Charles Ier de Mantoue

Charles 1st Gonzague , in Italian Carlo I Gonzaga , was a prince free - Italy N born on May 6th, 1580 with Paris (France) and deceased on June 14th, 1637 with Mantoue (Italy), at the 57 years age.

It was:

  • duke of Nevers under the title of Charles of Nevers in 1595 with died of his/her father,
  • duke of Rethel under the title of Charles de Rethel in 1595 with died of his/her father,
  • prince of Arches-Charleville under the title of Prince Charles 1st of Arches in 1608,
  • duke of Mantoue under the title of Charles 1st of Mantoue in 1627 with died of its distant cousin Vincent {{II}},
  • duke of Montferrat under the title of Charles 1st of Montferrat , at the same time.

Biography

Grandson of Frederic {{II}}, duke of Mantoue, wire of Louis Gonzague, prince de Mantoue and of Henriette de Clèves duchess of Nevers, countess of Rethel, Charles was born in Paris in the hotel from Nevers. Fortunate, relative of Henri {{IV}} (they had the same grandfather Charles {{IV}}) and several sovereign houses, it receives a solid education as well intellectual as military.

Having reached the thirteen years age and carrying the Title of courtesy of duke Charles of Nevers, it accompanies his father in embassy near the pope Clément {{VIII}} and at the time of visiting the courses of Rome, Florence and made knowledge with Mantoue where reign his cousin Vincent {{Ier}}.

At 15 years, in 1595, to carry help to Jean de Montluc, governor of Cambric, it enters the city besieged by Louis de Berlaimont and of the Spanish troops, with a force of 450 riders. The city will fall nevertheless to the hands from besieging.

Little time after, on October 23rd, 1595, Louis dies with Nesle and Charles finds duke of Nevers and full Rethel.

He marries, on February 1st, 1599, with Soissons, Catherine de Mayenne, girl of Charles {{II}}, duke of Mayenne and Bar ( Mayenne celebrates it which was opposed to Henri {{IV}}) and of Henriette of Savoy-Villars. They will have six children together:

  • François, born on June 17th, 1606, which will carry, to leave to its majority in 1619 (thirteen years) the Titer courtesy duke François de Rethel and will die on October 13rd, 1622 at the sixteen years age;
  • Charles, born in 1609, which will become in 1621, with died of his/her uncle Henri, brother of his mother, duke of Mayenne under the title of Charles de Mayenne, will take again in 1622, with died of his/her older brother, the title of courtesy of duke Charles V of Rethel and will die in 1631 at the 22 years age;
  • Ferdinand, born in 1610, which will become, in 1631, with died of his/her Charles brother, duke of Mayenne under the title of Ferdinand de Mayenne and will die in 1632 at the 22 years age;
  • Marie Louise, born in 1611, which will marry successively two kings de Pologne, Ladislas {{IV}} of which it will be widowed then her half-brother Jean {{II}} and will die in 1667 at the 56 years age;
  • Bénédicte, born in 1614, which will pronounce its wishes in 1633, will become abess of Avenay close to Épernay (current department of the Marne, France) and will die on December 20th, 1637 at the 23 years age;
  • Anne-Marie of Mantoue, born in 1616, which will marry in 1639 Henri {{II}} of Own way, grandson of famous Gash assassinated on order of king Henri {{III}}, she will divorce in 1641 for remarier Edouard Bavaria (Pfalz-Simmern) with which she will have a many posterity with unions at many noble houses of Europe, and will die in 1684 at the 68 years age.

It takes time to furrow Europe somewhat, visiting with many courses sovereign, being informed with the passage on art of the war: it will be the Flanders, the England, the Holland, the Frise, the Hanover, the Denmark, the Poméranie, the Brandebourg, the Saxony, the Bohemia, the Poland and the Austria which will be thus visited. It will take part, in October 1602, at the side of the imperial troops, a seat of the town of Buda in Hungary held by the Turkish troops , seat during which it will be wounded, which will put a term at its voyage and will bring back it to France.

During its peregrinations, on June 24th, 1601, Henriette, mother of Charles, dies with Paris in its hotel of Nevers.

Charles and Catherine are sincerely pious. In attest their quasi-frenzy of creation of pious foundations, abbeys, monasteries, colleges or hospital, the disappointed projects of crusade however or the death of Charles vêtu as a monk Franciscain in 1637.

May 6th, 1606, the very same day of its 26 years, it makes begin work of what will become Charles-city. The selected place is located on its duchy of Rethel, to approximately 45 km in the north of this city, in a loop of the Meuse just opposite the citadel of Wall. Nearly 35 years of work will be necessary to make of it a city worthy of this name. However, as of 1608, it makes of it the capital of its glorious Principauté of Arches.

However, the thirteen years which will follow will be, for the couple but especially for Catherine, a dark period of consecutive deaths:

The December 26th 1627, takes place with Mantoue the marriage of his/her son heir Charles (Francois, the elder one, is deceased in 1622) with Marie, girl of François {{IV}}. The marriage was envisaged and arranged by the reigning duke, Vincent {{II}} which, undoubtedly anxious of the succession of the duchies of Mantoue and Montferrat, sees the occasion there to give one following its reign. His father Vincent {{Ier}} and the father of the groom was cousins, Marie is his niece, the girl of his François brother. But, the very same day of this marriage, Vincent dies, thus opening the succession of the duchy of Mantoue. Consequently will break out all the appetites: on a side, the Emperor Ferdinand {{III}} wishes to install on this vacant throne Ferdinand {{II}}, duke of Guastalla which is faithful for him and the duke of Savoy, Charles-Emmanuel {{Ier}}, combined with the Emperor, which hopes to annex the Montferrat, and on another side, Charles which is regarded as more the close relative of Vincent and wants to take his succession, constant by the king Louis {{XIII}} which defends its faithful duke of Nevers. With all that, the pope Urbain {{VIII}} mingles which is opposed to the Emperor and defends Charles. A new episode of the fight of the Guelfes (in favor of Papacy) against the Gibelins (in favor of the Emperor) opens, on bottom of Thirty Year old Guerre. As of 1628, the imperial troops seize Mantoue: begin the War of succession of Mantoue. The final treaty of Cherasco will be signed on April 6th, 1631 which will confirm Charles with the head of the duchies of Mantoue and Montferrat, while Savoy adapts part of this last.

In his turn, Charles is struck in his family:

Its grandson Charles, wire of puîné Charles, born in 1629 is the only male descent which remains in Charles.

Consequently, divided between its Italian duchies and its of the Ardennes principality, it will devote its energy to manage the first and to continue the construction of Charles-city.

Charles dies on June 14th, 1637 in his ducal palate of Mantoue. All its life, it will have shown the image of a prince-soldier of the Renaissance carrying out large train, believing, will have cultivated and builder.

The succession of Charles will be assumed by his grandson Charles who will join together the five ducal titles of his ascent, Nevers, Rethel, Mayenne, Mantoue, Montferrat, Richelieu having joined together the duchy of Pivot to the crown of France. He will also inherit the principality of Arches of which he will be the 2nd prince.

Genealogy

  • genealogical Wink : Charles 1st of Mantoue and Catherine de Mayenne are respectively the numbers of Sosa 126 and 127 in the ascent of Louis {{XIV}}, i.e. his back-back-back-back-large-parents (7th generation).

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