The House of Gonzaga (; ) is an Italian princely family that ruled Mantua in Lombardy, northern Italy from 1328 to 1708 (first as a captaincy-general, then margraviate, and finally duchy). They also ruled Monferrato in Piedmont and Nevers in France, as well as many other lesser fiefs throughout Europe. The family includes a saint, twelve cardinals, and fourteen bishops. Two Gonzaga descendants became empresses of the Holy Roman Empire (Eleonora Gonzaga and Eleonora Gonzaga-Nevers), and one became Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Marie Louise Gonzaga).
History
The first members of the family of historical importance are known to have collaborated with the Guelph faction alongside the monks of the Polirone Abbey. Starting from the 12th century they became a dominant family in Mantua, growing in wealth when their allies, the Bonacolsi, defeated the traditional familiar enemy, the Casalodi. In 1328, however, Ludovico I Gonzaga overthrew the Bonacolsi lordship over the city with the help of the Scaliger, and entered the Ghibelline party as capitano del popolo ("people's captain") of Mantua and imperial vicar of Emperor Louis IV.
Ludovico was succeeded by Guido (1360–1369) and Ludovico II (1369–1382), while Feltrino, lord of Reggio until 1371, formed the cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Novellara, whose state existed until 1728. Francesco I (1382–1407) abandoned the traditional alliance with the Visconti of Milan, in order to align their rising power with the Republic of Venice.
<gallery>
File:Mantua2_BMK.jpg|Ducal palace, Mantua.
File:Camera picta, la corte 02.jpg|Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua and Barbara of Brandenburg with their children, fresco by Andrea Mantegna at San Giorgio Castle, Mantua, around 1470.
File:Gonzaga Armonial.jpg|Arms of the Gonzaga-Nevers branch that inherited the Duchy of Mantua from the extinct senior line and ruled it from 1627 to 1708, when that branch died out in the male line.
</gallery>
In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua with the recognition of Emperor Sigismund, while obtaining recognition from the local nobility through the marriage of his daughter Margherita to Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara in 1435. In 1530 Federico II (1500–1540) received the title of Duke of Mantua. Also the two brothers of Federico II are historical characters of a certain importance: Ercole Gonzaga became a cardinal, presided over the Council of Trent and was almost elected Pope; Ferrante was a faithful ally of the Emperor Charles V who covered him with honors and positions, Ferrante was also the progenitor of the cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla. In 1531, the family acquired the Marquisate of Montferrat through marriage. Through maternal ancestors, the Gonzagas inherited also the Imperial Byzantine ancestry of the Paleologus, an earlier ruling family of Montferrat.
A cadet branch of the Mantua Gonzagas became dukes of Nevers and Rethel in France when Luigi (Louis) Gonzaga, a younger son of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and Margherita Paleologa, married the heiress. The Gonzaga-Nevers later came to rule Mantua again when Louis's son Charles (Carlo) inherited Mantua and Montferrat, triggering the War of the Mantuan Succession.
Another cadet branch were first sovereign counts, later dukes of Guastalla. They descended from Ferrante, a younger son of Duke Francesco II of Mantua (1484–1519). Ferrante's grandson, Ferrante II, also played a role in the War of the Mantuan Succession. A further cadet branch was that of Sabbioneta, founded by Gianfrancesco, son of Ludovico III.
Marie Louise Gonzaga, daughter of Prince Charles Gonzaga-Nevers, was a queen consort of Poland and grand duchess consort of Lithuania from 1645 to her death in 1667.
Two daughters of the house, both named Eleanor Gonzaga, became Holy Roman Empresses, by marrying emperors Ferdinand II of Germany and Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, respectively. From the latter Empress Eleonora, the current heirs of the Gonzaga descend.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was a member of a junior branch of this family.
The House of Gonzaga is the inspiration for the play-within-the-play in Shakespeare's Hamlet. In Act 3 scene 2, they act out a play called The Murder of Gonzago (or The Mousetrap).
Gonzaga rule continued in Mantua until 1708 and in Guastalla until 1746. Both ruling lines going extinct until passing on to a minor Gonzaga-Vescovato branch, which is the only remaining existing branch.
Patronage of the arts
The House of Gonzaga was an important patron of the arts. This began when Gianfrancesco Gonzaga funded a school led by Vittorino da Feltre where music and art were core subjects along with mathematics, history, Greek and Latin, religion, and philosophy. The music theorist and composer Franchinus Gaffurius was trained at this school. Isabella d'Este, wife of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, used her influence to financially support native composers at court (such as Bartolomeo Tromboncino and Marchetto Cara) which contributed to popularizing the frottola. Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga founded an ecclesiastical chapel which employed musicians and further advance the musical live of the region through sacred music composition and performance.
Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, himself a gifted composer, founded the Basilica palatina di Santa Barbara (construction began 1562) which became a cultural center for sacred art and music. He also brought several notable composers to the Mantua court, including Alessandro Striggio, Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi, Giaches de Wert, Benedetto Pallavicino and Claudio Monteverdi. Through Monteverdi, the court witnessed some of the first operas ever staged, including L'Orfeo (1607) and L'Arianna (1608). Marco da Gagliano's La Dafne was staged in 1608.)
