Caterina Visconti 1360 – 1404

Biography

Caterina Visconti was born on July 20, 1360, in Milan, into one of northern Italy’s most powerful and influential families. She would become the second wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, and serve as Duchess of Milan from 1361 until her death in 1404. Through her marriage, Caterina held a prominent position in one of the Renaissance period’s most significant city-states, where the Visconti family wielded considerable political and cultural authority.

Living during a transformative era in Italian history, Caterina witnessed the consolidation of Milan’s power under her husband’s rule. Her life spanned the latter decades of the fourteenth century and the opening years of the fifteenth, a time of great change in the Italian peninsula. She maintained her position as duchess throughout these years, contributing to the family’s prominence until her death.

Caterina Visconti died on October 26, 1404, in Monza, at the age of 44. She was laid to rest in Monza Cathedral, one of northern Italy’s most significant religious structures. Her burial there reflects both her elevated status and the deep connections the Visconti family maintained with the region surrounding Milan.