Toynbee "Nino_2"

As D. and Virgil, in company with Sordello, descend among the spirits in the valley of flowers, D. notices one of the spirits looking at him fixedly, as though trying to recognize him ([Purg. viii. 46-48]); they approach each other and, in spite of the dusk, D. recognizes Nino de' Visconti and expresses his pleasure at finding him here and not among the damned ([Purg. viii. 49-54]); after they have exchanged salutations, N. asks D. how long it has been since he arrived ([Purg. viii. 55-57]); D. replies that he has just arrived by way of Hell and that he is alive, whereat both Sordello and N. start back in amazement ([Purg. viii. 58-63]); Sordello turns to Virgil, and N. to another spirit (that of Currado Malaspina), whom he calls to come and behold the great wonder vouchsafed by God ([Purg. viii. 64-66]); N then addresses D. and begs him, when he returns upon earth, to bid his daughter Giovanna to pray for him ([Purg. viii. 67-72]) [Giovanna_2], he adds that he fears her mother (Beatrice d'Este) cares for him no more, since she has married again (her second husband being Galeazzo de' Visconti of Milan), and quotes her as an example of the fickleness of woman's love ([Purg. viii. 73-78]); he concludes with the remark that the Milanese viper (the arms of the Visconti of Milan) will not grace her tomb so well as the cock of Gallura (the arms of the Visconti of Pisa) ([Purg. viii. 79-81]) [Beatrice_4: Galeazzo: Gallura: Melanese: Table XXX].

Nino (i.e. Ugolino) de' Visconti of Pisa was born c. 1265, the son of Giovanni Visconti; his mother was a daughter of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca. In 1285, Nino was called to share with the count, his grandfather, the office of podestà and capitano del popolo, to which Ugolino had been appointed by the city of Pisa for a period of ten years, in a government then dominantly Guelph [Ugolino, Conte]. Extremely ambitious politically, Nino appears to have aspired to the dominant role in the Guelph party that his father, now dead, had maintained. Friction and strife ensued in the duumvirate and led to open armed clashes between the two factions of grandfather and grandson, until both were persuaded to resign; but, in March 1287/8, taking advantage of a tumult deliberately brought about by the count, the two again seized power and occupied the palazzo, after which move came the count's betrayal of Nino and Archbishop Ruggieri's betrayal of the count [Ruggieri, arcivescovo]. In July 1288, Nino fled to Guelph Florence and joined the Guelph league in warring against Pisa (which had now returned to its traditional Ghibellinism); he became, in 1293, captain general of the league. He later went to Genoa, which did him the honour of making him a citizen, and from there he went to his lands in Sardinia, where, in league with Genoa, he continued to plot against Pisa. It was during this time, apparently, that he inflicted summary punishment on his deputy, Frate Gomita, for his misdeeds during Nino's absence [Gomita, frate]. He died early in 1296. His heart, in accordance with his wishes, was removed to Lucca and entombed in the church of San Francesco.

It should be noted that, after Nino's escape to Florence in 1288 and during his sojourn in the city, there was ample occasion for D. to have made the personal acquaintance with him that is witnessed in the encounter in Purg. viii. 52 ff.

[See I. Del Lungo, DtD, pp. 277 ff.; and U. Dorini 'Il tradimento del Conte Ugolino alla luce di un documento inedito', SD, xii (1927), 31-64.]

Villani gives the following account:

Negli anni di Cristo 1288, del mese di Luglio, essendo creata in Pisa grande divisione e sette per cagione della signoria, che dell'una era capo il giudice Nino di Gallura de' Visconti con certi guelfi, e l'altro era il conte Ugolino de' Gherardeschi coll'altra parte de' guelfi, e l'altro era l'arcivescovo Ruggeri degli Ubaldini co' Lanfranchi, e Gualandi, e Sismondi, con altre case ghibeline: il detto conte Ugolino per esser signore s'accostò coll'arcivescovo e sua parte, e tradì il giudice Nino, non guardando che fosse suo nipote figliuolo della figliuola, e ordinarono che fosse cacciato di Pisa co' suoi seguaci, o preso in persona. Giudice Nino sentendo ciò, e non veggendosi forte al riparo, si partì della terra, e andossene a Calci suo castello, e allegossi co' Fiorentini e Lucchesi per fare guerra a' Pisani. Il conte Ugolino innanzi che il giudice Nino si partisse, per coprire meglio suo tradimento, ordintata la cacciata di giudice, se n'andò fuori di Pisa. . . .Come seppe la partita di giudice Nino, tornò in Pisa con grande allegrezza, e da' Pisani fu fatto signore con grande allegrezza e festa. (Villani. vii. 121.)

Buti, who was a Pisan, says of Nino:

Questi fu de' Visconti di Pisa Giudici Nino del iudicato di Gallura di Sardigna; e fu molto gentile d'animo e di costumi, et ardito e galliardo; e fu filliuolo o vero nipote, di messer Ubaldo di Visconti di Pisa, lo quale fu bellissimo e galliardissimo omo de la sua persona; e fu lo primo che acquistasse in Sardigna. . . . Questo Giudici Nino ebbe per donna madonna Beatrice marchesotta da Esti, et ebbe di lei una filliuola che ebbe nome madonna Gioanna, e fu donna di messere Riccardo da Camino di Trivigi; e morto Giudici Nino, la ditta sua donna Beatrice si rimaritò a messer Azo de' Visconti da Melano. E per questa donna ebbeno li Visconti da Melano le case de le taverne di Pisa et altre possessioni che sono in quello di Pisa, che funno di Giudici Nino: impero che madonna Gioanna moritte inanti a madonna Beatrice sua madre sensa filliuoli unde l'eredità sua venne a la madre la quale ebbe filliuoli di messere Azo di Melano, e così cadde l'eredità ai Visconti di Melano.