|colspan=2 style="background: #fedf;" |<small>Raised to:</small><br>Duchy of Sabbioneta<br>(1577–1637)
|colspan=1 rowspan="10" style="background: #fde;" | <!---Luzzara--->
|colspan=1 rowspan="6" style="background: #fca;" |Lordship of<br>Castiglione<br>(1494–1593)<br><br><small>Raised to:</small><br>Marquisate of<br>Castiglione<br>(1593–1707)
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #def;" | <!---Novellara1--->
|colspan=1 style="background: #def;" | <!---Novellara2--->
|colspan=3 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Mantua--->
|colspan=3 rowspan="2" style="background: #fedf;" | <!---Sabbioneta--->
|-
|colspan=2 rowspan="6" style="background: #def;" |Lordship of<br>Novellara<br>(1360–1501)<br><br><small>Raised to:</small><br>County of<br> Novellara<br>(1501–1737)
|colspan=1 rowspan="10" style="background: #afc;" |Lordship of<br>Vescovato<br>(1519–1559)<br><br><small>Raised to:</small><br>Marquisate of<br> Vescovato<br>(1559–1796)
|colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Mantua--->
|colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #ade;" | <!---Guastalla--->
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Mantua--->
|colspan=1 rowspan="2" style="background: #ffc;" |Lordship<br>of Bozzolo<br><small>(2nd creation)</small><br>(1591–1668)
|colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #ceb;" |Marquisate<br>of Ostiano<br><small>(3rd creation)</small><br>(1591–1703)
|colspan=1 style="background: #fedf;" | <!---Sabbioneta--->
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Mantua--->
|colspan=1 rowspan="7" style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to the<br>Carafa and<br>Guzmán families<br>(1637–1689)<br><br>Annexed to Spain</small>
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Mantua--->
|colspan=2 rowspan="2" style="background: #ade;" |County of<br> Guastalla<br>(1539–1621)<br><small>(purchased from<br> the Torelli family)</small>
|-
|colspan=1 rowspan="5" style="background: #eee;" |<small>Mantua annexed<br>to Austria;<br>Montferrat annexed<br>to Savoy</small>
|colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to Austria<br>(1703–08)</small>
|colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to Austria</small>
|-
|colspan=3 rowspan="2" style="background: #ade;" |<small>Raised to:<br></small>Duchy of Guastalla<br>(1621–1746)
|colspan=1 rowspan="4" style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to Austria</small>
|-
|colspan=2 rowspan="3" style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to the<br>Duchy of Modena</small>
|-
|colspan=3 rowspan="2" style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed to the<br>Duchy of Parma</small>
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |<small>Annexed<br>to Savoy</small>
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header"
! colspan=2 | Ruler!!Born!!Reign!!Ruling part!!Consort!!Death!!Notes\
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Ludovico I|| 100px
|align="center"|1268<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align="center"|16 August 1328 – 18 January 1360
||Lordship of Mantua || <br>1312<br>four children<br><br><br>c.1320<br>four children<br><br><br>1340<br>six children
|align="center"|18 January 1360<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 91–92</small>
||With the help of Cangrande I della Scala, lord of Verona, Ludovico became Capitano del popolo of Mantua, and also the first effective ruler of his family.
|- style="background:#def;"
|Feltrino||
|align="center"|c.1290<br>Mantua<br><small>Third son of Ludovico I and </small>
|align="center"|1335 – 28 December 1374
||Lordship of Novellara-Bagnolo|| <br>c.1340<br>four children
|align="center"|28 December 1374<br>Padua<br><small>aged 83–84?</small>|| Conquered the region of Reggio as early as 1335, and on 17 May 1371 sold to Milan all this land, with the exception of Novellara and Bagnolo.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Guido|| 100px
|align="center"|1290<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Ludovico I and </small>
|align="center"|18 January 1360 – 22 September 1369
||Lordship of Mantua || <br>c.1310/20?<br>two children<br><br><br>c.1330?<br>no children<br><br><br>1340<br>six children
|align="center"|22 September 1369<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 78–79</small>
|| Elected in Mantua. Got firstly elected in Reggio Emilia in 1335.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Ludovico II|| 100px
|align="center"|1334<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Guido and </small>
|align="center"|22 September 1369 – 4 October 1382
||Lordship of Mantua || <br>1356<br>two children
|align="center"|4 October 1382<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 47–48</small>||
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|1 February 1340<br>Novellara<br><small>Second son of Feltrino I and </small>
|align="center"|28 December 1374 – 2 February 1399
||Lordship of Novellara|| Ginevra Malatesta<br>1374<br>four children
|align="center"|2 February 1399<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 59</small>||
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Francesco I|| 100px
|align="center"|1366<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Ludovico II and </small>
|align="center"|4 October 1382 – 7 March 1407
||Lordship of Mantua || Agnese Visconti<br>15 August 1375<br><small>(by proxy)</small><br>25 December 1380<br><small>(formal)</small><br>one child<br><br>Margherita Malatesta<br>1399<br>two children
|align="center"|7 March 1407<br>Cavriana<br><small>aged 40–41</small>||
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1375<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and Ginevra Malatesta </small>
|align="center"|2 February 1399 – 1441
||Lordship of Novellara|| Ippolita Pio<br>five children
|align="center"|1441<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 64–65</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of Guido II, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1375<br>Novellara<br><small>Second son of and Ginevra Malatesta </small>
|align="center"|2 February 1399 – 1424
||Lordship of Bagnolo|| Antonia Gonzaga of Mantua<br>four children
|align="center"|1424<br><small>aged 48–49?</small>
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Carlo I Malatesta, Lord of Rimini (1407–1409)</small>
|rowspan="2"|On 22 September 1433, the lordship was officially raised to a Marquisate, as Gian Francesco purchased his title from Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Gian Francesco|| 100px
|align="center"|1 June 1395<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Francesco I and Margherita Malatesta</small>
|align="center"|7 March 1407 – 25 September 1444
||Lordship of Mantua<br><small>(1407–1433)</small><br><br>Marquisate of Mantua<br><small>(1433–1444)</small>|| Paola Malatesta<br>22 August 1409<br>Pesaro<br>six children
|align="center"|25 September 1444<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 49</small>
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1410?<br>Novellara<br><small>Second son of and Antonia Gonzaga of Mantua </small>
|align="center"|1424 – 1456
||Lordship of Bagnolo|| Unmarried
|align="center"|1456<br><small>aged 45–46?</small>||
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1420<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and Ippolita Pio</small>
|align="center"|1441 – 8 February 1484
||Lordship of Novellara|| Costanza Strozzi<br>seven children
|align="center"|8 February 1484<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 53–54</small>||
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Ludovico III the Turk|| 100px
|align="center"|5 June 1412<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Gian Francesco and Paola Malatesta</small>
|align="center"|25 September 1444 – 11 June 1478
||Marquisate of Mantua|| Barbara of Brandenburg<br>12 November 1433<br>Mantua<br>fourteen children
|align="center"|11 June 1478<br>Goito<br><small>aged 66</small>
|rowspan="3"|Children of Gian Francesco, divided the land. After Alessandro's death, Ostiano returned to Mantua, only to be partitioned off again in the next generation.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|Carlo||
|align="center"|1415<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Gian Francesco and Paola Malatesta</small>
|align="center"|25 September 1444 – 21 December 1456
||Lordship of Luzzara|| <br>1437<br>no children<br><br>Ringarda Manfredi<br>two children
|align="center"|21 December 1456<br>Ferrara<br><small>aged 40–41</small>
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|||
|align="center"|26 August 1427<br>Mantua<br><small>Third son of Gian Francesco and Paola Malatesta</small>
|align="center"|25 September 1444 – 16 January 1466
|||| <br>1446<br>no children
|align="center"|16 January 1466<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 38</small>
|- style="background:#fde;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Ringarda Manfredi (1456–1466)</small>
|rowspan="2"|After his death, Luzzara returned to Mantua, only to be later partitioned off again and given to his cousin Rodolfo.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|1452<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Carlo and Ringarda Manfredi</small>
|align="center"|21 December 1456 – c.1470
||Lordship of Luzzara|| Unmarried
|align="center"|c.1470?<br><small>aged 17–18?</small>
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1420<br>Novellara<br><small>Second son of and Ippolita Pio</small>
|align="center"|1456 – 1487
||Lordship of Bagnolo|| Paola Schianteschi<br>two or four children<br><br>Alda Torelli<br>at least four children
|align="center"|1487<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 56–57?</small>||
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Federico I|| 100px
|align="center"|25 June 1441<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Ludovico III and Barbara of Brandenburg</small>
|align="center"|11 June 1478 – 14 July 1484
||Marquisate of Mantua|| Margaret of Bavaria<br>6 June 1463<br>Mantua<br>six children
|align="center"|14 July 1484<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 43</small>
|rowspan="4"|Children of Ludovico III, divided the land.
