Maria Gonzaga

Maria Gonzaga

Maria Gonzaga (born July 29, 1609 in Mantua , † August 14, 1660 in Porto Mantovano ) was an Italian princess from the house of Gonzaga , who ruled as dukes of Mantua (in the Lombardy region ) and Montferrat (in the Piedmont region ). She lived under four dukes of her family and eventually became the last representative and heir of her house. Through her marriage to her cousin Carlo II. Gonzaga (* 1609, † August 30, 1631) from the younger line of the Gonzaga-Nevers, she was from 1627 to 1631 (co-) Duchess of Nevers and Rethel and Duchess of Mayenne and became Ancestor of the Gonzaga-Nevers family, who ruled Mantua and Montferrat until 1709.

She herself was never Duchess of Mantua - neither in her own right nor as a wife - but from 1637 to 1647 she was regent of the Duchies of Mantua, Montferrat, Nevers, Rethel and Mayenne for their underage son Carlo III. Gonzaga (* 1629, † 1665). Through her intelligent and energetic politics she made a significant contribution to the reconstruction and consolidation of the war-ravaged duchies and to the stabilization of the state's foreign policy, which is why she is often regarded as the last important ruler of the dynasty.

Her descendants include Emperor Franz I Stephan von Lothringen and thus the House of Habsburg-Lothringen and his descendants.

origin

Vincenzo I. Gonzaga, Maria's grandfather

Maria Gonzaga came from the main line of the Gonzaga house, which had ruled Mantua since 1328.

Maria's grandfather Vincenzo I Gonzaga , who ruled as the 4th Duke of Mantua and Montferrat from 1587 to 1612 , is considered the most important representative of his house and is counted among the greatest patrons of the Italian Renaissance . He was friends with the poet Torquato Tasso , whom he freed from prison in Ferrara, drew the young composer Claudio Monteverdi to his court, who composed the first opera “L'Orfeo” there, and brought the painter Peter Paul Rubens from Flanders to join him Mantua. Because of his mother, Archduchess Eleanor of Austria (* 1534, † 1594), a daughter of Emperor Ferdinand I , Vincenzo I even had ambitions for the imperial crown. Maria came from the second marriage of her grandfather to Eleonora de 'Medici (* 1567, † 1611), the daughter of Francesco I de' Medici , Grand Duke of Tuscany (1574–1587), and Archduchess Johanna of Austria (* 1548 , † 1578) was.

Coat of arms of the Gonzaga as Dukes of Mantua (1588)

Maria's father Francesco IV Gonzaga (* 1586, † 1612) was the eldest son and heir of Vincenzo I, whom he followed as the 5th Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. However, he only ruled from June 10, 1612 to December 22, 1612, since he died at the age of 26.

Maria's mother was Margarete von Savoyen (* 1589, † 1655), a daughter of Karl Emanuel I, Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630, and of Katharina Michaela , Infanta of Spain and Archduchess of Austria (* 1567, † 1597). Maria Gonzaga therefore descended from both lines of the House of Austria .

Maria had only two siblings who died young and was therefore a possible heir to the duchies of her house.

Essential for Mary's life were her uncles, her father's brothers, Ferdinando Gonzaga (* 1587, † 1626) and Vincenzo II Gonzaga (* 1594, † 1627), as well as their sisters. Her aunt Margarita Gonzaga (born October 2, 1591 in Mantua, + February 7, 1632 in Nancy) married Heinrich II , Duke of Lorraine and Bar (1608 to 1624), and left offspring, including Emperor Franz I. Stephan von Lorraine mattered. Maria's other aunt Eleonora Gonzaga (born September 23, 1598 in Mantua, + June 27, 1655 in Vienna) repeatedly supported Maria, was married from 1622 to Ferdinand II , who ruled as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1620 to 1637 . However, she left no offspring.

Life

The life of Maria Gonzaga was shaped by the rapid succession of four rulers from her family and by the emerging gradual extinction of her family, which ultimately made her the only heir to her house.

As a result of their marriage, the dynasty in the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat changed from the House of Gonzaga-Mantua to the House of Gonzaga-Nevers, which became an event of European importance, as it called into question the delicate balance of the great European powers in Italy Mantuan War of Succession came. She also experienced the rule of her father-in-law and that of her son, but as regent from 1627 to 1637 she was able to prove her quality as one of the important rulers of her house.

Grandfather Duke Vincenzo I.

Maria was born in July 1609 during the reign of her grandfather Vincenzo I Gonzaga as the eldest child of the Hereditary Prince Francesco IV, which allowed her old grandfather to experience a second youth and gave her ten year old aunt Eleonora Gonzaga the pleasure of looking after the toddler To take care of. When her father, Francesco IV, and his wife were sent to Montferrat as governor, Maria was left alone in the care of her grandparents in Mantua. Her grandmother Eleonora de 'Medici, who was also politically important, died on September 8, 1611, and her grandfather Vincenzo I on February 18, 1612.

