Marie de Mantoue

Marie de Mantoue was a noble Italy of the Maison Gonzague, born the July 29th 1609 with Mantoue (Lombardy, Italy) and dead the August 14th 1660 with Mantoue.

Marie was the elder one of the three children of François IV, duke of Mantoue and of Montferrat and Marguerite of Savoy, itself girl of Charles-Emmanuel I {{er}}, duke of Savoy.
His/her brother and sister died very young people and it found, at 3 years, single heiress of its father when this one died in 1612, 26 years old after only 10 months of reign. His/her uncle Ferdinand took the succession of François IV and died in 1626 without postérité.
Its second uncle, Vincent II, succeeded Ferdinand. Its reign, hardly longer than that of the older brother, did not last who 14 month. From a health already staggering and without posterity also, it will manage its succession by organizing the marriage of Marie with Charles III, duke of Mayenne and of Pivot and heir in title to the branch known as to Nevers to the Gonzague family. Vincent and Charles had the same great-grandfather Frederic II and it was that Marie and Charles had the same age, being both born in 1609.
The marriage took place the December 26th 1627 with Mantoue and, according to certain sources, secretly. Toulours is it that Vincent II died a few hours after this célébration.
A storm broke out following this death. It should be said that the succession of Vincent II was prone to controversies and appetites of conquests, so much so that she brought together on a conflict known under the name of War of succession of Mantoue. The pope Clement VII and the King de France Louis XIII supported the Nevers while the Empereur Ferdinand II, the king d' Espagne Philippe IV and the duke of Savoy Charles-Emmanuel I {{er}} supported Ferdinand II, of the line of the Gonzague de Guastalla. The duke of Savoy had, as for him, an eye of covetousness on the duchy of Montferrat.
The war lasted three years and half. The father of the young groom, Charles, already duke of Nevers, of Rethel and prince d' Arches and installed in Mantoue with the title of Charles I {{er}}, duke of Mantoue and of Montferrat, could not prevent invasion and the setting with bag of the city mantouane by the Spanish troops in 1630. The Treated of Cherasco in April or June 1631 confirmed the sovereignty of the Nevers on the duchies of Mantoue and Montferrat.
Charles de Mayenne, the husband of Marie, thus becomes the heir to the whole of the strongholds of his father, Nevers knowledge, Rethel, Mantoue, Montferrat and Arches.

But in August 1631, Marie will be found widowed with three children:

Éléonore de Mayenne (1628-1686), which will marry, in 1651, Ferdinand III of Habsbourg (1608-1657), king de Hongrie and of Bohemia, Germanic emperor
Marie
Charles (1629-1665) which will succeed, in 1632, with his/her uncle Ferdinand like duke of Mayenne and Pivot and in 1637 with his/her grandfather like 9th duke of Mantoue, 7th duke of Montferrat, duke of Nevers and Rethel and prince d' Arches

Marie will ensure the regency of the goods of her son until in 1647, year 18 years of Charles, that is to say during about fifteen years, and will die in 1660, 51 years old.

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