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.
...
See also
*
House of Gonzaga
)
, 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 ...
*
Rulers of Mantua
*
Rulers of Montferrat
The Marquises and Dukes of Montferrat were the rulers of a territory in Piedmont south of the Po and east of Turin called Montferrat. The March of Montferrat was created by Berengar II of Italy in 950 during a redistribution of power in the no ...
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