Gonzaga was born in
Mantua. He served as
papal nuncio to Flanders, 1731–1736, and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1738 by
Pope Clement XII. On 15 May 1747 he was given the
titular church of
San Callisto. He died in
Viterbo. He was known as a patron of arts and sciences, and his villa outside of Porta Pia had a botanical collection. He owned a large library, collected the latest instruments of measurement, and sponsored literary salons. He owned a large collection of paintings (including the
Portrait of Lorenzo Cybo), which, after his death, was sold on 18 May 1763 at Amsterdam and the paintings by
Salvator Rosa and
Francesco Solimena dispersed in several locations. His nephew
Luigi Valenti Gonzaga (1725 – 1808) also was named cardinal. Luigi's brother, Marquis Carlo Valenti Gonzaga (1718-1782), was a statesman and ambassador for the papal state; he also was a prominent patron in Mantua and amassed a large library. ==References==