Jump to content

Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
sthg
m →‎Biography: Spelling/grammar/punctuation/typographical correction
 
(105 intermediate revisions by 55 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Marquis of Mantua from 1444 to 1478}}
⚫
{{ infobox nobility
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
⚫
| name = Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
⚫
{{Infobox nobility
⚫
| image = Andrea Mantegna 057.jpg
| caption = The Court of Mantua, detail:<br />Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
| name = Ludovico III Gonzaga
| noble family = [[House of Gonzaga]]
| title = ''[[Marquis of Mantua]]''
⚫
| image = Andrea Mantegna 057.jpg
⚫
| father = [[Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga]]
⚫
| caption = The Court of Mantua, detail:<br />Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
| mother = Paola Malatesta
| noble family= [[House of Gonzaga|Gonzaga]]
⚫
| spouse = [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1423-1481)|Barbara of Brandenburg]]
⚫
| father = [[Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga]]
⚫
| birth_date = {{birth date|1412|6|5|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Mantua]]
| mother = [[Paola Malatesta]]
⚫
| spouse = [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1423–1481)|Barbara of Brandenburg]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1478|6|12|1412|6|5|df=yes}}
| issue = [[Federico I Gonzaga|Federico I]]<br>[[Francesco Gonzaga (1444–1483)|Francesco]]<br>[[Gianfrancesco Gonzaga (1446–1496)|Gianfrancesco]]<br>[[Dorotea Gonzaga|Dorotea]]<br>[[Rodolfo Gonzaga|Rodolfo]]<br>[[Barbara Gonzaga (1455–1503)|Barbara]]
⚫
| death_place = [[Goito]]

| birth_date = 5 June 1412
| birth_place = [[Mantua]], [[Margravate of Mantua]]
⚫
| death_date = {{death date and age|1478|6|12|1412|6|5|df=yes}}
⚫
| death_place = [[Goito]], [[Margravate of Mantua]]
}}
}}
'''Ludovico III of Gonzaga''', also spelled '''Lodovico''' (also '''Ludovico II'''; June 5, 1412 &ndash; June 12, 1478) was the [[marquis of Mantua|ruler]] of the [[Italy|Italian]] city of [[Mantua]] from 1444 to his death in 1478.<ref name=FMG>Giuseppe Coniglio, ''I Gonzaga''. Varese: Dall'Oglio, 1967.</ref>
'''Ludovico III Gonzaga of Mantua''', known as '''the Turk''' ({{lang-it|il Turco}}),<ref>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Diocese of Mantua|author=U. Benigni}}</ref> also spelled '''Lodovico''' (also '''Ludovico II'''; 5 June 1412 &ndash; 12 June 1478) was the [[marquis of Mantua|ruler]] of the Italian city of [[Mantua]] from 1444 to his death in 1478.<ref name=FMG>{{cite book|first=Giuseppe |last=Coniglio |title=I Gonzaga|location=Varese|publisher=Dall'Oglio|year=1967}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Ludovico was the son of [[Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga|Gianfrancesco]] Gonzaga and Paola [[House of Malatesta|Malatesta]].
[[File:Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga]].]]
Ludovico was the son of [[Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga]] and [[Paola Malatesta]] daughter of [[Malatesta IV Malatesta]] of [[Pesaro]].{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}


Ludovico followed the path of his father Gianfrancesco, fighting as [[condottiero]] from as early as 1432, when Gianfrancesco was vice-commander of [[Francesco Bussone]]'s army<ref name=Trecc>{{cite web|last=Lazzarini|first=Isabella|title=LUDOVICO III Gonzaga, marchese di Mantova|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/ludovico-iii-gonzaga-marchese-di-mantova_(Dizionario-Biografico)/|publisher=Istituto Enciclopedico Italiano|accessdate=17 June 2013}}</ref> In 1433, he married [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1423-1481)|Barbara of Brandenburg]],<ref name=FMG /> niece of [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|emperor Sigismund]]<ref name = "Trecc"/>.
Ludovico followed the path of his father, Gianfrancesco, fighting as a [[condottiero]] from as early as 1432, when Gianfrancesco was vice-commander of [[Francesco Bussone]]'s army.<ref name=Trecc>{{cite web|last=Lazzarini|first=Isabella|title=LUDOVICO III Gonzaga, marchese di Mantova|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/ludovico-iii-gonzaga-marchese-di-mantova_(Dizionario-Biografico)/|publisher=Istituto Enciclopedico Italiano|access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref> In 1433, he married [[Barbara of Brandenburg, Marquise of Mantua|Barbara of Brandenburg]],{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}} niece of [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|emperor Sigismund]].<ref name = "Trecc"/>