Father of Duke Francesco IV (1612)

Duke Francesco IV Gonzaga, Maria's father

After the death of her grandfather, her father Francesco IV followed as the 5th Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. However, Maria was only able to enjoy a harmonious princely family life in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua for a few months , because at the age of three she also lost her father in August 1612, who died of smallpox at the age of 26 after a reign of only ten months.

Since Maria Gonzaga, then only three years old, was her father's only surviving child, the question of succession in the duchies arose. This seemed secure within the family, because Maria's father had two brothers, but the next in line to the throne was Maria's uncle Ferdinando Gonzaga (* 1587, † 1626), cardinal of the Catholic Church since 1607, but there was also his younger brother Vincenzo II. Gonzaga (* 1594, † 1627).

However, the inheritance aroused the desire of Charles Emanuel I , Duke of Savoy (1580–1630), who saw him as an opportunity to acquire the neighboring, financially very attractive Duchy of Montferrat (annual income of 230,000 ducats). The basis for this was the fact that Maria Gonzaga was her father's heir and, as the daughter of Margaret of Savoy, his granddaughter. He therefore sent his son Vittorio Amadeo I (* 1587, † 1637) to Mantua in 1612 with a double mandate: he was to succeed the next heir - Cardinal Ferdinand Gonzaga - with reference to a possible pregnancy of his daughter, the Duchess widow Margaret of Savoy, and at the same time bring Maria Gonzaga, whom he considered the heiress of their house, to Piedmont into his custody. This in order to secure such an important pledge for the successor in Montferrat and possibly also in Mantua.

Uncle Duke Ferdinando Gonzaga (1612–1626)

Duke Ferdinando Gonzaga, Maria's uncle

Maria's uncle, Cardinal Ferdinando Gonzaga (* 1587, † 1626), on the news of the death of his brother, Duke Francesco IV. In forced marches from Rome to Mantua to secure the succession of his family in the Italian duchies, took over there on January 3rd 1613 control. He decreed that Maria was not extradited to her grandfather in Piedmont , but placed in Mantua in the care of the Sant'Orsola monastery, where she was given by her great aunt, Margherita Gonzaga (* 1564, † 1618), daughter of Guglielmo Gonzaga , Duke by Mantua and widow of Alfonso II. d'Este (* 1533, † 1597), Duke of Ferrara. At the same time he persuaded the mother of Mary - his brothers-in-law Margaret of Savoy - to stay in the Duchy of Mantua and made the Goito Castle (in the province of Mantua) available to her as a residence to await the possible birth of an heir to the throne. Margaret of Savoy moved to Goito Castle, found out that she was not pregnant and, at her father's insistence, traveled secretly from there to her father in Turin in April 1613.

Maria, already a half-orphan due to the death of her father, lost the closeness to her mother as a toddler and grew up in Mantua in a monastic environment under the supervision of her cultivated great aunt Magherita Gonzaga.

In view of the lack of heir to the throne of Duke Francesco IV, the arrival of Margherita of Savoy in Turin was the signal for her father, Duke Charles Emanuel I of Savoy, to take possession of the Duchy of Montferrat by other means. He marched into Montferrat with his troops and occupied the duchy. As a result, war broke out between Mantua and Savoy, with Mary's uncle and her grandfather facing each other. The conflict was also followed from outside, with France and both branches of the House of Austria - in Madrid and Vienna - supporting Mantua. The repeated confrontations were interrupted by several treaties, but it was not until September 9, 1617 that the Peace of Pavia came about.

Cardinal Ferdinand took a liking to secular rule, therefore renounced the cardinal purple in December 1615 in favor of his younger brother Vincenzo II and took over the rule of Mantua and Montferrat on January 6, 1616 in all forms as the 6th Duke. His marriage to Caterina de 'Medici - a daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany - in 1617 remained childless, from a marriage of convenience with Countess Camilla Faà di Bruno (* 1589 in Casale, † 1662), he had an illegitimate son in 1616, Francesco Giacinto Gonzaga († 1630) When Maria's uncle Ferdinand Gonzaga died on October 29, 1626, the question of succession arose again, as his illegitimate son Francesco Giacinto Gonzaga was not entitled to succeed him and the only surviving brother of Ferdinand - Vincenzo II Gonzaga - Cardinal was. At the same time, Mary came second in the succession after this.

