Contessina III of Vizzetia

Contessina III is the current Queen of Vizzetia. She ascended to the throne following her dissolution of the Signoria on the 16th of October 1364. Her mother is Princess Aleksandra of Svetossiya and her father is Duke Vittorio IV of Scarsella who also regined as Duce of the Second Republic of Vizzetia form 1351 to 1362 where upon his death Contessina took the position of Ducessa.

In 1363 Contessina married Prince Fábio of Fertuga, with whom she has has two children, Alessandra and Vittorio. Due to the ties of Aleksandra of Svetossiya to the current ruling house of Svetossiya, Contessina is third in line to the throne of the nation. Based on the 1363 Rule of Law, Contessina is the head of state of Vizzetia as well as the highest judge and commader in the land.

## Birth and early Life

Contessina was born in the ducal palace in Porto Di Contessina in Scarsella on the 12th of July 1345, the first daughter of Vittorio, Duke of Scarsella and Aleksandra, Princess of Svetossiya. Her full birth name, Contessina Julianna Biance de Scarsella. She was named after Contessina the Great (much like the city she was born in) and Queen Alessandra who is the Scarsella's connection to the Royal Family.

When Contessina turned 4 her younger sister Bianca was born. Contessina was brought up as the successor to the position of Duce as was agreed by the Noble Faction in the Signoria, this olvolved the best education the Duchy could provide and when she turned 14 she moved to Altenstadt together with her close court where she studied Governance and History. At Altenstadt University she also became an extremely devout Fochiite, moreso than her father.

When Contessina's father fell ill in 1363, she cut her studies short to immediately move back to Scarsella aged only 17. In the year between her arrival in Scarsella and the passing of her father Contessina did much of the work of Duke as her father's ilness consumed his entire strength. This made Contessina very popular amongst the people, especially the townsfolk of Porto Di Contessina and the nobility which all wanted to get on the young woman's good side for possible future marriage options. Contessina learnt much form her mother, above all how to not be a consort but how to be a ruler. When Vittorio de Scarsella passed away in 1364 Contessina stepped up to the task of Duchess without any problems and with full professionalism and expirience.

## Duchess and Ducessa

   Days after the death of Duce Vittorio de Sacrsella the Signorian houses presented their candidates for Duce. Due to the internal laws of the Noble Faction Contessina was selected as their candidate. The Merchants presented Fransisco Trivieli who was the main opposition as the Fochiite Faction peldged their full support to Contessina and refrained from presenting a candidate. This support granted the young woman a landslide victory. Only hours after the inanguration Contessina was swamped by requests of marriage as well as demands. She calmly denied them all as she already had a candidate in mind.

During her 18th birthday celebration which is described as "The Largest Party since the reign of Cysterian the Great" she fell in love with the representant of Fertuga, Prince Fábio, the third son of King Artur III Lobo. Together the couple spent the night and agreed they would marry. This was realised in 1364 only days before her coup and coronation. During her birthday celebaration it is said Contessina developed a freindship with the Grand Tarbeur Bello Magnus who later becomes the author of the Fochius Incarnae Prophecy theory.

The attempts of the Signoria to take power from the Ducessa were futile and using her super-majority Contessina quickly passed laws granting the Ducessa more powers than ever before. She stripped the Signoria of their exquistie pay and forced them to pass anti-corruption laws which were greatly opposed by the Merchant faction. Quickly word of a planned assasination spread as the Signoria would be forced to elect the Merchant candidate due to Contessina's heir being only 14. When Contessina was told of this plot she decided it was time to end the Signoria and put her knowlege of he nation's history to press her claim to the throne of Vizzetia.