Starting from 1436 (perhaps without the approval of his father)<ref name = "Trecc"/> he entered the service the [[house of Visconti|Visconti]] of the [[Duchy of Milan]]. The result was that Gianfrancesco exiled Ludovico from Mantua, together with his wife<ref name ="Trecc"/>, naming Carlo Gonzaga as heir. However, in 1438 Gianfrancesco himself was hired by the Visconti, and reconciled with Ludovico in 1441<ref name ="Trecc"/>. Ludovico succeeded to the marquisate of Mantua in 1444.<ref name=Damiani>{{cite web |url=http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797%20%20%20%20%20%20LUDOVICO%20GONZAGA%20%20Marchese%20di%20Mantova.htm |title=Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550 |first=Roberto |last=Damiani |date=January 17, 2011 |work=Condottieri di ventura |language=Italian |trans_title=Biographical Notes of the War Captains and Commanders of Ventura operating in Italy in 1330 - 1550 |accessdate=January 31, 2011 }} {{Google translation|en|it|http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797%20%20%20%20%20%20LUDOVICO%20GONZAGA%20%20Marchese%20di%20Mantova.htm|Translate this Italian web page to English}}</ref>, although part of the family fiefs went to his brothers Carlo, Gianlucido and Alessandro<ref name = "Trecc"/>. At the time, the Mantuan state was reduced in size and in poor conditions after years of war and large expenses<ref name ="Trecc"/>.
Starting from 1436 (perhaps without the approval of his father)<ref name = "Trecc"/> he entered the service of the [[Visconti of Milan|Visconti]] of the [[Duchy of Milan]]. The result was that Gianfrancesco exiled Ludovico from Mantua, together with his wife,<ref name="Trecc"/> naming [[Carlo Gonzaga of Milan|Carlo Gonzaga]] as heir. However, in 1438 Gianfrancesco himself was hired by the Visconti, and reconciled with Ludovico in 1441.<ref name="Trecc"/> Ludovico succeeded to the marquisate of Mantua in 1444,<ref name=Damiani>{{cite web |url=http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797%20%20%20%20%20%20LUDOVICO%20GONZAGA%20%20Marchese%20di%20Mantova.htm |title=Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550 |first=Roberto |last=Damiani |date=January 17, 2011 |work=Condottieri di ventura |language=it |trans-title=Biographical Notes of the War Captains and Commanders of Ventura operating in Italy in 1330 - 1550 |access-date=January 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518004913/http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797%20%20%20%20%20%20LUDOVICO%20GONZAGA%20%20Marchese%20di%20Mantova.htm |archive-date=18 May 2011 |df=dmy-all }} {{Google translation|en|it|http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797%20%20%20%20%20%20LUDOVICO%20GONZAGA%20%20Marchese%20di%20Mantova.htm|Translate this Italian web page to English}}</ref> although part of the family fiefs went to his brothers Carlo, Gianlucido and Alessandro.<ref name = "Trecc"/> At the time, the Mantuan state was reduced in size and was in poor condition after years of war and large expenses.<ref name="Trecc"/>


