List of rulers of Mantua

(Redirected from Duke of Mantua)

During its history as independent entity, Mantua had different rulers who governed on the city and the lands of Mantua from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.

Coat of arms of the House of Gonzaga, the ruling family of Mantua for most of its history.

From 970 to 1115, the Counts of Mantua were members of the House of Canossa. During its time as free commune and signoria ("lordship"), the Lords of Mantua were exponents of the Bonacolsi and Gonzaga families. From 1328, Mantua was informally led by Gonzagas until 1433, when Gianfrancesco Gonzaga assumed the noble title of Marquess of Mantua. In 1530, Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the vacant Marquisate of Montferrat through marriage.

In 1627, Duke Vincent II deceased without heirs, ending the original line of Gonzagas. From 1628 to 1631, a succession war was fought between the Duke of Guastalla, supported by the Holy Roman Empire, and the Duke of Nevers, supported by France, for the control of the Duchy of Mantua. Finally, the Duke of Nevers was recognized as only Duke.

In 1708, Mantua was seized by the Habsburgs, ending Gonzaga rule. Montferrat's territories were ceded to the Duke of Savoy. The emperor compensated the Duke of Lorraine, heir in the female line of the Gonzaga, for the loss of Montferrat by ceding the Duchy of Teschen to the Lorraine. In 1745, Mantua was formally unified with the Duchy of Milan, until its dissolution in 1796.

Counts of Mantua (970–1115)

House of Canossa

PortraitCoat of ArmsNameReignRelationship with Predecessor(s)Marriage(s)
Issue
Adalbert Atto97013 February 988 • Son of Sigifred of Lucca[1]Hildegard of Supponids
4 children
Tebald13 February 9881007 • Son of Adalbert AttoWilla of Tuscany
2 children
Boniface10076 May 1052 • Son of Tebald(1) Richelida Giselbertiner
Childless

(2) Beatrice of Lorraine
3 children

Matilda6 May 105224 July 1115 • Daughter of Boniface(1) Godfrey of Lorraine
Childless

(2) Welf of Bavaria
Childless

Lords of Mantua (1272–1433)

  Ghibellines  Guelphs

PortraitCoat of ArmsNameReignRelationship with Predecessor(s)Title
Pinamonte dei Bonacolsi28 July 12729 September 1291 • NoneRector
Bardellone dei Bonacolsi9 September 12912 July 1299 • Son of PinamontePerpetual Rector
Guido dei Bonacolsi2 July 129921 January 1309 • Nephew of BardelloneGeneral Captain
Rinaldo dei Bonacolsi21 January 130916 August 1328 • Brother of GuidoGeneral Captain
Ludovico Gonzaga16 August 132818 January 1360 • None; supported by Cangrande of VeronaCaptain of the People
Guido Gonzaga18 January 136022 September 1369 • Son of LudovicoCaptain of the People
Ludovico II Gonzaga22 September 13694 October 1382 • Son of GuidoCaptain of the People
Francesco Gonzaga4 October 13827 March 1407 • Son of Ludovico IICaptain of the People
Gianfrancesco Gonzaga7 March 140722 September 1433 • Son of FrancescoCaptain of the People

Marquesses of Mantua (1433–1530)

House of Gonzaga

PortraitCoat of ArmsNameReignRelationship with Predecessor(s)Marriage(s)
Issue
John Francis I
(Gianfrancesco I)
22 September 143325 September 1444 • Son of Francesco

 • Purchased the title from Emperor Sigismund

Paola Malatesta
6 children
Louis III
(Ludovico III)
25 September 144411 June 1478 • Son of John Francis IBarbara of Brandenburg
11 children
Frederick I
(Federico I)
11 June 147814 July 1484 • Son of Lewis IIIMargaret of Bavaria
6 children
Francis II
(Francesco II)
14 July 148429 March 1519 • Son of Frederick IIsabella d'Este
9 children
Frederick II
(Federico II)
29 March 15198 April 1530 • Son of Francis IIMargaret Paleologa
7 children

Dukes of Mantua (1530–1708)

House of Gonzaga

PortraitCoat of ArmsNameReignRelationship with Predecessor(s)Marriage(s)
Issue
Frederick II
(Federico II)
8 April 153028 June 1540 • Son of Francis II

(Title obtained by Emperor Charles V)

Margaret Paleologa
7 children
Francis III
(Francesco III)
28 June 154021 February 1550 • Son of Frederick IICatherine of Austria
Childless
William
(Guglielmo)
21 February 155014 August 1587 • Son of Frederick IIEleanor of Austria
3 children
Vincent I
(Vincenzo I)
14 August 158718 February 1612 • Son of William(1) Margherita Farnese (nullified)
Childless

(2) Eleanor de' Medici
6 children

Francis IV
(Francesco IV)
18 February 161222 December 1612 • Son of Vincent IMargaret of Savoy
3 children
Ferdinand
(Ferdinando)
22 December 161229 October 1626 • Son of Vincent I

 • Brother of Francis IV

Caterina de' Medici
Childless
Vincent II
(Vincenzo II)
29 October 162625 December 1627 • Son of Vincent I

 • Brother of Ferdinand and Francis IV

Isabella Gonzaga
Childless

House of Gonzaga-Nevers

PortraitCoat of ArmsNameReignRelationship with Predecessor(s)Marriage(s)
Issue
Charles I
(Carlo I)
17 January 162822 September 1637 • Grandson of Frederick IICatherine of Lorraine
6 children
Charles II
(Carlo II)
22 September 163714 August 1665 • Grandson of Charles IIsabella Clara of Austria
1 children
Ferdinand Charles
(Ferdinando Carlo)
14 August 16655 July 1708 • Son of Charles II(1) Anna Isabella Gonzaga
Childless

(2) Suzanne Henriette of Lorraine
Childless

References