Uncle Duke Vincenzo II (1626–1627)

Duke Vincenzo II Gonzaga, Mary's uncle

Maria's younger uncle Vincenzo II. Gonzaga (* 1594, † 1627) was appointed cardinal himself after his brother's renunciation of the cardinal dignity in 1615, but already renounced the cardinal's purple one year later and in 1616 married Isabella Gonzaga of Novellara (* 1576 , † 1630), a daughter of Alfonso I Gonzaga, the fourth Count of Novellara. She was intellectual, well educated, and a famous beauty, but she was also a widow with eight children, who at forty was almost twice her bridegroom. In addition, this marriage soon proved sterile, making the extinction of the main Gonzaga line in the male line within reach, while at the same time Maria became the only heir to her house. Duke Ferdinand, who tried to prevent the dynasty from becoming extinct and who had therefore opposed this marriage of his younger brother, tried to dissolve his brother's fateful marriage and did not shy away from doing so, because of Isabella - who was against the continued existence of the dynasty Accuse sorcery in order to make room for his brother's new marriage. In fact, there was a trial in Rome which ended in 1624 with her acquittal. After the death of his brother Duke Ferdinand, Vincenzo II followed in 1626 as the 7th Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. He was aware of the danger that he would be the last duke of his house if he failed to remarry.

Marriage project with Duke Vincenzo II.

He therefore considered marrying his niece Maria Gonzaga himself. The plan failed because the dissolution of his marriage to Isabella Gonzaga - and thus a new marriage and offspring - was not in sight. At the same time, his health also deteriorated. It was now a matter of maintaining control of the inherited duchies, if not of one's own family, at least of the Gonzaga family, by transferring it to one of the younger lines of the house. Thanks to the political importance of the duchies for the European balance and the fiefdom of the duchies from the Holy Roman Empire, the settlement of the succession was not a purely internal question, but one of European politics, since the rival European powers Spain, France and Austria in Italy each have their own interests pursued. Both lines of the House of Austria supported Ferrante II Gonzaga (* 1563, † 1630), who came from a younger branch of the Gonzaga and had been Duke of Guastalla since 1621 , while France naturally supported the "French" line of Gonzaga, who as dukes of Nevers and Rethel were dependent on France.

Marriage project with Cesare Gonzaga from Guastalla

Ferrante II Gonzaga came to Mantua in the last months of his life by Vincenzo II and proposed to marry the heiress Maria Gonzaga with his son Cesare Gonzaga (* 1592, † 1632) in order to achieve the transfer of the duchies to his house. However, this was rejected by Duke Vincenzo II, because he had chosen the French line.

Marriage to Carlo II Gonzaga-Nevers

This also decided the fate of his niece Maria Gonzaga, who is now the only heir to her house. At the last moment - on his death bed - he married Maria on December 25, 1627 - secretly and in a hurry - to her distant cousin, Carlo II Gonzaga , the eldest son of Carlo I Gonzaga , the reigning Duke of Nevers and Rethel, who came from the affluent branch of the Gonzaga in France. Contrary to popular expectations, however, he did not appoint Maria or her young husband, Carlo II. Gonzaga, to succeed him, but rather Maria's new father-in-law, Carlo I. Gonzaga. When Duke Vincenzo II died a few hours later as the last male representative of his dynasty, Carlo I Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers and Rethel, became the 8th Duke of Mantua and Montferrat.

Father-in-law of Duke Carlo I Gonzaga-Nevers

Carlo I. Gonzaga-Nevers, Maria's father-in-law

Mary's 1st reign (December 1627 to January 1628)

Maria Gonzaga, the actual heiress of the duchies, did not become a duchess in her own right through this decision of her uncle, but merely the daughter-in-law of the new Duke of Mantua and Montferrat, Carlo I, Duke of Nevers and Rethel from the Gonzaga-Nevers family. After the death of her uncle Vincenzo II, Maria was only regent of the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat for a short time - from December 25, 1627 to January 17, 1628.

Carlo I. Gonzaga hurried immediately from his residence in Charleville in northern France to Italy after agreement about the unexpected inheritance of the two duchies , but had to avoid German territory in order to avoid a possible capture on Savoyard territory. Immediately after his arrival in Mantua on January 17, 1628, he acted as the ruling duke and tried to win the population through financial concessions. He therefore eliminated the tax on salt, which was particularly a burden on the poorer population, abolished taxes on agricultural products and waived overdue tax back payments, which made him very popular with the population.

Problematic change of dynasty

The effective change of the ruling dynasty from the house of Gonzaga-Mantua to the house of Gonzaga-Nevers proved less simple. This is because this change was connected with a break in the traditional alliance system in northern Italy. While the extinct dynasty of the Gonzaga of Mantua traditionally had close - also family ties - to the imperial court in Vienna, the Gonzaga-Never family was a fiefdom of the French kings and therefore saw France as a natural ally.