In 1445-1450 Ludovico served as condottiero for Milan, Florence, Venice and [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]], switching his allegiance in order to grant the higher level of peace for his lands<ref name = "Trecc"/>. In 1448 he took part to the [[battle of Caravaggio]], and was forced to flee. In 1449 he entered the service of [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] in the league formed with [[Republic of Florence|Florence]] against Milan. In 1450 he received permission to lead an army for King [[Alfonso V of Aragon|Alfonso of Naples]] in Lombardy, with the intent of gaining some possessions for himself. However, [[Francesco I Sforza|Francesco Sforza]], the new duke of Milan, enticed him with the promise of [[Lonato]], [[Peschiera]] and [[Asola, Lombardy|Asola]], formerly Mantuan territories but then part of Venice. Venice responded by sacking [[Castiglione delle Stiviere]] (1452) and hiring Ludovico's brother, [[Carlo Gonzaga of Milan|Carlo]].<ref name=Damiani />
From 1445 to 1450 Ludovico served as condottiero for Milan, Florence, Venice, and [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]], switching his allegiance to grant a higher level of peace for his lands.<ref name = "Trecc"/> In 1448 he took part in the [[battle of Caravaggio]], and was forced to flee. In 1449 he entered the service of [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] in the league formed with [[Republic of Florence|Florence]] against Milan. In 1450 he received permission to lead an army for King [[Alfonso V of Aragon|Alfonso of Naples]] in Lombardy, with the intent of gaining some possessions for himself. However, [[Francesco I Sforza|Francesco Sforza]], the new Duke of Milan, enticed him into an alliance with the promise of turning over to him [[Lonato]], [[Peschiera Borromeo|Peschiera]] and [[Asola, Lombardy|Asola]], formerly Mantuan territories but then part of Venice. Venice responded by sacking [[Castiglione delle Stiviere]] (1452) and hiring Ludovico's brother, [[Carlo Gonzaga of Milan|Carlo]].<ref name=Damiani />


On June 14, 1453, Ludovico routed the troops of Carlo at [[Goito]], but Venetian troops under [[Niccolò Piccinino]] thwarted any attempt to regain Asola. The [[Peace of Lodi]] (1454) obliged Ludovico to give back all his conquests, and to renounce definitively his claim to the three cities.<ref name=Damiani /> However, he obtained his brother's land after Carlo's childless death in 1478.
Carlo Gonzaga invaded his brother Ludovico's Mantuan territories on 9 March 1453 with 4,000 soldiers, seizing [[Castelbelforte]] (then known as Castelbonafisso) and [[Bigarello]]. Ludovico gathered an army of 3,000 horse and 500 infantry and along with a detachment of Milanese troops led by the condottiere [[Tiberio Brandolini]] defeated Carlo at [[Castellaro Lagusello]] near [[Monzambano]]. Ludovico then pursued the retreating Carlo across the river [[Adige]] and on 14 June 1453 routed the troops of Carlo Gonzaga at Villabona near [[Goito]].<ref>Volta, L.C. Compendio cronologico-critico della Storia di Mantova, dalla sua fondazione sino ai nostri tempi Mantova: Francesco Agazzi, 1827, 135.</ref> Venetian troops under [[Niccolò Piccinino]] however thwarted his attempt to regain Asola. The [[Peace of Lodi]] (1454) obliged Ludovico to give back all his conquests, and to renounce definitively his claim to the three cities.<ref name=Damiani /> However, he obtained his brother's land after Carlo's childless death in 1456.[[File:Bartolomeo melioli, ludovico II gonzaga, 1475, recto.JPG|250px|thumb|left|[[Medal]] of Ludovico III Gonzaga (1475).]]


The moment of highest prestige for Mantua was the [[Council of Mantua|Council]] held in the city from May 27, 1459 to January 19, 1460, summoned by [[Pope Pius II]] to launch a crusade against the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Turks, who had conquered [[Constantinople]] some years earlier. However, the pope was not satisfied with the host city, writing: "The place was marshy and unhealthy, and the heat burnt up everything; the wine was unpalatable and the food unpleasant." However, the council ended on a note of great personal prestige for Ludovico with the elevation of his son Francesco to the purple.<ref name="Leon Battista Alberti">{{cite book|first=Franco |last=Borsi|title=Leon Battista Alberti|publisher=Harper & Row|location=New York|year=1977}}</ref>
The moment of highest prestige for Mantua was the [[Council of Mantua|Council]], held in the city from 27 May 1459 to 19 January 1460, summoned by [[Pope Pius II]] to launch a crusade against the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Turks, who had conquered [[Constantinople]] some years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digilib.bibliotecateresiana.it/sfoglia_storia.php?op=esplora_ric&sottogruppo=164.F.28&gruppo=&pag=104|title=Biblioteca Teresiana - Viewer|last=salvatores|work=bibliotecateresiana.it|access-date=18 August 2016}}</ref> However, the pope was not satisfied with the host city, writing: "The place was marshy and unhealthy, and the heat burnt up everything; the wine was unpalatable and the food unpleasant." However, the council ended on a note of great personal prestige for Ludovico with the elevation of his son Francesco to the purple.<ref name="Leon Battista Alberti">{{cite book|first=Franco |last=Borsi| author-link=Franco Borsi |title=Leon Battista Alberti|publisher=Harper & Row|location=New York|year=1977}}</ref>


