The first members of the family of historical importance are known to have collaborated with the
Guelph faction alongside the monks of the
Polirone Abbey. Starting from the 12th century they became a dominant family in Mantua, growing in wealth when their allies, the
Bonacolsi, defeated the traditional familiar enemy, the Casalodi. In 1328, however,
Ludovico I Gonzaga overthrew the Bonacolsi lordship over the city with the help of the
Scaliger, and entered the Ghibelline party as
capitano del popolo ("people's captain") of Mantua and
imperial vicar of Emperor
Louis IV. Ludovico was succeeded by
Guido (1360–1369) and
Ludovico II (1369–1382), while
Feltrino, lord of
Reggio until 1371, formed the
cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Novellara,
whose state existed until 1728.
Francesco I (1382–1407) abandoned the traditional alliance with the
Visconti of Milan, in order to align their rising power with the
Republic of Venice. File:Mantua2_BMK.jpg|
Ducal palace, Mantua. File:Camera picta, la corte 02.jpg|
Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua and
Barbara of Brandenburg with their children, fresco by
Andrea Mantegna at San Giorgio Castle, Mantua, around 1470. File:Gonzaga Armonial.jpg|Arms of the Gonzaga-
Nevers branch that inherited the
Duchy of Mantua from the extinct senior line and ruled it from 1627 to 1708, when that branch died out in the male line. In 1433,
Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of
Marquis of Mantua with the recognition of Emperor
Sigismund, while obtaining recognition from the local nobility through the marriage of his daughter Margherita to
Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara in 1435. In 1530
Federico II (1500–1540) received the title of
Duke of Mantua. Also the two brothers of Federico II are historical characters of a certain importance:
Ercole Gonzaga became a cardinal, presided over the Council of Trent and was almost elected Pope;
Ferrante was a faithful ally of the Emperor Charles V who covered him with honors and positions, Ferrante was also the progenitor of the cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla. In 1531, the family acquired the
Marquisate of Montferrat through marriage. Through maternal ancestors, the Gonzagas inherited also the Imperial
Byzantine ancestry of the
Paleologus, an earlier ruling family of
Montferrat. A
cadet branch of the Mantua Gonzagas became dukes of
Nevers and
Rethel in France when Luigi (Louis) Gonzaga, a younger son of
Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and
Margherita Paleologa, married the heiress. The Gonzaga-Nevers later came to rule Mantua again when Louis's son Charles (Carlo) inherited Mantua and Montferrat, triggering the
War of the Mantuan Succession. Another cadet branch were first sovereign counts, later
dukes of Guastalla. They descended from
Ferrante, a younger son of Duke
Francesco II of Mantua (1484–1519). Ferrante's grandson,
Ferrante II, also played a role in the
War of the Mantuan Succession. A further cadet branch was that of
Sabbioneta, founded by
Gianfrancesco, son of
Ludovico III.
Marie Louise Gonzaga, daughter of Prince
Charles Gonzaga-Nevers, was a
queen consort of Poland and grand duchess consort of Lithuania from 1645 to her death in 1667. Two daughters of the house, both named Eleanor Gonzaga, became
Holy Roman Empresses, by marrying emperors
Ferdinand II of Germany and
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, respectively. From the latter
Empress Eleonora, the current heirs of the Gonzaga descend. Saint
Aloysius Gonzaga was a member of a junior branch of this family. The House of Gonzaga is the inspiration for the play-within-the-play in Shakespeare's
Hamlet. In Act 3 scene 2, they act out a play called
The Murder of Gonzago (or
The Mousetrap). Gonzaga rule continued in Mantua until 1708 and in Guastalla until 1746. Both ruling lines going extinct until passing on to a minor
Gonzaga-Vescovato branch, which is the only remaining existing branch.
Patronage of the arts The House of Gonzaga was an important patron of the arts. This began when Gianfrancesco Gonzaga funded a school led by
Vittorino da Feltre where music and art were core subjects along with mathematics, history, Greek and Latin, religion, and philosophy. The music theorist and composer
Franchinus Gaffurius was trained at this school.
Isabella d'Este, wife of
Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, used her influence to financially support native composers at court (such as
Bartolomeo Tromboncino and
Marchetto Cara) which contributed to popularizing the
frottola. Cardinal
Ercole Gonzaga founded an ecclesiastical chapel which employed musicians and further advance the musical live of the region through sacred music composition and performance.
Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, himself a gifted composer, founded the
Basilica palatina di Santa Barbara (construction began 1562) which became a cultural center for sacred art and music. He also brought several notable composers to the Mantua court, including
Alessandro Striggio,
Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi,
Giaches de Wert,
Benedetto Pallavicino and
Claudio Monteverdi. Through Monteverdi, the court witnessed some of the first operas ever staged, including ''
L'Orfeo (1607) and L'Arianna'' (1608).
Marco da Gagliano's
La Dafne was staged in 1608. The Gonzaga House also sponsored theatre. The Mantua court staged
Giovanni Battista Guarini's plays
Il pastor fido and ''L'idropica''. These plays included incidental music by several different composers, including Monteverdi, Gastoldi, Gagliano, Paolo Birt, and
Salamone Rossi.
Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua also supported the arts, but financial problems for the court led to a decline in support during his reign.
Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat employed
Antonio Caldara as
maestro di cappella from 1701-1707. ==Rulers of the House of Gonzaga==