From the French point of view, this was a most welcome development, as it opened up the possibility of regaining direct influence on politics in Italy through Carlos I and thus achieving an important success in the old dispute between France and the House of Austria over control of Italy .

In Vienna, on the other hand, people were completely surprised and outraged by the unauthorized procedure, whereby the sudden change of dynasty was viewed as a success of “French intrigues” and a blatant danger that the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat would be released from the Austrian sphere of influence and become dependent on France and France could gain a foothold in Italy again. The political question was accentuated by the widespread war mood in Europe, because since 1618 there have been numerous military conflicts that were later referred to as the " Thirty Years War ", with the risk of a side front emerging here in northern Italy. Turin was also affected by this succession, because it meant that the long-term efforts to acquire the Duchy of Montferrat were doomed to failure. Charles Emanuel I, Duke of Savoy (1580–1630) therefore joined the imperial position, hoping, as cousin of Maria, to get into the possession of Montferrat in this way.

The change of dynasty in Mantua was therefore by no means a mere internal, family matter, but a question that concerned the unstable equilibrium of the European powers.

Maria's father-in-law Carlo I was aware of the problem - in particular the need for imperial approval for the transfer of imperial fiefs to a new dynasty - and tried - based on Maria's close family ties with both lines of the House of Austria - the problem through a diplomatic initiative to solve. He therefore sent the bishop of Mantua Vincenzo Agnelli Soardi (1620–1644) to the imperial court in Vienna to request the investiture with the two duchies and at the same time sent the bishop of Casale, Scipione Agnelli Maffei (1624–1653), to Spain, as well as the Marchese Strozzi to Rome, the Marchese Ippoliti to France, and the Marchese Gianfrancesco Gonzaga from the House of Novellara as envoy to the Republic of Venice.

The hoped-for success of the initiative failed to materialize. Vienna and Madrid - that is, the two lines of the House of Austria related to Maria - refused to recognize this line of succession. On March 28, 1628, Emperor Ferdinand II ordered Mantua and Montferrat to be confiscated as imperial fiefs and sent Count John VIII of Nassau-Siegen († 1638) as imperial commissioner to Italy to enforce it .

Carlo I tried in vain to confirm his point of view through legal reports and pamphlets and to gain time through promises until the French recruited troops - 12,000 infantrymen and 1,000 mounted soldiers - had arrived to protect him. However, this was prevented by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba , the Spanish governor of Milan (1625–1629), who blocked these troops in the north and together with the Duke of Savoy in Montferrat conquered several cities occupied by the French and besieged the capital Casale.

On June 3, Carlo I was threatened with the ban by an imperial decree, should he not submit to the imperial commissioner, the Count of Nassau. As Carlo continued to hesitate, another imperial decree followed on August 16. Carlo I then decided to send Maria's husband, his son Carlo II, to Vienna on October 10, 1628 as an advocate and mediator. He was received very warmly in Vienna - probably because of the close relatives of Empress Eleonore Gonzaga and his wife Maria Gonzaga - but returned at the beginning of December empty-handed, as Emperor Ferdinand II was determined to withdraw Mantua as a settled imperial fief then to be awarded to Ferrante II Gonzaga Duke of Guastalla (1621-1630).

War of the Mantuan Succession

→ Main article : War of the Mantuan Succession

As a result, there was bloody fighting between French, Savoyard and Imperial troops, which went down in history as the Mantuan War of Succession and as a sideline to the Thirty Years' War . Among other things, the city of Mantua, in which the plague was rampant, was besieged by imperial troops, so that Carlos I finally had to surrender on July 19, 1630 and went into exile. Then came the “Sacco di Mantova” - the pillage of Mantua - with the famous Ducal Palace and the churches being robbed of their works of art, their gold and silver treasures and other valuables.

Exile in the Papal States

Maria accompanied Carlo I, who with his family and a few consultants to exile in Ariano in the Papal States went where they lived in very hard-pressed financial situation until Maria a significant financial from her aunt, Empress Eleonore Gonzaga (+1655 in Vienna) Grant received.

Recognition from Carlo I.

The decision about the future fate of the duchies was positively influenced by the intercession of Empress Eleonore and the death of Duke Carlo Emanuele of Savoy on July 26, 1630, so that an agreement was reached on October 13, 1630, through which Carlo I. . was recognized by the Emperor as Duke of Mantua and Montferrat, but to the Gonzaga of Guastalla, who were favored by the Emperor, the territories of Luzzara, Dosolo, Reggiolo and Solara and to Duke Viktor Amadeus I of Savoy the territories of Trino and Alba and other municipalities and dominions in Montferrat had to resign.