From 1466 Ludovico was more or less constantly at the service of the Sforza of Milan. He died in Goito in 1478, during a plague. He was buried in [[Mantua cathedral]].<ref name=Damiani />
From 1466 Ludovico was more or less constantly at the service of the [[House of Sforza|Sforza]] of Milan. He died in [[Goito]] in 1478, during a plague. He was buried in [[Mantua cathedral]].<ref name="Damiani" />


==Education and enculturation==
==Education==
[[File:Lodovico II Gonzaga, second marquess of Mantua, by Antonio Pisanello, designed c. 1447 - Chazen Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|Medal by [[Pisanello]], c. 1447]]
On the orders of his father, Ludovico's education had been entrusted to the humanist [[Vittorino da Feltre]]. Vittorino undertook "the difficult enterprise in the interests of the commonwealth for... the education of a good prince would benefit the people he ruled." The teaching was markedly moral and religious and contained a "vein of laical asceticism almost." This, argues the arts scholar Franco Borsi, explains not only Ludovico's religious faith that led him to found churches and host Pius II's Council, but also his concern for a humanistic culture and the growth in public works throughout the city, from the paving of the streets and building of a clock tower to the reorganisation of the city centre.<ref name="Leon Battista Alberti"/> Among the famous humanists invited to the city was the Florentine [[Leon Battista Alberti]], who designed the San Sebastiano church and the San' Andrea church. Also, in 1460, Ludovico appointed [[Andrea Mantegna]] as court artist to the [[House of Gonzaga|Gonzaga]] family.
On the orders of his father, Ludovico's education had been entrusted to the humanist [[Vittorino da Feltre]]. Vittorino undertook "the difficult enterprise in the interests of the commonwealth for... the education of a good prince would benefit the people he ruled." The teaching was markedly moral and religious and contained a "vein of laical asceticism almost." This, argues the arts scholar [[Franco Borsi]], explains not only Ludovico's religious faith that led him to found churches and host Pius II's Council, but also his concern for a humanistic culture and the growth in public works throughout the city, from the paving of the streets and building of a clock tower to the reorganization of the city centre.<ref name="Leon Battista Alberti"/> Among the famous humanists invited to the city was the Genoese scholar [[Leon Battista Alberti]], who designed the San Sebastiano church and the San' Andrea church. Also, in 1460, Ludovico appointed [[Andrea Mantegna]] as court artist to the [[House of Gonzaga|Gonzaga]] family.


Ludovico is prominently featured in the ''Treatise on Architecture'', from circa 1465, by the Florentine sculptor-architect Antonio di Pietro Averlino (c. 1400 – c. 1469), better known as [[Filarete]].<ref>''Filarete's Treatise on Architecture; Being the Treatise by Antonio di Piero Averlino, Known as Filarete.'' Translated with an Introduction by John R. Spencer. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965.</ref> The treatise takes the format of a Platonic dialogue, featuring an unnamed architect (evidently Filarete himself) who is building a new city for a princely patron (evidently [[Francesco Sforza]] of Milan). During the dialogue interspersing the treatise they are visited by another lord, in the figure of Ludovico: his role in the dialogue is to persuade Sforza that he has seen the error of his ways in showing favour in "modern architecture", by which is meant [[Gothic architecture]], and, having seen the architecture of antiquity in Rome, now favours such architecture instead, which is also what Filarete is also trying to persuade his patron.
Ludovico is featured in the ''Treatise on Architecture'', from {{Circa|1465}}, by the Florentine sculptor-architect Antonio di Pietro Averlino ({{Circa|1400|1469}}), better known as [[Filarete]].<ref>''Filarete's Treatise on Architecture; Being the Treatise by Antonio di Piero Averlino, Known as Filarete.'' Translated with an Introduction by John R. Spencer. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965.</ref> The treatise takes the format of a Platonic dialogue, featuring an unnamed architect (evidently Filarete himself) who is building a new city for a princely patron (evidently [[Francesco Sforza]] of Milan). During the dialogue interspersing the treatise they are visited by another lord, in the figure of Ludovico: his role in the dialogue is to persuade Sforza that he has seen the error of his ways in showing favour to "modern architecture", by which is meant [[Gothic architecture]], and, having seen the architecture of antiquity in Rome, now favours such architecture instead, which is also what Filarete is also trying to persuade his patron.{{Cn|date=February 2024}}