|- style="background:#fedf;"
|Gian Francesco|| 100px
|align="center"|4 October 1446<br>Mantua<br><small>Fourth son of Ludovico III and Barbara of Brandenburg</small>
|align="center"|11 June 1478 – 27 August 1496
||County of Sabbioneta|| <br>17 July 1479<br>eleven children
|align="center"|27 August 1496<br>Bozzolo<br><small>aged 49</small>
|- style="background:#fde;"
|Rodolfo I|| 100px
|align="center"|18 April 1452<br>Mantua<br><small>Fifth son of Ludovico III and Barbara of Brandenburg</small>
|align="center"|11 June 1478 – 6 July 1495
||Lordship of Luzzara||<br>11 January 1481<br>no children<br><br>Caterina Pico della Mirandola<br>1484<br>six children
|align="center"|6 July 1495<br>Fornovo<br><small>aged 43</small>
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|||
|align="center"|21 August 1460<br>Mantua<br><small>Sixth son of Ludovico III and Barbara of Brandenburg</small>
|align="center"|11 June 1478 – 19 January 1511
||||Unmarried
|align="center"|19 January 1511<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>aged 50</small>
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Ostiano annexed to Sabbioneta
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|1469<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and Costanza Strozzi</small>
|align="center"|8 February 1484 – 18 November 1515
||Lordship of Novellara<br><small>(1484–1501)</small><br><br>County of Novellara and Bagnolo<br><small>(1501–1515)</small>|| Caterina Torelli<br>c.1495<br>eight children
|align="center"|18 November 1515<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 45–46</small>|| On 7 July 1501, obtained the comital title from Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Francesco II|| 100px
|align="center"|10 August 1466<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Federico I and Margaret of Bavaria</small>
|align="center"|14 July 1484 – 29 March 1519
||Marquisate of Mantua|| Isabella d'Este<br>11 February 1490<br><small>(by proxy)</small><br>15 February 1490<br>Pesaro<br><small>(formal)</small><br>eight children
|align="center"|29 March 1519<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 52</small>||
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1470?<br><small>First son of and Alda Torelli</small>
|align="center"|1487 – 1510
|rowspan="4"|Lordship of Bagnolo<br><small>(until 1509; at Vescovato since 1494)</small>
|| Latina Ubaldini<br>three children
|align="center"|After 1510
|rowspan="4"|Children of Giorgio, ruled jointly. Despite losing Bagnolo in 1509 (which merged again in Novellara), they kept rulership at Vescovato which they ruled from 1494. Cristoforo gave up his part in Vescovato in 1510. This feud was then sold in 1519 to Mantua, and given to a collateral line.
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1470?<br><small>Second son of and Alda Torelli</small>
|align="center"|1487 – 1519|| Unmarried
|align="center"|After 1519
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1470?<br><small>Third son of and Alda Torelli</small>
|align="center"|1487 – 1509|| Unknown<br>four children
|align="center"|1509<br><small>aged c.38–39?</small>
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|||
|align="center"|c.1470?<br><small>Fourth son of and Alda Torelli</small>
|align="center"|1487 – 1519|| Laura Martinengo<br>six children
|align="center"|1519<br><small>aged 48–49?</small>
|- style="background:#fbd;"
|colspan="8" align=center|Bagnolo reannexed to Novellara
|- style="background:#fde;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Caterina Pico della Mirandola (1495–1502)</small>
|rowspan="3"| Children of Rodolfo, divided officially their inheritance on 30 January 1511. Gian Francesco abdicated to his son shortly before his own death.
|- style="background:#fde;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|2 February 1488<br>Luzzara<br><small>First son of Rodolfo I and Caterina Pico della Mirandola</small>
|align="center"|6 July 1495 – 11 October 1524
||Lordship of Luzzara|| Laura Pallavicino<br>c.1510<br>eight children
|align="center"|18 December 1524<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 36</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
|Aloisio|| 100px
|align="center"|20 April 1494<br>Luzzara<br><small>Second son of Rodolfo I and Caterina Pico della Mirandola</small>
|align="center"|6 July 1495 – 19 July 1549
||Lordship of Luzzara<br><small>(until 1511)</small><br><br>Lordship of Castiglione<br><small>(from 1511)</small>|| <br>24 July 1519<br>Mantua<br>no children<br><br>Caterina Anguissola<br>December 1540<br>three children
|align="center"|19 July 1549<br>Castel Goffredo<br><small>aged 55</small>
|- style="background:#fedf;"
|Ludovico|| 100px
|align="center"|1481<br>Bozzolo<br><small>First son of Gian Francesco and </small>
|align="center"|27 August 1496 – 1 July 1540
||County of Sabbioneta|| <br>1497<br>eleven children
|align="center"|1 July 1540<br>Bozzolo<br><small>aged 58–59</small>
|rowspan="3"| Children of Gian Francesco, divided the land, but given Federico's lack of descendants, the patrimony was inherited by Pirro. After Pirro's death Bozzolo (only) was annexed to Sabbioneta. Gazzuolo lived on until the next generation.