## Coup and coronation

On 16th of October 1364 the coup that Contessina had been planning in order to remove the Signoria form power completely and restore the monarchy was executed. It began with Contessina's army surrounding the Signoria and her entering the chamber while it is in session which was completely unheard of. Upon entering Contessina took the stage and declared the Signoria void, she exclaimed all power is now vested in the monarch. This scene is portrayed in a famous play by Meredda Freciani:

> Contessina: It is not up to those alive or those departed to decide the way a Kingdom of Fochius should be ruled. it is up to our lord, up to his chosen people, his chosen blood. The blood that flows inside of me and will flow inside of my children - the blood of Cysterian and the blood of Vizzetia. This is who will rule, not you corrupt heathens - it is now your choice to accept the will of our Lord or forever be left in shame and face the consequences of treason against the Queen. You decide now.
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> *Contessina throws new bill on ground and leaves, room errupts in chatter*
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Upon leaving the Signoria the Queen ordered

## Titles, styles and arms

The official full title of Contessina III stads as following:

> Contessina Julianna Bianca da Scarsella, third of her name, Queen of Vizzetia and Cysteria, Zaramae and Tritarea, Duchess of Scarsella, Protectress of the Faith, Fochius Incarnae, Liberator of Cysteria and Royal Lady of Fertuga
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**Contessina Julianna Bianca da Scarsella** - The forenames of the Queen, named after her distant ancestors Contessina the first and second, Julianna the only female ruler of Cysteria and Bianca the name of her grandmother. This is followed by the Queen's dynastic name, Da Scarsella inheritted from her father from a long line originitaing from the first Duke of Scarsella, Vittorio I.

**Third of her name** - As mentioned, Contessina is the third monarch of vizzetia to bare that name, the previous two were both of house Barrigni.

**Queen of Vizzetia and Cysteria** - The Kingdom of Cysteria was formed following the downfall of the empire and was for a few generations controlled by the House of Tarrone, distant relatives of the Cysterian Emperors through a female line. This however ended when the throne was usurped by King Antonio II of Vizzetia. Since then the two crowns have been passed down to each Vizzetian monarch together, only breaking tradition during the civil war when Cysteria rallied around the House of Leonetta while the crown of Vizzetia was held by the House of Bergotte. Contessina upon her crowning officially recognised Cysteria and Vizzetia as one entity and united the two titles into the single title of "King of Vizzetia and Cysteria". This also officially changed the name of the kingdom, though Vizzetia is still the generally used name.

**Queen of Zaramae** - During the Zaramean revolution which saw the removal of the monarchy in the country the council which fled to Vizzetia chose to elect Contessina's father Vittorio as monarch. This title however holds no physical power as Zaramae continues to be a republic, neverthless it passed to Contessina along with her other titles when her father died in 1394.

**Queen of Tritarea** - Tritarea was yet another short-lived kingdom that was a result of the break-up of the Cysterian Empire. It was eventually integrated into the Kingdom of Cysteria and thus transferred to the Vizzetian monarchy with the usurpation of the primary title. The Kingdom of Tritarea has not existed since and this title therefore holds no power, especially as Tritarea is now a a duchy within the Kingdom of Vizzetia which is who has true rule over the region.

**Duchess of Scarsella** - The Duchy fo Scarsella was the primary title of Contessina's father so the title was passed to her upon his death along with the title of Duce of the Republic which she eventually used to crown herself Queen. Depite this she still holds the title of Duchess of Scarsella.

**Protectress of the Faith** - A title granted to Contessina upon her coronation by the Grand Tarbeur of Fochbourg, Bello Magnus. He procliamed Contessina the defender of all Fochiite and all the followers of Fochius, he also announced it was her duty to protect the lands that respect the true faith and to spread it to those hwo have not yet been enlightened by any means necessary.

**Fochius Incarnae** - A title in Cysterian meaning, "Fochius Incarnate" which was granted to Contessina after the Grand Tarberire recognised her as the human form of Fochius which was prophecised by Fochius himself during his second coming to earth. This is the title that to many justified the actions of Contessina during her coup. It also legitimizes her as her claim to the throne was relatively weak as it came from a female line.

**Liberator of Cysteria** - A title gained during the ongoing war against Ispolin following the Vizzetian Liberation of Cysteria. This title was granted to Contessina by the incubent president of the Free Imperial City of Cysteria which became recognised as the Grand Duchy fo Cysteria upon its conquest.

**Royal Lady of Fertuga** - A title gained following the marriage of Contessina to Prince Fábio of Fertuga. This title holds no power but is a greatly respected one, especially in the Fertugan court where marriage is considered as a complete acceptance into the family rather than a union of two seperate people.