==Children==
==Children==
[[File:Andrea Mantegna - The Court of Mantua - detail.JPG|thumb|right|220px|The Court of Mantua. At the left, Ludovico II Gonzaga. Besides him his wife Barbara von Brandenburg and their siblings Ludovico Gonzaga, Paola Gonzaga and Rodolfo Gonzaga.]]
Ludvico and Barbara had ten children:<ref name=FMG />
Ludovico III and Barbara had fourteen children:


* [[Federico I Gonzaga|Federico I]]
* Federico (1438? – died in infancy).
* Maddalena (1439? – died in infancy).
⚫
* [[Gianfrancesco Gonzaga (1446-1496)|Gianfrancesco]] (1443–1496)
* Elisabetta (1440? – died in infancy).
⚫
* [[Francesco Gonzaga (1444-1483)|Francesco]] (1444–1483), created cardinal by Pope [[Pius II]]
* [[Federico I Gonzaga|Federico I]] (1441 – 1484), Marquis of Mantua; married [[Margaret of Bavaria, Marchioness of Mantua|Margaret of Bavaria]],{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}} daughter of [[Albert III, Duke of Bavaria]] and Anna, Duchess of Brunswick-Grubenhagen{{sfn|James|2020|p=xvi}}
* Susanna (Nun at Santa Chiara di Mantua; 1447–1481) betrothed to [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]].
⚫
* [[Francesco Gonzaga (1444–1483)|Francesco]] (1444 – 1483),{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}} created Cardinal by Pope [[Pius II]].
⚫
* [[Dorotea Gonzaga|Dorotea]] (1449–1467), betrothed to [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]].
* Paola Bianca (1445–1447), died in infancy.{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
* Rodolfo (1451–1495), married [[Antonia Malatesta]] and then Caterina Pico (died 1501)
* [[Gianfrancesco Gonzaga (1446–1496)|Gianfrancesco]] (1446 – 1496), Count of Sabbioneta and Lord of Bozzolo; married Antonia del Balzo.{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}} Had issue
* Cecilia (1452–1472)
* Susanna (1447–1481), a nun at Santa Paola di Mantua.{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
⚫
* Barbara (1455–1503), married in 1474 [[Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg]].
⚫
* [[Dorotea Gonzaga|Dorotea]] (1449–1467), married to [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]], [[Duke of Milan]].{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
* Lodovico (1458–1511)
* Cecilia (1451–1472), a nun at Santa Chiara di Mantua.{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
⚫
* Paola (1463–1497), married [[Leonhard of Gorizia]].
* [[Rodolfo Gonzaga|Rodolfo]] (1452–1495), Lord of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Solferino, Suzzara and Poviglio;{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}} married firstly {{ill|Antonia Malatesta (1451–1483)|lt=Antonia Malatesta|it|Antonia Malatesta}} daughter of [[Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta]] and then Caterina Pico. His great-grandson was [[Aloysius Gonzaga]].
⚫
* [[Barbara Gonzaga (1455–1503)|Barbara]] (1455–1503), married in 1474 [[Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg]]{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
* Ludovico (1460–1511), Bishop of Mantua.{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
⚫
* Paola (1463–1497), married [[Leonhard of Gorizia|Leonhard, Count of Gorizia]].{{sfn|Antenhofer|2001|p=58}}
<gallery>
File:Federico I Gonzaga.jpg|Portrait of Federico I Gonzaga at the Uffizi, Florence Italy
File:Andrea Mantegna 111.jpg|''[[Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga]]'' by [[Andrea Mantegna]], c. 1461
⚫
File:Gianfrancesco Gonzaga-Rodigo.jpg|Portrait of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga
File:Andrea Mantegna 055 detail.jpg|Barbara Gonzaga
File:Andrea Mantegna 061.jpg|Paola Gonzaga, fresco by [[Andrea Mantegna]], [[Ducal Palace, Mantua]]
</gallery>
In addition, Ludovico III had two illegitimate daughters: Caterina (wife of Gianfrancesco Secco, Conte di Calcio) and Gabriella (wife of Corrado Fogliani, Marchese di Vighizzolo).