|- style="background:#ffc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|c.1480<br>Bozzolo<br><small>Second son of Gian Francesco and </small>
|align="center"|27 August 1496 – 28 December 1527
||Lordship of Bozzolo|| <br>1503<br>Asola<br>no children
|align="center"|28 December 1527<br>Todi<br><small>aged c.46–47</small>
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|Pirro I|| 100px
|align="center"|1490<br>Bozzolo<br><small>Third son of Gian Francesco and </small>
|align="center"|27 August 1496 – 22 January 1529
||Lordship of Bozzolo<br><small>(at Gazzuolo 1496–1529;<br>at Bozzolo proper<br>1527–1529)</small>|| <br>c.1500?<br>seven children
|align="center"|22 January 1529<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>aged 38–39</small>
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Bozzolo (only) briefly annexed to Sabbioneta (1529–1591)
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|1496<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and Caterina Torelli</small>
|align="center"|18 November 1515 – 26 February 1530
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo||<br>1518<br>four children
|align="center"|August 1530<br>Naples<br><small>aged 33–34</small>|| Abdicated shortly before his death.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Isabella d'Este (1519–1521)</small>
|rowspan="2"|On 8 April 1530, the marquisate was officially raised to a Duchy, as Federico II obtained his title from Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Federico II|| 100px
|align="center"|17 May 1500<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Francesco II and Isabella d'Este</small>
|align="center"|29 March 1519 – 28 June 1540
||Marquisate of Mantua<br><small>(1519–1530)</small><br><br>Duchy of Mantua<br><small>(1530–1540)</small>|| Margherita Palaiologina of Montferrat<br>3 October 1531<br>Mantua<br>seven children
|align="center"|28 June 1540<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 40</small>
|- style="background:#afc;"
|Giovanni|| 100px
|align="center"|1474<br>Mantua<br><small>Third son of Federico I and Margaret of Bavaria</small>
|align="center"|29 March 1519 – 23 September 1525
|||| <br>20 June 1491<br>Bologna<br>eight children
|align="center"|23 September 1525<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 50–51</small>|| Youngest child of Federico I of Mantua, inherited Vescovato at the same time as his nephew, Federico II was inheriting Mantua.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Laura Pallavicino (1524–1527)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Fought with his brother , who wanted a condominium in Luzzara. Massimiliano won the war, and his brother eventually got a separate property at Poviglio, given by the Guastalla branch. In 1561 Massimiliano's lordship was elevated to a Marquisate.
|- style="background:#fde;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1513<br>Luzzara<br><small>Son of and Laura Pallavicino</small>
|align="center"|11 October 1524 – 4 March 1578
||Lordship of Luzzara<br><small>(until 1561)</small><br><br>Marquisate of Luzzara<br><small>(from 1561)</small>|| Caterina Colonna<br>1548<br>five children
|align="center"|4 March 1578<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 64–65</small>
|- style="background:#afc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1497<br><small>Third son of Giovanni and </small>
|align="center"|23 September 1525 – 17 September 1527
||||Ippolita Sforza<br>one child
|align="center"|17 September 1527<br><br><small>aged 29–30</small>|| Left a son, but was succeeded by his brother in the lordship.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|1499<br><small>Fifth son of Giovanni and </small>
|align="center"|17 September 1527 – December 1530
|||| Antonia Pallavicino<br>1529<br>two children
|align="center"|December 1530<br><small>aged 30–31</small>||
|- style="background:#ffc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|c.1520<br>Gazzuolo (?)<br><small>First son of Pirro I and </small>
|align="center"|22 January 1529 – 1570
||Lordship of Bozzolo<br><small>(at Gazzuolo only)</small>|| Lucrezia d'Incisa<br>1550<br>two children.
|align="center"|1570<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>aged 49–50</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of Pirro I. Having lost Bozzolo, got control of the remaining territories. However, after their deaths these territories were also lost.
|- style="background:#ffc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1523<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>Second son of Pirro I and </small>
|align="center"|22 January 1529 – 13 June 1555
||Lordship of Bozzolo<br><small>(at San Martino dall'Argine)</small>|| <br>c.1500?<br>seven children
|align="center"|13 June 1555<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>aged 32–33</small>
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Gazzuolo and San Martino divided and annexed to Sabbioneta and Mantua
|- style="background:#def;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of (1530–1540)</small>
|rowspan="4"|Children of Alessandro I, ruled jointly.
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|16 January 1519<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align="center"|26 February 1530 – 1577
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| Caterina Torelli<br>c.1495<br>eight children
|align="center"|1577<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 45–46</small>
|- style="background:#def;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|27 March 1521<br>Bologna<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align="center"|26 February 1530 – 24 April 1595
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| Barbara Borromeo<br><small>(1538 – 1572)</small><br>1555<br>no children
|align="center"|24 April 1595<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 74</small>
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|25 September 1529<br>Turin<br><small>Fourth son of and </small>
|align="center"|26 February 1530 – 1 October 1589
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| <br>1567<br>thirteen children
|align="center"|1 October 1589<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 60</small>
|- style="background:#afc;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Antonia Pallavicino (1530–1544)</small>
|rowspan="2"| During his rule the lordship was elevated to a marquisate.
|- style="background:#afc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1530<br>Luzzara<br><small>Son of and Antonia Pallavicino</small>
|align="center"|December 1530 – 1567
||<br><small>(until 1559)</small><br><br><br><small>(from 1559)</small>|| Lavinia Rangoni<br>five children
|align="center"|1567<br><small>aged 36–37</small>
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Ferrante I<br><small>(Ferdinando I)</small>|| 100px
|align="center"|28 January 1507<br>Mantua<br><small>Third son of Francesco II, Marquis of Mantua and Isabella d'Este</small>
|align="center"|3 October 1539 – 15 November 1557
||County of Guastalla|| <br>1530<br>Naples<br>eleven children
|align="center"|15 November 1557<br>Brussels<br><small>aged 50</small>|| Guastalla was sold to the Gonzagas in 1539 by Ludovica Torelli.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Margherita Palaiologina of Montferrat, Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga and Ferrante I, Count of Guastalla (1540–1550)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Francesco III|| 100px
|align="center"|10 March 1533<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Federico II and Margherita Palaiologina of Montferrat</small>
|align="center"|28 June 1540 – 21 February 1550
||Duchy of Mantua|| Catherine of Austria<br>22 October 1549<br>Mantua<br>no children
|align="center"|21 February 1550<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 16</small>
|- style="background:#fedf;"
|align=center colspan=7|<small>Regency of Giulia Gonzaga, Countess of Rodigo (1540–1545)</small>
|rowspan=2|In 1577, the county was elevated to a duchy, obtained from Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor.
