Livia (Paola) Gonzaga (August 1508 in Mantua – 11 April 1569 in Mantua) was a Mantuan noblewoman.

Biography

Born Livia Osanna Gonzaga, she was the daughter of

Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis 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 act ...

and Isabella d'Este, daughter of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara; and named after an earlier Livia, born in 1503, who died very young. One of her older brothers was Cardinal

Ercole Gonzaga Ercole Gonzaga (23 November 1505 – 2 March 1563) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquis Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, Francesco Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este, and nephe ...

; her sister Ippolita became a Dominican nun. She was the sister-in-law of

Margherita Paleologa Margaret Palaeologa ( it, Margherita Paleologa; 11 August 1510 in Casale Monferrato – 28 December 1566 in Mantua), was the ruling Marquise regnant of Montferrat in her own right between 1533 and 1536. She was also Duchess of Mantua by marri ...

, who married Livia's older brother Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and the niece of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este. At the age of three years, she was given to the nuns of the convent of Santa Paula in Mantua to be educated. Ten years later she took the monastic habit of the Poor Clares and five years later took vows with the name of Sister Paola.''Isabella D'Este, Marchioness of Mantua, 1474-1539'', vol. 2
Cartwright, Julia, E.P. Dutton, 1915, p. 155. She also became abbess of the convent. She spent her life in the monastery built by Paola Malatesta, wife of Gian Francesco Gonzaga and was also visited by the

Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...

. She was buried in the Church of Santa Paula.

References

{{House of Gonzaga 1508 births 1569 deaths House of Gonzaga