League of Bologna

[1] He gained the backing of Pope Urban IV and concluded an alliance with the Republic of Venice, which in 1387 allowed him to conquer the cities of Verona and Vicenza, putting an end to the Scaliger lordship there.

[4] Florence and Bologna also tried to mediate on behalf of Francesco Novello,[5] and later joined him in trying to find support against Visconti among the German princes who had married Bernabò's numerous daughters, especially the Dukes of Bavaria.

[6][7] Despite an agreement in October 1389 that demarcated the Milanese from the Florentine zones of influence in Italy, the drift to open war proved inevitable: already on the very next day, Florence, Bologna, Pisa, Lucca, and Perugia signed a defensive alliance directed against Visconti expansionism.

[10] The war ended in January 1392 with both sides exhausted, and largely reflected the status quo ante, with the exception of Paduan independence, which was recognized in exchange for an indemnity of 10,000 florins to be paid annually over the next fifty years to Milan.

[11][12] The breaking away of Padua from the Visconti dominions nevertheless was a significant setback for the lord of Milan, as it encouraged doubts among two of his allies, Alberto d'Este of Ferrara and Francesco I Gonzaga of Mantua.