Eleonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino (31 December 1493 – 13 February 1550) was Duchess and sometime regent of Urbino by marriage to

Francesco Maria I della Rovere Francesco Maria I della Rovere (25 March 1490 – 20 October 1538) was an Italian condottiero, who was Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1516 and, after retaking the throne from Lorenzo II de' Medici, from 1521 to 1538. Biography He was born ...

, duke of Urbino.

Life

She was the eldest of the seven children of

Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua Francesco II (or IV) Gonzaga (10 August 1466 – ) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1484 until his death. Biography Francesco was born in Mantua, the son of Marquess Federico I Gonzaga. Francesco had a career as a condottiero a ...

, and

Isabella d'Este Isabella d'Este (19 May 1474 – 13 February 1539) was Marchioness of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whos ...

. Her father was a notorious libertine, her mother a famous patroness of the arts. On 25 September 1509 she married

, duke of Urbino, son of Giovanni della Rovere, duca di Sora e Senegaglia, and Giovanna da Montefeltro, and nephew of

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...

. Their surviving children, two sons and three daughters, would all have progeny. Eleonora, who was largely responsible for the internal government of Urbino during her husband's exile, was an important patron of the arts in her own right. A princess of the highest culture, she was the friend of Pietro Bembo, Sadolet and

Baldassarre Castiglione Baldassare Castiglione, Count of Casatico (; 6 December 1478 – 2 February 1529),Dates of birth and death, and cause of the latter, fro, ''Italica'', Rai International online. was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissanc ...

, as well as

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' ( Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

painted her once formally, in 1537, a companion to his portrait of her husband Francesco from the same year, but her face appears to be recognisable in three other Titian paintings of about that time: ''La Bella'', ''Girl in the Fur Cloak'' and possibly the ''Venus of Urbino'' commissioned by her son Guidobaldo.

Issue

*Federico della Rovere (1511 — died aged two months). * Guidobaldo II della Rovere (2 April 1514 — 28 September 1574), married Giulia Varano and had issue; married Vittoria Farnese (daughter of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma) had issue (ancestors of Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina). *Giovanna della Rovere (1515 — 1518). *Giovanni della Rovere (1516 — 1518). *Caterina della Rovere (1518 — 1520). *Beatrice della Rovere (1521 — 1522). *Francesco Maria della Rovere (1523 — 1525). *Ippolita della Rovere (1525 — 1561), reportedly married Antonio of Aragon, Duke of Montalto, son of Fernando de Aragón, 1st Duke of Montalto. *Maria della Rovere (1527 — 1528). *Elisabetta della Rovere (1529 — 6 June 1561), married Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina, Marquis of Massa and had issue (ancestors of

Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina Maria Teresa CyboThis is also sometimes spelt ''Cibo''.-Malaspina (29 June 1725 29 December 1790) was the sovereign Duchess of Massa and Princess of Carrara from 1731 until her death in 1790. She was the eldest child of Alderano I, Duke of Mas ...

). *Giulia Feltria della Rovere (1531 — 4 April 1563), married

Alfonso d'Este, Lord of Montecchio Alfonso d'Este (10 March 1527 – 1 November 1587) was an Italian nobleman. Biography Born at Ferrara, he was the illegitimate son of Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara by his lover Laura Dianti. In 1523 his father gave him Montecchio Emilia and ...

and had issue (were parents of

Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena Cesare d'Este (8 October 1562 – 11 December 1628) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1597 until his death. Biography Born in Ferrara, Cesare was the son of Alfonso d'Este, Marquis of Montecchio, fourth son of Alfonso I d'Este and the ...

). *

Giulio Feltrio della Rovere Giulio della Rovere, also known as Giulio Feltrio della Rovere (5 April 1533 – 3 September 1578) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church and a member of the della Rovere family. Della Rovere was the second son of Francesco Maria I dell ...

(1533 — 1578), became a cardinal then later had issue (illegitimate):IppolitoLater legitimised and named Marchese di San Lorenzo. Ippolito's daughter Lucrezia married Marcantonio Lante and their son assumed the new extended surname as

Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere (15 June 1618 – 29 June 1688) was an Italian nobleman and Duke of Bomarzo. Biography Lante was the son of Marcantonio Lante (1566–1643) and his wife Lucrezia della Rovere. He was nephew to his f ...

and Giulio. *Violante della Rovere (1535 — 1538).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Eleonor 1493 births 1570 deaths Nobility of Mantua 16th-century Italian women 16th-century Italian nobility Della Rovere family Eleonora Gonzaga (1493-1570) Duchesses of Urbino Italian artists' models 16th-century women rulers