|- style="background:#fedf;"
|Vespasiano|| 100px
|align="center"|6 December 1531<br>Fondi<br><small>Son of Luigi Gonzaga Rodomonte, Heir of Sabbioneta and Isabella Colonna</small>
|align="center"|1 July 1540 – 26 February 1591
||County of Sabbioneta<br><small>(1540–1577)</small><br><br><br><small>(1577–1591)</small>|| <br>April 1550<br>Piacenza<br>no children<br><br><br>8 May 1564<br>Madrid<br>three children<br><br><br>1581<br>no children
|align="center"|26 February 1591<br>Sabbioneta<br><small>aged 59</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regencies of Caterina Anguissola (1549–1550) and (1550–1565)</small>
|rowspan="4"| Children of Aloisio, divided the land.
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|November 1541<br>Castel Goffredo<br><small>First son of and Caterina Anguissola</small>
|align="center"|19 July 1549 – 19 July 1549
||Lordship of Castiglione<br><small>(at Castel Goffredo)</small>|| <br>1568<br>Milan<br>seven children
|align="center"|7 May 1593<br><br><small>aged 51</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|28 July 1544<br>Castel Goffredo<br><small>Second son of and Caterina Anguissola</small>
|align="center"|19 July 1549 – 15 February 1586
||Lordship of Castiglione<br><small>(until 1579; at Castiglione proper)</small><br><br><br><small>(from 1579)</small>|| <br>15 November 1566<br>eight children
|align="center"|15 February 1586<br>Milan<br><small>aged 41</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1545<br>Castel Goffredo<br><small>Third son of and Caterina Anguissola</small>
|align="center"|19 July 1549 – 13 January 1587
||Lordship of Castiglione<br><small>(at Solferino)</small>|| <br>1568<br>no children
|align="center"|13 January 1587<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 41–42</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
|colspan="8" align="center"|Castel Goffredo and Solferino merged again in Castiglione
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Margherita Palaiologina of Montferrat, Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga and Ferrante I, Count of Guastalla (1550–1556)</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Guglielmo|| 100px
|align="center"|24 April 1538<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Federico II and Margherita Palaiologina of Montferrat</small>
|align="center"|21 February 1550 – 14 August 1587
||Duchy of Mantua|| Eleanor of Austria<br>26 April 1561<br>Mantua<br>three children
|align="center"|14 August 1587<br>Goito<br><small>aged 49</small>
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Cesare I|| 100px
|align="center"|6 September 1536<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Ferrante I and </small>
|align="center"|15 November 1557 – 17 February 1575
||County of Guastalla|| <br>12 March 1560<br>two children
|align="center"|17 February 1575<br>Guastalla<br><small>aged 38</small>||
|- style="background:#afc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|20 April 1551<br>Vescovato<br><small>First son of and Charlotte de Choiseul</small>
|align="center"|1567 – 9 January 1614
|||| Emilia Olimpia Ferrero Fieschi<br><small>(d.1630)</small><br>seven children
|align="center"|9 January 1614<br>Siena<br><small>aged 62</small>||
|- style="background:#ade;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of (1575–1579)</small>
|rowspan="2"| On 2 July 1621 the County was raised to a Duchy. With this new dignity Ferrante claimed for himself (unsuccessfully) the main Duchy of Mantua during the War of Mantuan Succession.
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Ferrante II<br><small>(Ferdinando II)</small>|| 100px
|align="center"|1563<br>Guastalla<br><small>Son of Cesare I and </small>
|align="center"|17 February 1575 – 5 August 1630
||County of Guastalla<br><small>(1575–1621)</small><br><br>Duchy of Guastalla<br><small>(1621–1630)</small>||<br>1587<br>eleven children
|align="center"|5 August 1630<br>Guastalla<br><small>aged 66–67</small>
|- style="background:#fde;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1543<br>Luzzara<br><small>Son of and Caterina Colonna</small>
|align="center"|4 March 1578 – 25 September 1614
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Isabella Gonzaga of Bozzolo<br>1576<br>thirteen children
|align="center"|25 September 1614<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 70–71</small>||Son-in-law of Pirro II of Bozzolo.
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|7 March 1569<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align="center"|15 February 1586 – 3 January 1593
||||<br>29 October 1588<br>four children
|align="center"|3 January 1593<br>Castel Goffredo<br><small>aged 23</small>||Left no male descendants.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Vincenzo I|| 100px
|align="center"|21 September 1562<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Guglielmo and Eleanor of Austria</small>
|align="center"|14 August 1587 – 18 February 1612
||Duchy of Mantua|| Margherita Farnese<br>2 March 1581<br>Piacenza<br><small>(annulled 26 May 1583)</small><br>no children<br><br>Eleonora de' Medici<br>29 April 1584<br>Mantua<br>six children
|align="center"|18 February 1612<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 49</small>||
|- style="background:#fedf;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|12 January 1565<br>Sabbioneta<br><small>Daughter of Vespasiano and </small>
|align="center"|26 February 1591 – 10 February 1637
|||| <br>29 November 1584<br>Bozzolo<br>one child
|align="center"|10 February 1637<br>Naples<br><small>aged 72</small>|| Survived her son; after her death, the duchy was inherited by her granddaughter, , and then to the House of Guzmán.
|- style="background:#fedf;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Sabbioneta inherited by the Carafa family and the House of Guzmán
|- style="background:#ffc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|3 May 1540<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align="center"|1591 – 15 June 1592
||Lordship of Bozzolo|| Francesca Guerrieri<br>two children
|align="center"|15 June 1592<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>aged 52</small>
|rowspan="2"| Possibly for compensation, Bozzolo was returned to this branch after Vespasiano of Sabbioneta's death.
