The Marquisate or Margraviate of Mantua was a
margraviate in Lombardy,
Northern Italy. Constituted by the
Capitani del popol, an administrative title used in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.
The Marquisate of Mantua began with
Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga
Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga (1395 – 23 September 1444) was Marquess of Mantua from 1407 to 1444. He was also a condottiero.
Biography
Gianfrancesco was the son of Francesco I Gonzaga and Margherita Malatesta. He inherited the rule of Mantu ...
, a member of the important
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 ...
, who inherited the city of Mantua in 1407, when he was only 12 years old.
History
The 9th century was the period of episcopal supremacy, and in the 11th the city formed part of the vast possessions of
Bonifacio III, marquis of Canossa. From him it passed to
Geoffrey,
duke of Lorraine
The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of ...
, and afterwards to the
countess Matilda, whose support of the pope led to the conquest of Mantua by the
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Henry IV in 1090. Reduced to obedience by Matilda in 1113, the city obtained its liberty on her death, and instituted a communal government of its own, ''salva imperiali justitia''. It afterwards joined the
Lombard League; and the unsuccessful attack made by
Frederick II in 1236 brought it a confirmation of its privileges. But after a period of internal discord
Ludovico Gonzaga attained to power (1328), and was recognized as imperial vicar (1329); and from that time till the death of
Ferdinando Carlo in 1708 the Gonzagas were masters of Mantua under
Gian Francesco II, the first Margrave,
Ludovico III,
Gian Francesco II (whose wife was
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 ...
), and
Federico II, the first
duke of Mantua, the city rose rapidly into importance as a seat of industry and culture. It was stormed and sacked by the Austrians in 1630, and never quite recovered.
Lords of Mantua
People's Captains
*
Ludovico I (ruled 1328–60)
*
Guido
Guido is a given name Latinised from the Old High German name Wido. It originated in Medieval Italy. Guido later became a male first name in Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Switzerland. The mea ...
(ruled 1360–69), son of Ludovico
*
Ludovico II (1369–82), son of Guido
*
Francesco I (ruled 1382–1407), son of Ludovico II
*
Gianfrancesco (ruled as Lord 1407–1433), son of Francesco I
Margraves of Mantua
*
Gianfrancesco, ruled as the first Margrave (1433–1444)
*
Ludovico III (ruled 1444–78), son of Gianfrancesco
*
Federico I (ruled 1478–84), son of Ludovico III
*
Francesco II (ruled 1484–1519), son of Federico I
*
Federico II (ruled as Margrave 1519–1530), son of Francesco II
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margraviate Of Mantua
1797 disestablishments
States and territories established in 1273
States and territories disestablished in 1797
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
Duchy of Mantua
Marches of the Holy Roman Empire