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GONTAUT, MARIE JOSEPHINE LOUISE

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 236 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GONTAUT, See also:MARIE See also:JOSEPHINE See also:LOUISE , DuCHESSE DE ` See also:marquess of See also:Mantua for himself and his descendants (1432), an See also:investiture which legitimatized the usurpations of the See also:house of See also:Gonzaga. His son See also:Luigi III. " it Turco " (d. 1478) likewise became a celebrated soldier, and was also a learned and liberal See also:prince, a See also:patron of literature and the arts. His son Federigo I. (d. 1484) followed in his See also:father's footsteps, and served under various See also:foreign sovereigns, including See also:Bona of See also:Savoy and Lorenzo de' See also:Medici; subsequently he upheld the rights of the house of GONTAUT-GONZAGA 2-35 See also:Este against See also:Pope See also:Sixtus IV. and the Venetians, whose ambitious claims were a menace to his own dominions of See also:Ferrara and Mantova. His son Giovan See also:Francesco III. (d. 1519) continued the military traditions of the See also:family, and commanded the allied See also:Italian forces against See also:Charles VIII. at the See also:battle of Fornovo; he afterwards fought in the See also:kingdom of See also:Naples and in See also:Tuscany, until captured by the Venetians in 1509. On his liberation he adopted a more peaceful and conciliatory policy, and with the help of his wife, the famous See also:Isabella d'Este, he promoted the See also:fine arts and letters, See also:collecting pictures, statues and other See also:works of See also:art with intelligent discrimination. He was succeeded by his son Federigo II.

(d. 1540), See also:

captain-See also:general of the papal forces. After the See also:peace of See also:Cambrai (1529) his ally and See also:protector, the See also:emperor Charles V., raised his See also:title to that of See also:duke of Mantua in 1J30; in 1536 the emperor decided the controversy for the See also:succession of Monferrato between Federigo and the house of Savoy in favour of the former. His son Francesco I. succeeded him, and, being a See also:minor, was placed under the regency of his See also:uncle See also:Cardinal Ercole; he was accidentally drowned in 1550, leaving his possessions to his See also:brother Guglielmo. The latter was an extravagant spendthrift, but having subdued a revolt in Monferrato was presented with that territory by the emperor See also:Maximilian II. At his See also:death in 1587 he was succeeded by his son Vincenzo I. (d. 1612), who was more addicted to amusements than to warfare. Then followed in succession his sons Francesco II. (d. 1612), Ferdinando (d. 1626), and Vincenzo II.

(d. 1627), all three incapable and dissolute princes. The last named appointed as his successor Charles, the son of Henriette, the heiress of the See also:

French family of See also:Nevers-See also:Rethel, who was only able to take See also:possession of the ducal See also:throne after a bloody struggle; his dominions were laid See also:waste by foreign invasions and he himself was reduced to the sorest straits. He died in 1637, leaving his possessions to his See also:grandson Charles (Carlo) II. under the regency of the latter's See also:mother Maria Gonzaga, which lasted until 1647. Charles died in consequence of his own profligacy and was succeeded by his son See also:Ferdinand Charles (Ferdinando Carlo), who was likewise for some years under the regency of his mother Isabella of See also:Austria. Ferdinand Charles, another extravagant and dissolute prince, acquired the See also:county of See also:Guastalla by See also:marriage in 1678, but lost it soon afterwards; he involved his See also:country in useless warfare, with the result that in 1708 Austria annexed the duchy. On the 5th of See also:July of the same See also:year he died in See also:Venice, and with him the Gonzagas of Mantua came to an end. Of the See also:cadet branches of the house one received the lordship of Bozzolo, another the counties of Novellara and Bagnolo, a third, of which the founder was Ferrante I. (d. 1557), retained the county of Guastalla, raised to a duchy in 1621, and came to an end with the death of Giuseppe Maria on the 16th of See also:August 1746.

End of Article: GONTAUT, MARIE JOSEPHINE LOUISE

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