It was said that the daughters of Barbara and Ludovico III had hunched backs, that is why Susanna and Dorothea were spurned by [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]], [[Leonhard of Gorizia]] postponed his marriage to Paola due to this and when they eventually married they had one stillborn child as it is thought that this deformity in her made it harder to have children. <ref> Marie Ferranti, ''The Princess of Mantua''. Hesperus Press, 2005.</ref>
It was said that the daughters of Barbara and Ludovico III had hunched backs, that is why Susanna was spurned by [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]] and the marriage with Dorotea was delayed until the Milanese court found that her physical problems aren't so notorious like her oldest sister. [[Leonhard of Gorizia]] also postponed his marriage to Paola due to this and when they eventually married they had one stillborn child as it is thought that this deformity in her made it harder to have children.<ref>[[Marie Ferranti]], ''The Princess of Mantua''. Hesperus Press, 2005.</ref>{{dubious|date=August 2017}}

⚫
==References==
⚫
{{Reflist|2}}


==See also==
==See also==
{{Commons category|Ludovico II and III Gonzaga (1412)}}
{{Commons category|Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua}}
*[[Wars in Lombardy]]
*[[Wars in Lombardy]]

⚫
==References==
⚫
{{Reflist|2}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
*{{cite book |title=A Renaissance Marriage: The Political and Personal Alliance of Isabella d'Este & Francesco Gonzaga, 1490-1519 |first=Carolyn |last=James |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2020 }}
*{{cite book|first=Adelaide |last=Murgia|title=I Gonzaga|location=Milan|publisher=Mondadori|year=1972}}
*{{cite book|first=Adelaide |last=Murgia|title=I Gonzaga|location=Milan|publisher=Mondadori|year=1972}}
*{{cite book |chapter=From Local Signori to European High Nobility: The Gonzaga Family Networks in the Fifteenth Century |first=Christina |last=Antenhofer |title=Transregional and Transnational Families in Europe and Beyond: Experiences |editor-first1=Christopher H. |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first2=David Warren |editor-last2=Sabean |editor-first3=Simon |editor-last3=Teuscher |editor-first4=Francesca |editor-last4=Trivellato |publisher=Berghahn books |year=2001 }}


<BR>
<BR>
Line 70: Line 92:
}}
}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
{{House of Gonzaga}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Gonzaga, Ludovico II, Marquis of Mantua
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = June 5, 1412
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Mantua]]
| DATE OF DEATH = June 12, 1478
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Goito]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Ludovico 02, Marquis of Mantua}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzaga, Ludovico 02, Marquis of Mantua}}
[[Category:1412 births]]
[[Category:1412 births]]
[[Category:1478 deaths]]
[[Category:1478 deaths]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Mantua]]
[[Category:House of Gonzaga|Ludovico 02]]
[[Category:House of Gonzaga|Ludovico 02]]
[[Category:Condottieri]]
[[Category:15th-century condottieri]]
[[Category:Marquesses of Mantua|Ludovico 2]]
[[Category:Marquesses of Mantua|Ludovico 2]]
[[Category:15th-century Italian people]]

Latest revision as of 16:45, 17 July 2024

Ludovico III Gonzaga
Marquis of Mantua
The Court of Mantua, detail:
Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
Born5 June 1412
Mantua, Margravate of Mantua
Died12 June 1478(1478-06-12) (aged 66)
Goito, Margravate of Mantua
Noble familyGonzaga
Spouse(s)Barbara of Brandenburg
IssueFederico I
Francesco
Gianfrancesco
Dorotea
Rodolfo
Barbara
FatherGianfrancesco I Gonzaga
MotherPaola Malatesta

Ludovico III Gonzaga of Mantua, known as the Turk (Italian: il Turco),[1] also spelled Lodovico (also Ludovico II; 5 June 1412 – 12 June 1478) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1444 to his death in 1478.[2]

Biography

[edit]
Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga.