End of war

The war was ended by the Treaty of Cherasco of April 6, 1631 between Emperor Ferdinand II, King Louis XIII. ended by France and Duke Viktor Amadeus I of Savoy .

For Carlo I - and thus also for his daughter-in-law Maria - the crisis did not end until July 2, 1631, when he finally received the imperial investiture for the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat.

However, the return of Mary and her family to Mantua was delayed because Mantua was still occupied by imperial troops. Only after a stopover in Goito could the entry into Mantua take place after the withdrawal of the imperial troops from Mantua on September 21, 1631. However, this was despite triumphal arches and folk casserole no cause for joy, because the city was largely destroyed and looted, the population decimated by the plague and Maria was in mourning because her husband Carlo II. Gonzaga-Nevers on 30 August 1631 Cavriana in Died at the age of 22.

Rebuilding Mantua

Carlo I, who was now Duke of Mantua and Montferrat in addition to his French duchies, tried - supported by the Republic of Venice, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, as well as the Duke of Parma and the Duke of Modena - to rebuild the city, to rebuild the economy straighten up and return to normal. Carlo I was supported in particular by Maria, who naturally had a special interest in the reconstruction of the centuries-old royal seat of her family.

Maria's importance for the continued existence of the family was soon increased further, when the only surviving brother of her husband, Ferdinando Gonzaga-Nevers (* 1610) Duke of Mayenne and Aiguillon, Marquis of Villars, Count of Tende and Sommerive, suddenly came on May 25th Died in Casale in 1632 at the age of only 22. The Gonzaga-Nevers family was thus in a similar situation as the Gonzaga-Mantua line had been in the past, since now its continuation solely on Maria Gonzaga and her three-year-old son Carlo III. Gonzaga was calm.

This delicate succession situation aroused old desires. So, Duke Viktor Amadeus I of Savoy urged that his niece Maria Gonzaga and her son Carlo III. should go to Piedmont under his protection. This was opposed by Mary and, on an international level, Pope Urban VIII . Duke Carlo I felt harassed and feared he would be deposed, so on July 11, 1635, he concluded the Treaty of Rivoli with France, which aimed to drive Spain out of the Duchy of Milan. However, this contract was not carried out because Carlo I died on September 21, 1637.

Son of Duke Carlo III. Gonzaga-Nevers

After the death of his grandfather Carlo I, his grandson - Maria's son - Carlo III followed. 1637 in Italy as Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (called Carlo II as Duke of Mantua) and followed in France as Duke of Nevers and Rethel, since his father Carlo II had died in 1631.

Mary's reign (1637-1647)

Since Carlo III. When his grandfather died, Maria Gonzaga took over the reign of her son at the age of 28 in the Italian duchies of Mantua and Montferrat as well as in the duchies of Nevers and Rethel in France.

Maria was impressed by the dire experiences she had had during the war and then in exile, which went back to her father-in-law's alliance with France, and was therefore determined to return to the traditional alliance with Austria. In terms of foreign policy, she began with a diplomatic initiative by sending embassies to Vienna - especially to her aunt, the Empress-widow Eleonore - to Madrid, to the Holy See in Rome, to Venice, Turin and also to France to King Louis XIII. posted. In response, France exerted pressure on Maria through its ambassadors in Mantua and Venice and, as a reprisal, occupied Casale, the capital of Montferrat. Here, however, the alliance with Habsburg was already at work, as the French occupation was driven out again by Spanish troops. On April 28 and May 10, 1638 imperial diplomas arrived, with the her function as guardian and regent of the duchies and the rights of her son Carlo III. were officially recognized as imperial prince .

However, these rights were soon afterwards by Luisa Maria Gonzaga -Nevers (1611–1667) and Anna Gonzaga -Nevers (1616–1684), the sisters of Maria's husband Carlo II., Who by unilateral interpretation of the will of Carlo I . of August 14, 1634 whose French possessions - in particular the duchies of Nevers and Rethel claimed for themselves. However, Maria succeeded in invalidating these claims and thus preserving these important possessions for her son.

She devoted herself to the domestic political situation with the same energy. She dismissed the high officials who had supported Francophile politics in order to avoid its obstruction, reorganized and improved the administration and the judiciary. On November 11, 1638, she had Senator Gian Francesco Paraleoni and Marchese Giulio Gonzaga imprisoned in the dungeon of the ducal palace, as they had tried to help a policy based on France to break through.

Maria was also active in the field of religion. She had placed the city of Mantua under the protection of the Madonna and in 1641 supported the foundation of the Confraternità della Madonna Incoronata (Brotherhood of the Crowned Madonna) which, at the suggestion of the Bishop of Mantua Vincenzo Agnelli Soardi, based in the main chapel of the Cathedral of Mantua - including an annual procession which Mary participated on foot - was erected.

