On Archbishop Ottone Visconti’s nuclear family of origin

Abstract

Despite his crucial role in establishing the Milanese lordship, Ottone Visconti re­mains a somewhat obscure figure, particularly regarding his origins, birth year, and activities before he was appointed Archbishop of Milan. An analysis of the sources concerning Ottone before 1262, along with those relating to other members of his immediate family, helps to delineate the characteristics of his original family nucleus, setting it apart from the many others that composed the broader Visconti lineage in the first half of the thirteenth century. Clarifying Ottone’s family background also sheds light on the evolving high-level connections maintained by his kin, who shifted from being fideles of the Salian and Swabian dynasties in the eleventh and twelfth centuries to taking on roles within the ecclesiastical hierarchy and achieving recognition at the papal court in the thirteenth century. Ottone’s appointment as Archbishop of Milan thus appears as the natural outcome of this later development.