Ludovico was the son of Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga and Paola Malatesta daughter of Malatesta IV Malatesta of Pesaro.[3]

Ludovico followed the path of his father, Gianfrancesco, fighting as a condottiero from as early as 1432, when Gianfrancesco was vice-commander of Francesco Bussone's army.[4] In 1433, he married Barbara of Brandenburg,[3] niece of emperor Sigismund.[4]

Starting from 1436 (perhaps without the approval of his father)[4] he entered the service of the Visconti of the Duchy of Milan. The result was that Gianfrancesco exiled Ludovico from Mantua, together with his wife,[4] naming Carlo Gonzaga as heir. However, in 1438 Gianfrancesco himself was hired by the Visconti, and reconciled with Ludovico in 1441.[4] Ludovico succeeded to the marquisate of Mantua in 1444,[5] although part of the family fiefs went to his brothers Carlo, Gianlucido and Alessandro.[4] At the time, the Mantuan state was reduced in size and was in poor condition after years of war and large expenses.[4]

From 1445 to 1450 Ludovico served as condottiero for Milan, Florence, Venice, and Naples, switching his allegiance to grant a higher level of peace for his lands.[4] In 1448 he took part in the battle of Caravaggio, and was forced to flee. In 1449 he entered the service of Venice in the league formed with Florence against Milan. In 1450 he received permission to lead an army for King Alfonso of Naples in Lombardy, with the intent of gaining some possessions for himself. However, Francesco Sforza, the new Duke of Milan, enticed him into an alliance with the promise of turning over to him Lonato, Peschiera and Asola, formerly Mantuan territories but then part of Venice. Venice responded by sacking Castiglione delle Stiviere (1452) and hiring Ludovico's brother, Carlo.[5]

Carlo Gonzaga invaded his brother Ludovico's Mantuan territories on 9 March 1453 with 4,000 soldiers, seizing Castelbelforte (then known as Castelbonafisso) and Bigarello. Ludovico gathered an army of 3,000 horse and 500 infantry and along with a detachment of Milanese troops led by the condottiere Tiberio Brandolini defeated Carlo at Castellaro Lagusello near Monzambano. Ludovico then pursued the retreating Carlo across the river Adige and on 14 June 1453 routed the troops of Carlo Gonzaga at Villabona near Goito.[6] Venetian troops under Niccolò Piccinino however thwarted his attempt to regain Asola. The Peace of Lodi (1454) obliged Ludovico to give back all his conquests, and to renounce definitively his claim to the three cities.[5] However, he obtained his brother's land after Carlo's childless death in 1456.

Medal of Ludovico III Gonzaga (1475).

The moment of highest prestige for Mantua was the Council, held in the city from 27 May 1459 to 19 January 1460, summoned by Pope Pius II to launch a crusade against the Ottoman Turks, who had conquered Constantinople some years earlier.[7] However, the pope was not satisfied with the host city, writing: "The place was marshy and unhealthy, and the heat burnt up everything; the wine was unpalatable and the food unpleasant." However, the council ended on a note of great personal prestige for Ludovico with the elevation of his son Francesco to the purple.[8]

From 1466 Ludovico was more or less constantly at the service of the Sforza of Milan. He died in Goito in 1478, during a plague. He was buried in Mantua cathedral.[5]

Bildung

[edit]
Medal by Pisanello, c. 1447

On the orders of his father, Ludovico's education had been entrusted to the humanist Vittorino da Feltre. Vittorino undertook "the difficult enterprise in the interests of the commonwealth for... the education of a good prince would benefit the people he ruled." The teaching was markedly moral and religious and contained a "vein of laical asceticism almost." This, argues the arts scholar Franco Borsi, explains not only Ludovico's religious faith that led him to found churches and host Pius II's Council, but also his concern for a humanistic culture and the growth in public works throughout the city, from the paving of the streets and building of a clock tower to the reorganization of the city centre.[8] Among the famous humanists invited to the city was the Genoese scholar Leon Battista Alberti, who designed the San Sebastiano church and the San' Andrea church. Also, in 1460, Ludovico appointed Andrea Mantegna as court artist to the Gonzaga family.