Maria succeeded in giving the state she ruled the necessary external and internal security and in helping the population, decimated by war and epidemics, to prosperity again. However, she did not succeed in her son Carlo III. to prepare in the right sense for his task as a responsible ruler, as he subsequently turned out to be immoderate, heartless and mindless.

Age of majority of Duke Carlo III.

Carlo III. Gonzaga-Nevers, son of Maria

After her son Carlo III. had reached the age of 18, Maria ended her reign and on October 30, 1647 transferred to him the government of the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat as well as of the French duchies of Nevers, Rethel and Mayenne.

Maria's diplomatic efforts

Maria thus ended her official reign, but not her efforts to maintain and strengthen the state of her family. This turned out to be necessary because her son's character was not stable and was far more interested in amusement than in government affairs. Maria's first goal was to prevent a repetition of the fateful alliance with France, to renew the alliance with Austria and to tie the young duke's policy to the imperial family.

Thanks to her diplomatic skills, Maria succeeded in Vienna - probably through the mediation of her aunt Empress Eleonore - to get Carlos III to agree. to marry an archduchess. The choice fell on Isabella Clara of Austria (* 1629, † 1685), a niece of Emperor Ferdinand II and daughter of his younger brother Archduke Leopold of Austria. Mary announced this news on June 13, 1649, whereupon Isabella Clara made her solemn entry into Mantua on November 7, and the wedding took place on December 7, 1649 in the Cathedral of San Pietro.

Maria Gonzaga also managed to have her only daughter Eleonore Gonzaga (+ 1630, + 1686) on April 30, 1651 as the third wife with her cousin Emperor Ferdinand III. to marry, whereby her daughter carried the title of Empress of the HRR from 1651 to 1657.

Another important concern of Maria Gonzaga was the recovery of the lords of Luzzara and Reggiolo, which were involuntarily ceded at the time to the Gonzaga branch in Guastalla. One opportunity arose from the change of throne in Vienna in 1657 by Archduke Leopold I of Austria (Emperor 1657–1705) to his father Ferdinand III. followed. Maria decided to personally manage this delicate matter - both territories were owned by the Gonzaga von Guastalla - so she traveled to Austria in 1659, where she met her daughter, the Empress-widow Eleonore and her “stepchild” Emperor Leopold I in Graz visited. Her argument in favor of the restitution of the two territories should have been convincing, because she obtained an imperial diploma on September 30, 1659, in which her son was granted investiture with the duchies of Mantua and Montferrat as well as with Luzzara and Reggiolo. However, this last great success of their diplomatic endeavors subsequently proved to be unenforceable, as the house of the Gonzaga-Guastalla was not prepared to surrender these territories. They therefore remained de facto in the possession of the Gonzaga of Guastalla.

Mary's retreat and death

Beata Vergine church in Curtatone, burial church of Maria Gonzaga

As a result, Maria, exhausted from her long-term efforts to rebuild and to strengthen and secure the continued existence of the strategically important state of the Gonzaga zu Mantua, withdrew to her favorite villa “La Favorita” in Porto Mantovano , which still exists today she died on August 14, 1660 at the age of 51. She was buried in the church Santuario della Beata Vergine Maria delle Grazie in Curtatone (near Mantua).

Rating

The transfer of rule from the Gonzaga-Mantua house to the Gonzaga-Nevers house connected with Mary meant not only a political, but also a cultural change. For several generations, the dukes from the Gonzaga-Mantua family had made the duchy an important regional political factor and at the same time a major cultural power in Europe by attracting and promoting architects, painters, poets and scholars. This tradition ended with the end of the old dynasty, so that the following dukes from the Gonzaga-Nevers family, as Giuseppe Coniglio writes in the chapter “Beginning of the Descent”, appear merely “as an afterthought and largely unworthy of men compared to their important predecessors who preceded them “The ten years of her successful reign earned Mary the reputation of being the last significant figure among the rulers of Mantua.

