Visconti, Bernabo

(1323 –1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.
In 1350 Bernabò married Beatrice Regina della Scala, daughter of Mastino II, Lord of Verona and forged both a political and cultural alliance between the two cities. His intrigues and ambitions kept him at war almost continuously with Pope Urban V, the Florentines, Venice and Savoy. In 1354 he inherited the power of Milan, together with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo. The vicious Matteo was murdered in 1355 at the order of his brothers, who divided his inheritance between them.
In 1360 he was declared heretic by Innocent VI at Avignon and condemned by Emperor Charles IV. In 1368 Visconti allied with Cansignorio della Scala of Verona, and attacked Mantua.
In 1373, the pope sent two papal delegates to serve Bernabò and Galeazzo their excommunication papers (consisting of a parchment bearing a leaden seal rolled in a silken cord). Bernabò, infuriated, placed the two papal delegates under arrest and refused their release until they had eaten the parchment, seal, and silken cord which they had served him.
Bernabò, whose despotism and taxes had enraged the Milanese was deposed by his nephew Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1385. Imprisoned he was poisoned in December of that year.