Ludovico is featured in the Treatise on Architecture, from c. 1465, by the Florentine sculptor-architect Antonio di Pietro Averlino (c. 1400 – c. 1469), better known as Filarete.[9] The treatise takes the format of a Platonic dialogue, featuring an unnamed architect (evidently Filarete himself) who is building a new city for a princely patron (evidently Francesco Sforza of Milan). During the dialogue interspersing the treatise they are visited by another lord, in the figure of Ludovico: his role in the dialogue is to persuade Sforza that he has seen the error of his ways in showing favour to "modern architecture", by which is meant Gothic architecture, and, having seen the architecture of antiquity in Rome, now favours such architecture instead, which is also what Filarete is also trying to persuade his patron.[citation needed]

Children

[edit]
The Court of Mantua. At the left, Ludovico II Gonzaga. Besides him his wife Barbara von Brandenburg and their siblings Ludovico Gonzaga, Paola Gonzaga and Rodolfo Gonzaga.

Ludovico III and Barbara had fourteen children:

In addition, Ludovico III had two illegitimate daughters: Caterina (wife of Gianfrancesco Secco, Conte di Calcio) and Gabriella (wife of Corrado Fogliani, Marchese di Vighizzolo).

It was said that the daughters of Barbara and Ludovico III had hunched backs, that is why Susanna was spurned by Galeazzo Maria Sforza and the marriage with Dorotea was delayed until the Milanese court found that her physical problems aren't so notorious like her oldest sister. Leonhard of Gorizia also postponed his marriage to Paola due to this and when they eventually married they had one stillborn child as it is thought that this deformity in her made it harder to have children.[11][dubious – discuss]

See also

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ U. Benigni (1913). "Diocese of Mantua" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  2. ^ Coniglio, Giuseppe (1967). I Gonzaga. Varese: Dall'Oglio.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Antenhofer 2001, p. 58.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Lazzarini, Isabella. "LUDOVICO III Gonzaga, marchese di Mantova". Istituto Enciclopedico Italiano. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Damiani, Roberto (17 January 2011). "Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550" [Biographical Notes of the War Captains and Commanders of Ventura operating in Italy in 1330 - 1550]. Condottieri di ventura (in Italian). Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011. Translate this Italian web page to English
  6. ^ Volta, L.C. Compendio cronologico-critico della Storia di Mantova, dalla sua fondazione sino ai nostri tempi Mantova: Francesco Agazzi, 1827, 135.
  7. ^ salvatores. "Biblioteca Teresiana - Viewer". bibliotecateresiana.it. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  8. ^ a b Borsi, Franco (1977). Leon Battista Alberti. New York: Harper & Row.
  9. ^ Filarete's Treatise on Architecture; Being the Treatise by Antonio di Piero Averlino, Known as Filarete. Translated with an Introduction by John R. Spencer. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965.
  10. ^ James 2020, p. xvi.
  11. ^ Marie Ferranti, The Princess of Mantua. Hesperus Press, 2005.

Sources

[edit]
  • James, Carolyn (2020). A Renaissance Marriage: The Political and Personal Alliance of Isabella d'Este & Francesco Gonzaga, 1490-1519. Oxford University Press.
  • Murgia, Adelaide (1972). I Gonzaga. Milan: Mondadori.
  • Antenhofer, Christina (2001). "From Local Signori to European High Nobility: The Gonzaga Family Networks in the Fifteenth Century". In Johnson, Christopher H.; Sabean, David Warren; Teuscher, Simon; Trivellato, Francesca (eds.). Transregional and Transnational Families in Europe and Beyond: Experiences. Berghahn books.


Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
Born: 5 June 1412 Died: 12 June 1478
Preceded by Marquis of Mantua
1444–1478 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ludovico_III_Gonzaga,_Marquis_of_Mantua&oldid=1235090359"