Marriage and offspring

Maria Gonzaga Princess of Mantua married on December 25, 1627 in Mantua Carlo II of Gonzaga-Nevers, Hereditary Prince and Co-Duke (together with his father) of Nevers and Rethel and from 1621 also Duke of Mayenne, the eldest son of Carlo I Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers and Rethel (1595–1637) and Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1627–1637) from his marriage to Katherina Princess of Lorraine-Mayenne (* 1585, † 1618)

progeny

1. Carlo III. von Gonzaga-Nevers (born October 31, 1629 in Mantua, † August 14, 1665 ibid) Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1637–1665), Duke of Nevers and Rethel (1637–1659) then sold to Cardinal Jules Mazarin (* 1602 ; † 1661). ⚭ November 7, 1649 Isabella Klara Archduchess of Austria (* August 12, 1629, † February 24, 1685) daughter of Archduke Leopold V of Austria-Tyrol .
   1. Ferdinando Carlo von Gonzaga-Nevers (born August 31, 1652 in Revere, † July 5, 1708 in exile in Padua) 10th and last Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1665–1708), Duke of Guastalla (1678–1692 and 1702– 1704), 3rd Prince of Arches, Duke of Charleville etc. ⚭ I. 1670 Anna Isabella Gonzaga (* 1655, † 11 August 1703) 1678 Duchess of Guastalla (with Luzzara and Reggiolo) ⚭ II. November 8, 1704 in Tortona , Suzanne Henriette von Lothringen-Elboeuf (born February 1, 1686, † December 19, 1710 in Paris) (last of his house, without legitimate descendants)
2. Eleonora Magdalena Gonzaga von Mantua-Nevers (born November 18, 1630 in Mantua, † December 6, 1686 in Vienna), ⚭ in Wiener Neustadt April 30, 1651 Ferdinand III. (* July 13, 1608 in Graz, † April 2, 1657 in Vienna), Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire etc. (1637–1657)
   1. Eleonore Marie Josepha , Archduchess of Austria (* May 21, 1653 in Regensburg, † December 17, 1697 in Vienna, welcomed in the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna) ⚭ February 27, 1670 in Lemberg, Michael I. Korybut Wisniowiecki (* 31 May 1640, † November 10, 1673), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1669–1673); ⚭ February 6, 1678 in Wiener Neustadt, Charles V , titular duke of Lorraine (1675–1690) (born April 3, 1643 in Vienna, † April 18, 1690 in Wels) From 2nd marriage:
      1. Leopold Joseph von Lothringen (born September 11, 1679 in Innsbruck, † March 27, 1729 in Lunéville ), Duke of Lorraine (1690–1729), ⚭ October 13, 1698 in Fontainebleau , Elisabeth Charlotte de Bourbon-Orléans 1736 Princess of Commercy (* September 13, 1676 Château de Saint-Cloud , † December 23, 1744 Château de Commercy) daughter of Philippe Duke of Orléans and Liselotte of the Palatinate . Children among others:
         1. Francis I Stephan of Lorraine (* December 8, 1708 in Nancy, † August 18, 1765 in), Holy Roman Emperor (1745–1765), Duke of Lorraine (1729–1737) etc. ⚭ February 12, 1736 Maria Theresa of Austria , Queen of Hungary, Bohemia etc. (* May 13, 1717 in Vienna, † November 29, 1780 there) (descendants: The House of Habsburg-Lothringen )
         2. Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine (born October 15, 1711 in Lunéville, † July 3, 1741 in Turin) ⚭ April 1, 1737 Charles Emanuel III. of Savoy (born April 27, 1701 in Turin, † February 20, 1773 ibid) King of Sardinia (1730–1773) (descendants, among others: the kings of Sardinia until 1831)
         3. Karl Alexander von Lothringen (* December 12, 1712 in Lunéville, † July 4, 1780 in Tervuren) General Governor of the Austrian Netherlands (1744–1780) 52nd Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (1761–1780) ⚭ January 7, 1744 in Vienna, Maria Anna Archduchess of Austria (born September 14, 1718 in Vienna, † December 16, 1744 in Brussels) (no children)
         4. Anna Charlotte of Lorraine (March 17, 1714 - November 7, 1773 in Mons ), abbess of Remiremont and Sainte-Waudru in Mons
   2. Maria Anna Josepha of Austria (* December 30, 1654 in Regensburg, † April 14, 1689 in Vienna) ⚭ October 25, 1678 in Wiener Neustadt, Johann Wilhelm Pfalzgraf bei Rhein zu Neuburg (* April 19, 1658 in Düsseldorf, † 8. June 1716 ibid) Elector Palatinate (1690-1716) (no children)

ancestors

Guglielmo Gonzaga , Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1550–1587) (* 1538, † 1587)

Vincenzo I. Gonzaga , Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1587–1612) (* 1562, † 1612)

Eleonore Archduchess of Austria (* 1534, † 1594)

Francesco IV Gonzaga , Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1612) (* 1586, † 1612)

Francesco I de 'Medici , Grand Duke of Tuscany (1574–1587) (* 1541, † 1587)

Eleonora de 'Medici , Princess of Tuscany (* 1567, † 1611)

Johanna Archduchess of Austria (* 1547, † 1578)

