Louis III of Mantoue

Louis III Gonzague , in Italian Ludovico III Gonzaga , was a noble Italian born the June 5th 1414 with Mantoue and dead the June 12th 1478 with Goito. It was the second marquis de Mantoue (area of Lombardy in Italy).

Biography

Louis, oldest son of Jean-François de Mantoue and Paola Malatesta, is 30 years old when his/her father dies in 1444.

Following the example his father, Louis will have a long time tergiversations as for alliances which it must preserve. Before being a marquis de Mantoue, undoubtedly under the influence of his mother, a family of obedience guelfe , Louis lines up at the sides of Venice. Then, in 1437, it is made gibelin while entering to the service of the duke of Milan, Philippe Marie Visconti. It will be the source of a disagreement with his/her father who will go until disinheriting it, until in 1440, year when his/her father also lines up Milanese side.

Once marquis de Mantoue, Louis will maintain a scientist balances relations between Milan and Venice, the duchy of Mantoue being located between the duchy of Milan at the west and the Republic of Venice to the est.
Starting from 1447, year of the death of Philippe Marie Visconti, will open one period of controversies and wars about the succession of the duchy of Milan between Sforza, Orleans and Naples while the Milaneses themselves found the République Ambrosienne which sees Venice leaving in war against her. Milan engages the condottiere François Sforza (one of the applicants) for the défendre.
Louis III will remain relatively apart from these conflicts, contrary to his brother Charles: this one engages initially at the sides of François Sforza in defense of Milan against Venice, then while remaining Milanese leaves it and while becoming general captain of the people in October 1448, when Sforza joins in Venice, and finally joined it again, in September 1449, when the government guelfe of Milan passes the gibelins by the armes.
An ultimate Milanese popular revolt which had with the famine and a triumphal entry (with vivres) of the condottiere Sforza, in March 1450, will bring the advent of François Ier Sforza, new duke of Milan, and a precarious peace reviendra.
The Venetian ones will seek however with détrôner Sforza because it did not respect the pact of division of the duchy of Milan of October 1448, and will league with the duke of Savoy Louis I {{er}}, the marquis de Montferrat Jean IV and the king of Deux-Siciles Alphonse V. In front of this threatening attitude, a coalition will be created between Florence with the large-duke of Tuscany Cosme I {{er}} of Médicis, Milan with the duke François Ier Sforza, Genoa with the doge Pierre II of Campo Fregoso, and Mantoue with the marquis Louis III.

In 1453, occurs an major event in the history of the Christendom which makes the effect of a bomb at least on the Italian peninsula: the Fall of Constantinople. The Christian States will have to tighten the rows vis-a-vis the Turks which have from now on the freehands in the Mediterranean. Greatest concern is for the Venetian ones whose merchant fleet will be confronted with the vessels Turkish. To be able to make face with this common enemy, it will be necessary that the states of septentrional Italy put a term at the internal quarrels and the pope calls some with peace. It will be the object of the Paix of Lodi in 1454 implemented by the Pope Nicolas V. Louis, who will be one of the signatories, will leave there disappointed because he hoped for some territorial enlarging of it; in fact, this peace devotes the preeminence of the three great States of north, Venice, Milan and Florence. Its great benefit is to bring the calm one in all the région.
From May 1459 at January 1460, the pope Pie II organizes a Concile in the town of Mantoue, with an aim of organizing a crusade against the Turks and of taking again Constantinople. It will fail but Mantoue will leave there grown thanks to the hospitality which Mantouans will have made watch with regard to the participants and the brother of Louis, Francesco, will be entitled to the crimson cardinalice. Louis marked his time, the Quattrocento like a very important patron: during its government, Mantoue will become one of more important artistic centers of the Renaissance in Italy. Leone Battista Alberti will be called to build the churches Sant' Andrea and San Sebastiano. Andrea Mantegna will celebrate the records of the court of Louis in the frescos of the Chambre of the Husbands to the ducal Palate and quantity of other works which will hold it attached to Mantoue for almost fifty years.

Of the three brothers of Louis who inherited the paternal strongholds, the youngest child, Gianlucido, are deceased without descent in 1448 and its goods returned to Louis; the junior, Charles de Sabbioneta, is deceased in 1456 and bequeathed his goods to his son Ugolotto; puîné, Alexandre de Castiglione, is deceased without male descent in 1466 and its goods returned to Louis. The son of Charles, Ugolotto, is also deceased and its goods returned to Louis who finds himself thus in possession of all the heritage of his father that it will distribute between three of his sons.

Descent

As envisaged between his/her father and the emperor Sigismond I {{er}}, Louis III Maria thus, in 1433, with Barbara de Brandebourg, girl of Jean IV of Brandebourg-Külmbach known as the Alchemist (wire of Frederic I {{er}} of Brandebourg, prince-voter of Brandebourg) and of Barbara of Saxony-Wittenberg. They had eleven children:

Frederic which will be the 3rd marquis de Mantoue, titrated Frederic Ier;
Francesco (1444-1483) which will become bishop of Bressanone and of cardinal Mantoue then;
Jean-François which will inherit the seigniories of Sabbioneta and of Bozzolo;
Cecilia (NC-1474) which will be nun with Mantoue;
Susanna (1447-1481) which will be also nun with Mantoue;
Dorothée (1449-1467) which will marry in 1466 Galéas Marie Sforza, sons of François Ier Sforza and future duke of Milan;
Rodolphe which will be lord of the strongholds of Castiglione delle Stiviere, of Solférino, Luzzara and Poviglio;
Barbara (1455-1503) which will marry Eberhard I {{er}}, duke of Wurtemberg;
Lodovico (1458-1511) which will be bishop of Mantoue;
Paolina (1464-Ca 1495) which will marry, in 1476, Léonard Gustave Ier de Görz;
Gabriella which will marry Corrado Fogliano.

Louis III is deceased in 1478, at the 64 years age, following an epidemic of plague which decimated more half of the population mantouane.

See too

House Gonzague
List of the dukes of Mantoue

External bonds

Itis.mn.it : Ludovico II - Secondo marchese di Mantova
Sardimpex.com: Gonzaga - Marchesi E Duchi sovrani di Mantova
Genealogy.euweb.cz: Gonzaga family

Gallery

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