Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua
| Guglielmo Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
 Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua | |
| Duke of Mantua (as Guglielmo) Duke of Montferrat (as Guglielmo X) | |
| Reign | 1550 - 1587 |
| Predecessor | Francesco III Gonzaga |
| Successor | Vincenzo I Gonzaga |
| Born |
24 April 1538 Mantua |
| Died |
14 August 1587 (aged 49) Goito |
| Spouse | Eleonora of Austria |
| Issue |
Vincenzo I, Duke of Mantua Margherita Gonzaga Anna Caterina Gonzaga |
| Father | Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua |
| Mother | Margaret Palaeologina |
Guglielmo Gonzaga (24 April 1538 – 14 August 1587) was Duke of Mantua and Montferrat from 1550 to 1587. He was the second son of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Margaret Palaeologina of Montferrat. In 1574, Montferrat was elevated to a Duchy and he became its first duke. He was succeeded by his son Vincenzo.
Patron of music
Guglielmo was particularly interested in sacred vocal music, and is known particularly to music historians for his extensive correspondence with the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. He built a large new church in Mantua, dedicated to Santa Barbara. He engaged in an unprecedented negotiation with the Papacy to create his own rite for Mantua, and devoted considerable resources to developing a musical repertoire for the church, commissioning works by Giaches de Wert and Palestrina. Part of his correspondence with Palestrina discusses the work commissioned in detail, stipulating Guglielmo's requirements, and therefore giving a sense of his musical preferences. Guglielmo's musical tastes were conservative for the day. He enjoyed imitative contrapuntal music but was concerned to maintain clarity of text, thereby showing the influence of Tridentine reforms. Upon his death, his son Vincent invited followers of the more modern trends to his court.
Marriage and children
On 26 April 1561 William married Eleonora of Austria, sixth daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. They were parents to three children:
- Vincenzo I (21 September 1562 – 9 February 1612). Married Eleonora de' Medici (Eleanor's niece).
- Margherita Gonzaga (27 May 1564 – 6 January 1618). Married Alfonso II d'Este.
- Anna Caterina Gonzaga (17 January 1566 – 3 August 1621). Married her maternal uncle Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria.
Ancestry
References and further reading
- Iain Fenlon, Music and Patronage in Sixteenth-Century Mantua, Cambridge University Press, 1980. ISBN 0-521-22905-7.
| Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua Born: 24 April 1538 Died: 14 August 1587 | ||
| Preceded by Francesco III |
Duke of Mantua 1550–1587 |
Succeeded by Vincenzo I |
| Marquess and Duke of Montferrat 1550–1575–1587 | ||
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