Maria Gonzaga, Princess of Mantua (* 1609, † 1660)

Emanuel Philibert , Duke of Savoy (1553–1580) (* 1528, † 1580)

Charles Emanuel I , Duke of Savoy (1580–1630) (* 1562, † 1630)

Margaret of France (* 1523, † 1574)

Margaret of Savoy (* 1589, † 1655)

Philip II of Austria, King of Spain (1556–1598) (* 1527, † 1598)

Katharina Michaela of Spain , Archduchess of Austria, (* 1567, † 1597)

Elisabeth of France (* 1545, † 1568)

literature

• Federico Amadei, Cronaca universale della città di Mantova, Volume III; Mantua Citem, 1955 [6]
• Maria Bellonci “The Court of Love” -The life of the Duke of Mantua; Page 352; (Translation). Paul Zolnay Verlag Hamburg / Vienna 1958
• Riccardo Braglia, I Gonzaga. Il mito, la storia, Artiglio, 2002.
• Roberto Brunelli, I Gonzaga. Quattro secoli per una dinastia, Mantova, 2010, ISBN 978-88-89832-98-1 .
• Vittorio Ceroni, Maria Gonzaga nata per essere regina, ed. La Lucerna, New York 1951.
• Giuseppe Coniglio, I Gonzaga. dall 'Oglio editore, 1967.
• Adelaide Murgia, I Gonzaga, Mondadori, Milano 1972.
• Kate Simon, I Gonzaga, storia e segreti, Roma. Newton Compton Editori, 2004. ISBN 88-8289-573-4
• Raffaele Tamalio:  Maria Gonzaga, duchessa di Monferrato e di Mantova. In: Mario Caravale (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 70:  Marcora – Marsilio. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2007.
• Romolo Quazza: Maria Gonzaga, duchessa di Mantova . In: Enciclopedia Italiana , Rome 1934.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Genealogy of the Gonzaga at Mantua [1]
2. ↑ Detlev Schwennicke , European Family Tables , New Series, Volume I, Plate 16; Verlag JA Stargardt, Marburg, 1980
3. ^ Maria Bellonci, p. 288
4. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, "I Gonzaga", page 412; dall'Oglio, editore 1967 411
5. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, “I Gonzaga”, page 411; dall'Oglio, editore 1967 411
6. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, "I Gonzaga", page 412; dall'Oglio, editore 1967 411
7. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, "I Gonzaga", page 412; dall'Oglio, editore 1967 415
8. ↑ Genealogy of the Medici [2]
9. ^ Riccardo Braglia, I Gonzaga. Il mito, la storia, Artiglio, 2002.
10. ↑ Paul F. Grendler "The University of Mantua, the Gonzaga and the Jesuits" Chapter 9 (1) The crisis of the Mantuan succession. (no page number); JHU Press, July 3, 2009
11. ↑ Paul F. Grendler, The University of Mantua, the Gonzaga and the Jesuits, Section 9 (1) The crisis of the Mantuan succession. JHU Press, July 3, 2009
12. ↑ Paul F. Grendler, The University of Mantua, the Gonzaga and the Jesuits, Section 9 (1) The crisis of the Mantuan succession. (no page number); JHU Press, July 3, 2009
13. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 433
14. ^ Genealogy of the Gonzaga zu Nevers [3]
15. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 434
16. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 434
17. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 434
18. ↑ Paul F. Grendler "The University of Mantua, the Gonzaga and the Jesuits" Chapter 9 (1) The crisis of the Mantuan succession. JHU Press, July 3, 2009
19. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 435
20. ↑ Maria Bellonci, Der Liebeshof - The life of the Duke of Mantua; Page 352; (Translation). Paul Zolnay Verlag, Hamburg / Vienna, 1958
21. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 437
22. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 438
23. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 438
24. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 438
25. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 441
26. ↑ Cronaca universale della città di Mantova, Volume III, page 641
27. ↑ Cronaca universale della città di Mantova, Volume III, page 635
28. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 441
29. ↑ Cronaca universale della città di Mantova, Volume III, page 636
30. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 442
31. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 442
32. ↑ ESNF I. Plate 16
33. ↑ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 444
34. ^ Giuseppe Coniglio, page 433
35. ↑ Genealogy Habsburg [4]
36. ^ Genealogy of Lorraine [5]
37. ↑ Detlev Schwennicke , European Family Tables , New Series, Volume I, Table 17 f .; Verlag JA Stargardt, Marburg, 1980

Web links

• Maria Gonzaga in the portal of Italian women (Italian)
• Maria Gonzaga duchessa di Mantova. In: Enciclopedie on line. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
• Genealogy Gonzaga
• Genealogy Habsburg
• Genealogy Lorraine