Feltrino Gonzaga (c. 1330 – 28 December 1374) was an Italian

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...

, a member of the

Gonzaga family ) , type = Noble house , country = , estates = Ducal Palace (Mantua) Ducal Palace (Nevers) , titles = * Prince of Arches * Duke of Montferrat * Duke of Mantua * Duke of Guastalla * Duke of Nevers * Duke ...

Biography

He was the son of

Ludovico I Gonzaga Ludovico I Gonzaga (1268 – 18 January 1360) was an Italian lord, the founder of the Gonzaga family who was the first capitano del popolo of Mantua and imperial vicar. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the son of Guido Corradi and the grandson o ...

, the first ''

capitano del popolo Captain of the People ( it, Capitano del popolo, Lombard: ''Capitani del Popol'') was an administrative title used in Italy during the Middle Ages, established essentially to balance the power and authority of the noble families of the Italian ci ...

'' of

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...

, where Feltrino was born. In 1335 his troops conquered

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia ( egl, Rèz; la, Regium Lepidi), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has abou ...

, which he would abandon only in 1371. Here he built a citadel, destroyed in 1850. In 1345 he was unsuccessfully besieged by

Mastino I della Scala Mastino I della Scala (died 26 October 1277), born Leonardo or Leonardino, was an Italian '' condottiero,'' who founded the Scaliger house of Lords of Verona. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was ''podestà'' of Cerea in 1259, and then ''podes ...

. In 1363, leading an anti-Visconti coalition, he won a battle at Solara. He signed a treaty of peace with

Bernabò Visconti Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he an ...

in 1364, and in 1366 he was appointed as

imperial vicar An imperial vicar (german: Reichsvikar) was a prince charged with administering all or part of the Holy Roman Empire on behalf of the emperor. Later, an imperial vicar was invariably one of two princes charged by the Golden Bull with administering ...

in Reggio by emperor Charles IV. In 1370 and again 1371 the Visconti besieged him in Reggio, and Feltrino was forced to sell Reggio to Barnabò Visconti for 50,000 golden florins. However, he maintained the

county of Novellara and Bagnolo A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

, which was ruled by a Gonzaga cadet branch until 1728. He died in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

in 1374.

Family

In 1328 he married Antonia da Correggio, daughter of Guido IV of

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...

and

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...

. Their children were: * Guido (+1399), lord of Novellara. He married Ginevra Malatesta, daughter of Malatesta III lord of Rimini. Their son was Giacomo (+1441) lord of Novellara * Guglielmo (+ after 1356); his descendants were conti di Thiene.

References

External links

Genealogy of the Gonzaga of Novellara
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Feltrino 1330s births 1374 deaths

Feltrino Feltre ( vec, Fèltre) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. A hill town in the southern reaches of the province, it is located on the Stizzon River, about from its junction with the Piave, and southwes ...

14th-century condottieri Military personnel from Mantua