædicatorum”.
iii) [STEFANO Visconti (-1327, bur Milan San Eustorgio). The Annales Mediolanenses record the death in 1327 of “nobilis Miles Stephanus Vicecomes” and his burial “apud Sanctum Eustorgium cum matre sua” . The source does not specify Stefano´s parentage but it is possible that he was another otherwise unrecorded brother of Matteo [I] Visconti Lord of Milan.]
iv) [OTTORINO Visconti ([12/14] Oct 1336, bur Milan San Eustorgio). The Annales Mediolanenses record the death in 1336 of “nobilis Miles Ottorinus Vicecomes” and his burial “in ecclesia Sancti Eustorgii” 15 Oct. His place of burial suggests that Ottorino may have been the brother of Stefano Visconti.]
b) PIETRO Visconti (-after 1301). The Annales Mediolanenses record that “Petrus Vicecomes Dominus Seprii et frater patris Matthæi” rebelled against “Matthæum Vicecomitem Dominum civitatis Mediolani” in 1301 but was captured and held “in castro de Serezano” . m —. The name of Pietro´s wife is not known. Pietro & his wife had one child:
i) daughter . Her parentage and marriage are confirmed by the Annales Mediolanenses which record that “Petrus Vicecomes Dominus Seprii et frater patris Matthæi” incited “Ruscam Dominum civitatis Cumanæ generum suum” to rebel against Matteo [I] Visconti Lord of Milan in 1301, the succeeding passage recording “Conradus Rusca Dominus civitatis Cumanæ” among the rebels . m CORRADO “Rusca” Signore di Cuma, son of — (-after 1301).