|- style="background:#ffc;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1552<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>Sixth son of and </small>
|align="center"|1591 – 23 June 1609
||Lordship of Bozzolo|| Flaminia Colonna<br>1587<br>two children
|align="center"|23 June 1609<br>Bozzolo<br><small>aged 52</small>
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|27 April 1577<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>Fifth son of and </small>
|align="center"|3 January 1593 – 23 October 1616
||<br><small>(at Castiglione proper)</small>|| <br>5 February 1598<br>Prague<br>eight children
|align="center"|23 October 1616<br>Toscolano-Maderno<br><small>aged 39</small>
|rowspan="2"| Brothers of Rodolfo II, divided the land once more.
|- style="background:#fca;"
|||
|align="center"|30 September 1580<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>Sixth son of and </small>
|align="center"|3 January 1593 – September 1630
||<br><small>(at Solferino)</small>|| <br>December 1605<br>three children
|align="center"|September 1630<br>Solferino<br><small>aged 49–50</small>
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|25 May 1581<br>Novellara<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align="center"|24 April 1595 – 1640<br><br>10 September 1644 – 8 November 1650
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| Caterina d'Avalos<br><small>(1586–1618)</small><br>13 January 1605<br>nine children
|align="center"|8 November 1650<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 69</small>|| Abdicated to his son, but given his premature death he eventually resumed government.
|- style="background:#ceb;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|31 July 1546<br>Gazzuolo<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align="center"|23 June 1609 – 11 March 1620
||
|| Unmarried
|align="center"|11 March 1620<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 73</small>||Bishop of Mantua, recovered the property of his family at Ostiano. Left no descendants, and Ostiano was inherited by his nephew, the lord of San Martino dell'Argine.
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Isabella Gonzaga of Novellara (1609–1613)</small>
|rowspan="3"|Nephew of Giulio Cesare, Pirro II and Francesco-Annibale. Reunited Bozzolo with Ostiano.
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|rowspan="2"|
|rowspan="2"| 100px
|align="center" rowspan="2"|1595<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>Son of and Isabella Gonzaga of Novellara</small>
|align="center" style="background:#ffc;"|23 June 1609 – 12 May 1670
|style="background:#ffc;"|Lordship of Bozzolo
|rowspan="2"| Maria Mattei<br><small>(d.1658)</small><br>1640<br>three children
|align="center" rowspan="2"|12 May 1670<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>aged 74–75</small>
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|align="center" |11 March 1620 – 12 May 1670
||
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Bozzolo annexed to Ostiano
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Francesco IV|| 100px
|align="center"|7 May 1586<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medici</small>
|align="center"|18 February – 22 December 1612
||Duchy of Mantua|| Margherita of Savoy<br>19 February 1608<br>Turin<br>three children
|align="center"|22 December 1612<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 40</small>|| After his death his possessions were divided.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Ferdinando|| 100px
|align="center"|26 April 1587<br>Mantua<br><small>Second son of Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medici</small>
|align="center"|22 December 1612 – 29 October 1626
||Duchy of Mantua<br><small>(at Mantua)</small>|| Caterina de' Medici<br>3 October 1531<br>Mantua<br>no children
|align="center"|29 October 1626<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 39</small>
|rowspan="3"| Brother and daughter of Francesco IV, divided the inheritance.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Margherita of Savoy (1612–1627)</small>
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Maria|| 100px
|align="center"|29 July 1609<br>Mantua<br><small>Daughter of Francesco IV and Margherita of Savoy</small>
|align="center"|22 December 1612 – 14 August 1660
||Duchy of Mantua<br><small>(at Montferrat)</small>|| Carlo Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers<br>25 December 1627<br>Mantua<br>two children
|align="center"|14 August 1660<br>Porto Mantovano<br><small>aged 51</small>
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|10 April 1593<br>Vescovato<br><small>Son of and Emilia Olimpia Ferrero Fieschi</small>
|align="center"|9 January 1614 – 31 August 1636
|||| Camilla Ponzoni<br><small>(d.1635)</small><br>1617<br>four children<br><br>Ottavia Cecilia Flameni<br><small>(d.1640)</small><br>c.1635<br>no children
|align="center"|31 August 1636<br>Vescovato<br><small>aged 43</small>||
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|20 May 1591<br>Vicenza<br><small>Son of and Isabella Gonzaga of Bozzolo</small>
|align="center"|25 September 1614 – 3 August 1630
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Elisabetta Gonzaga of Poviglio<br><small>(d.1620)</small><br>seven children<br><br>Fulvia di Basilio<br>c.1625?<br>one child
|align="center"|3 August 1630<br>Treviso<br><small>aged 39</small>|| Son-in-law of Luigi, who was a son of Rodolfo Gonzaga of Poviglio.
|- style="background:#fca;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regencies of and Cardinal Gian Giacomo Teodoro Trivulzio (1616–1621) and (1621–1629)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Left no male descendants. The marquisate passed to his brother.
