Maria Gonzaga or Maria of Mantua (29 July 1609 – 14 August 1660) was a reigning duchess of Montferrat from 1612 until 1660, and

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

in Mantua during the minority of her son from 1637 until 1647.

Biography

Maria was the eldest and only surviving child of

Francesco IV Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua Francesco IV Gonzaga (7 May 1586 – 22 December 1612), was Duke of Mantua and (as Francesco II) Duke of Montferrat between 9 February and 22 December 1612. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the eldest son of Duke Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medic ...

and

Montferrat Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Mo ...

and Margaret of Savoy (1589–1655), daughter of

Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I ( it, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. He was nicknamed (, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression. Being ...

and

Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain Catherine Michaela of Spain (; 10 October 1567 – 6 November 1597) was Duchess of Savoy by marriage to Duke Charles Emmanuel I. She ruled the Duchy several times as regent in Charles Emmanuel's absence, notably during his campaign in 1594.Dizio ...

. Maria's father died aged 26 in 1612 when she was only three years old, and was succeeded as Duke of Mantua by his two brothers, who had no issue. This made Maria and her husband Charles of Nevers in 1627 successors to the two Duchies. Maria was already Duchess of Montferrat since 1612. This led to the

War of Mantuan Succession The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War, caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and ruler of the duchies of Mantua ...

. The outcome was that, after the death of her husband Charles in 1631, his father

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

became the new Duke of Mantua until his death in 1637. Maria exercised the

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Mantua on behalf of her son for ten years, until 1647.
She died in 1660, aged 51.

Issue

Maria and Charles had: *Maria Gonzaga * Charles Gonzaga (1629–1665) married

Archduchess Isabella Clara of Austria Isabella Clara of Austria (12 August 1629 – 24 February 1685) was a Duchess consort of Mantua, Montferrat, Nevers (until 1659), Mayenne (until 1654) and Rethel (until 1659) by marriage to Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. From 1665 ...

* Eleanor Gonzaga (1630–1686), who married in 1651

Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608, in Graz – 2 April 1657, in Vienna) was from 1621 Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary from 1625, King of Croatia and Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 until his death in 1657. ...

References

Sources

External links

Sardimpex.com : Gonzaga - Marchesi e Duchi sovrani di Mantova, indice L1
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Maria 1609 births 1660 deaths Maria Gonzaga, Duchess of Montferrat Regents of Mantua Duchesses of Mantua Duchesses of Montferrat 17th-century Italian women 17th-century Italian nobility 17th-century women rulers

Biography

Issue

See also

References

Sources

External links