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1611<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align="center"|23 October 1616 – 22 February 1636
||<br><small>(at Castiglione proper)</small>|| <br>January 1630<br>Palermo<br>four children
|align="center"|22 February 1636<br>Palermo<br><small>aged 24–25</small>
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Vincenzo II|| 100px
|align="center"|7 January 1594<br>Mantua<br><small>Third son of Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medici</small>
|align="center"|29 October 1626 – 25 December 1627
||Duchy of Mantua|| Isabella Gonzaga of Novellara<br>23 August 1616<br>Mantua<br>no children
|align="center"|25 December 1627<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 40</small>||
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Carlo I|| 100px
|align="center"|6 May 1580<br>Paris<br><small>Third son of Ludovico Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers and Henriette of Cleves</small>
|align="center"|25 December 1627 – 22 September 1637
||Duchy of Mantua<br><small>(at Mantua)</small>|| Catherine of Mayenne<br>1 February 1599<br>Soissons<br>no children
|align="center"|22 September 1637<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 57</small>|| Grandson of Federico II, won the War of the Mantuan Succession. From 1627 onwards, the Dukes of Mantua were also Dukes of Nevers, hence the branch name Gonzaga-Nevers.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|1602<br>Luzzara<br><small>Second son of and Elisabetta Gonzaga of Poviglio</small>
|align="center"|3 August 1630 – 3 November 1666
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Elena Gonzaga of Vescovato<br><small>(d.1620)</small><br>nine children
|align="center"|3 November 1666<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 63–64</small>||
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Cesare II|| 100px
|align="center"|1592<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Ferrante II and </small>
|align="center"|5 August 1630 – 26 February 1632
||Duchy of Guastalla|| Isabella Orsini<br><small>(1598–1623)</small><br>1612<br>two children
|align="center"|26 February 1632<br>Vienna<br><small>aged 39–40</small>||
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Ferrante III<br><small>(Ferdinando III)</small>|| 100px
|align="center"|4 April 1618<br>Mantua<br><small>First son of Cesare II and Isabella Orsini</small>
|align="center"|26 February 1632 – 11 January 1678
||Duchy of Guastalla|| <br>24 June 1647<br>Guastalla<br>two children
|align="center"|11 January 1678<br>Guastalla<br><small>aged 59</small>||
|- style="background:#ade;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Guastalla annexed to Milan (1678–1693)
|- style="background:#fca;"
|||
|align="center"|7 August 1614<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align="center"|22 February 1636 – 23 April 1675
||<br><small>(at Castiglione proper)</small>|| <br>December 1644<br>three children
|align="center"|23 April 1675<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>aged 60</small>|| Left no male descendants. The marquisate went to his cousin, the marquis of Solferino.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|2 June 1618<br>Vescovato<br><small>First son of and Camilla Ponzoni</small>
|align="center"|31 August 1636 – 19 September 1695
|rowspan="2"||| Unmarried
|align="center"|19 September 1695<br>Vescovato<br><small>aged 77</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of Francesco Giovanni, ruled jointly.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|11 February 1625<br>Vescovato<br><small>Second son of and Camilla Ponzoni</small>
|align="center"|31 August 1636 – 31 December 1694|| Elena Sforza Amigoni<br>1673<br>three children
|align="center"|31 December 1694<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 69</small>
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Maria, Duchess of Montferrat (1637–1647)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Grandson of Carlo I. Also Duke of Nevers as Charles III.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Carlo II|| 100px
|align="center"|31 October 1629<br>Mantua<br><small>Son of Carlo II Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers and Maria, Duchess of Montferrat</small>
|align="center"|22 September 1637 – 14 August 1665
||Duchy of Mantua<br><small>(in Mantua only until 1660; in Mantua and Montferrat from 1660)</small>|| Isabella Clara of Austria<br>7 November 1649<br>Mantua<br>one child
|align="center"|14 August 1665<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 35</small>
government.
|- style="background:#def;"
|||
|align="center"|1611<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and Caterina d'Avalos</small>
|align="center"|1640 – 10 September 1644
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| Caterina Torelli<br>c.1495<br>eight children
|align="center"|10 September 1644<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 32–33</small>|| His father abdicated for him, but he died four years later, with no descendants; his father returned to government.
|- style="background:#def;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|20 April 1616<br>Novellara<br><small>Second son of and Caterina d'Avalos</small>
|align="center"|8 November 1650 – 25 July 1678
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| <br>1648<br>four children
|align="center"|25 July 1678<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 62</small>||
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of Isabella Clara of Austria (1665–1671)</small>
|rowspan="2"| Left no descendants. After his death Mantua and Montferrat fell under Austrian control.
|- style="background:#fff;"
|Ferdinando Carlo|| 100px
|align="center"|31 August 1652<br>Revere<br><small>Son of Carlo II and Isabella Clara of Austria</small>
|align="center"|14 August 1665 – 5 July 1708
||Duchy of Mantua|| Anna Isabella Gonzaga of Guastalla<br>July 1671<br>Mantua<br>no children<br><br>Suzanne Henriette of Lorraine<br>8 November 1704<br>Tortona<br>no children
|align="center"|5 July 1708<br>Padua<br><small>aged 55</small>
|- style="background:#fff;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Mantua-Montferrat annexed to Austria
|- style="background:#fde;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|1636<br>Luzzara<br><small>First son of and Elena Gonzaga of Vescovato</small>
|align="center"|3 November 1666 – 8 March 1698
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Luigia Ludovica Gonzaga of Castiglione<br><small>(1653–1715)</small><br>1667<br>fourteen children
|align="center"|8 March 1698<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 61–62</small>||
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|||
|align="center"|1 December 1643<br><small>First son of and Maria Mattei</small>
|align="center"|12 May 1670 – 1672
||
|| Maria Mattei<br><small>(d.1658)</small><br>1640<br>three children
|align="center"|1672<br><small>aged 28–29</small>||
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|||
|align="center"|20 February 1646<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>Second son of and Maria Mattei</small>
|align="center"|1672 – 24 April 1703
||
|| Unmarried
|align="center"|24 April 1703<br>San Martino dall'Argine<br><small>aged 57</small>||
|- style="background:#ceb;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Ostiano annexed to Mantua (1703–1708) and then to Guastalla
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|3 May 1616<br>Castiglione delle Stiviere<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align="center"|September 1630 – 23 April 1675<br><br>23 April 1675 – 21 May 1680
||<br><small>(at Solferino until 1675; in all Castiglione from 1675)</small>|| <br>1643<br>eight children
|align="center"|21 May 1680<br>Solferino<br><small>aged 64</small>||From 23 April 1675, reunited once more the marquisates of Solferino and Castiglione.
|- style="background:#def;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|23 August 1649<br>Novellara<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align="center"|25 July 1678 – 16 August 1727
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| <br>c.1495<br>eight children
|align="center"|16 August 1727<br>Novellara<br><small>aged 77</small>||
|- style="background:#fca;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|28 August 1648<br>Solferino<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align="center"|21 May 1680 – 21 January 1707
|||| <br>28 February 1680<br>four children
|align="center"|11 February 1723<br>Venice<br><small>aged 74</small>||In 1707, after an attack in Castiglione, he escaped to Venice alongside Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga of Mantua.
|- style="background:#fca;"
|align="center" colspan="8"|Castiglione annexed to Austria
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Vincenzo|| 100px
|align="center"|18 May 1634<br>Guastalla<br><small>Son of Andrea Gonzaga of San Paolo and Laura Crispiano</small>
|align="center"|1693 – 28 April 1714
||Duchy of Guastalla|| Teodora Porzia Guidi di Bagno<br><small>(?–1672)</small><br>c.1670?<br>no children<br><br><br>1679<br>five children
|align="center"|28 April 1714<br>Guastalla<br><small>aged 79</small>|| Grandson of Ferrante II, married Maria Vittoria, daughter of Ferrante III.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|1673<br>Vescovato<br><small>First son of and Elena Sforza Amigoni</small>
|align="center"|19 September 1695 – 24 July 1735
|||| Anna Goldoni Vidoni<br><small>(1677–1730)</small><br>1696<br>one child
|align="center"|24 July 1735<br>Vescovato<br><small>aged 61–62</small>||
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|19 September 1679<br>Luzzara<br><small>Second son of and Caterina Pico della Mirandola</small>
|align="center"|8 March 1698 – 12 June 1738
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Charlotte de Choiseul<br><small>(1679–1734)</small><br>1703?<br>seven children
|align="center"|12 June 1738<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 58</small>||
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Antonio Ferrante<br><small>(Antonio Ferdinando)</small>|| 100px
|align="center"|9 December 1687<br>Guastalla<br><small>First son of Vincenzo and </small>
|align="center"|28 April 1714 – 16 April 1729
||Duchy of Guastalla|| Margherita Cesarini<br><small>(1695–1725)</small><br>c.1720?<br>no children<br><br><br>29 July 1727<br>Darmstadt<br>no children
|align="center"|16 April 1729<br>Guastalla<br><small>aged 41</small>||
|- style="background:#def;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|3/4 December 1700<br>Novellara<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align="center"|16 August 1727 – 13 December 1728
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| Eleonora Tanara<br>no children
|align="center"|13 December 1728<br>Massa<br><small>aged 28</small>|| Left no descendants. The county passed to his sister.
|- style="background:#def;"
||| 100px
|align="center"|22 February 1698<br>Novellara<br><small>Second daughter of and </small>
|align="center"|13 December 1728 – 12 October 1737
||County of Novellara and Bagnolo|| <br>29 April 1715<br>Milan<br>three children
|align="center"|24 November 1768<br>Massa<br><small>aged 70</small>|| Sister of Filippo Alfonso, ruled the county after the extinction of the male line. In 1737, after the War of the Polish Succession, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor passed the county to Rinaldo d'Este.
|- style="background:#def;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Novellara annexed to Modena
|- style="background:#ade;"
|Giuseppe Maria|| 100px
|align="center"|20 April 1690<br>Guastalla<br><small>Second son of Vincenzo and </small>
|align="center"|16 April 1729 – 15 August 1746
||Duchy of Guastalla|| <br>29 March 1731<br>Lilienfeld<br>no children
|align="center"|15 August 1746<br>Padua<br><small>aged 56</small>
|rowspan="2"| From 1739 until his death, his mental illness caused his wife to assume the reins of the duchy. Left no descendants.
|- style="background:#ade;"
|colspan=7 align="center"|<small>Regency of (1739–1746)</small>
|- style="background:#ade;"
|colspan=8 align="center"|Guastalla annexed to Parma
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|1702<br>Vescovato<br><small>Only son of and Anna Goldoni Vidoni</small>
|align="center"|24 July 1735 – 1779
|||| Carlotta Barisoni<br><small>(1700–1738)</small><br>1724<br>four children
|align="center"|1779<br>Venice<br><small>aged 76–77</small>|| Left no surviving male offspring. After his death the marquisate was inherited by a distant cousin.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|26 September 1711<br>Luzzara<br><small>Third son of and Charlotte de Choiseul</small>
|align="center"|12 June 1738 – 29 May 1782
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Maria Borromeo<br><small>(d.1761)</small><br>c.1735?<br>seven children
|align="center"|29 May 1782<br>Luzzara<br><small>aged 70</small>|| None of the children survived him. He was succeeded by his brother.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|26 December 1731<br>Vescovato<br><small>First son of and Giulia Isolani</small>
|align="center"|1779 – 4 September 1783
|||| Olimpia Scotti<br>1756<br>five children
|align="center"|4 September 1783<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 72</small>|| Great-great-grandson of , brother of Carlo I.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|||
|align="center"|4 July 1721<br>Luzzara<br><small>Fifth son of and Charlotte de Choiseul</small>
|align="center"|29 May 1782 – 3 April 1794
||Marquisate of Luzzara|| Teresa Anguissola<br><small>(1745–1819)</small><br>1716<br>two children
|align="center"|3 April 1794<br>Mantua<br><small>aged 72</small>|| Left no male descendants. After his death Luzzara was annexed to Savoy.
|- style="background:#fde;"
|align="center" colspan="8"|Luzzara annexed to Savoy
|- style="background:#afc;"
|||
|align="center"|21 October 1763<br>Vescovato<br><small>First son of and Olimpia Scotti</small>
|align="center"|4 September 1783 – 1796
|||| Giulia Cavriani<br><small>(1767–1846)</small><br>1716<br>two children
|align="center"|17 December 1832<br>Venice<br><small>aged 69</small>|| In 1796 he was dispossessed of the marquisate, but retained the title.
|- style="background:#afc;"
|align="center" colspan="8"|Vescovato occupied by France
|-
|}
Family tree
The branches of the Gonzaga family, showing marquises and (subsequently) dukes of Mantua in bold, dukes of Nevers and Rethel in italics and the Guastalla line to the right.
Prominent Clerics
- Aloysius Gonzaga, SJ 1568–1591, canonized by the Catholic Church in 1726
Roman Catholic cardinals
- Francesco Gonzaga (1444–1483)
- Sigismondo Gonzaga (1469–1525)
- Pirro Gonzaga (1490–1529)
- Ercole Gonzaga (1505–63)
- Francesco Gonzaga (1538–66)
- Federico Gonzaga (1540–65)
- Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga (1540–91)
- Scipione Gonzaga (1542–93)
- Francesco Gonzaga (1546–1620)
- Ferdinando Gonzaga (1587–1626), became Duke of Mantua, as Ferdinando I, in 1612
- Vincenzo Gonzaga (1594–1627), became Duke of Mantua, as Vincenzo II, in 1626
See also
- Duchy of Mantua, a list of House of Gonzaga rulers
- Duchy of Guastalla
- Duchy of Sabbioneta
- County of Novellara and Bagnolo
References
Bibliography
External links
- Albero genealogico dei Gonzaga
