Charles III Ferdinand de Mantoue

Charles III Ferdinand Gonzague , in Italian Carlo III Ferdinando or Ferdinando Carlo I Gonzaga , was a noble free - Italian born the August 31st 1652 with Revere and dead the July 5th 1708 with Vérone. It was the tenth duke of Mantoue (area of Lombardy in Italy) and the eighth duke of Montferrat (area of the Piedmont), as well as the 3 {{E}} prince d' Arches.
He was also count of Rodigo and Rivalta under supervision of the Empire.

Charles Ferdinand, only sons of Charles II of Mantoue and Isabelle Claire of the Tyrol, is 13 years old when it succeeds his father who dies in 1665. His/her Isabelle mother will ensure regency until in 1670, year 18 years of Charles Ferdinand.
It was a prince little broken with the exercise of the capacity, undecided, also excessive in its tastes and its choices which were not always inevitably the goods as well for itself as for the duchy. At least its marriage, arranged by his/her mother, was a good thing because it made it possible to extinguish animosities between the families Gonzague de Mantoue and of Guastalla, animosities which went back to the open confrontation of the War of succession of Mantoue.

In 1670, it thus marries Anne Isabelle (1655-1703), girl and heiress of the 3 {{E}} duke of Guastalla Ferdinand III and of Margherite d' Este, princess of Modena and Reggio. They did not have a enfants.

In 1678, with died of his/her father Ferdinand III, Anne Isabelle became duchess of Guastalla and Charles Ferdinand duke guardian. In 1692, the Empereur Léopold I {{er}} declared the succession of illegitimate Anne Isabelle and conceded the stronghold with his/her cousin and brother-in-law Vincent I {{er}}.

The thirst for glory and famous made him accumulate the errors. Although his/her father left a duchy to bloodless finances to him, it continued to organize entertainments of court and to waste the little of finances available. It even financed, by twice, of forwardings in Turkey.

Widower in 1703, it remaria the November 8th 1704 with Tortona (Montferrat) with Suzanne Henriette (1686-1710), girl of Charles III, duke of Tweed, and Francoise de Montault de Navailles. They did not have children either and separated in 1706. Suzanne Henriette returned to France.

At the time of the War of succession of Spain, in 1701, it had chosen the French party and assumed, for Louis XIV, the title, rather honorary, of General of the French Armies in Italy. Vis-a-vis the imperial troops carried out by Eugene of Savoy-Carignan, it loses, in 1706, the Montferrat that the duke of Savoy Victor-Amédée II occupies. In June 1708, the emperor Léopold I {{er}} confirms the possession of Montferrat by Savoy. With the grounds taken in 1631 at the time of the War of succession of Mantoue, Victor-Amédée finally succeeded in joining together the whole duchy under its autorité.
The same month, the June 30th, under the charge of félonie, the emperor confiscates to him the duchy of Mantoue and the déchoit of his title of Prince of the Holy roman Empire. The duchy will be joined together with that of Milan whose duke is the son of Léopold Ier, the future emperor Charles VI (also claiming with the throne of Spain). All two duchy will form what will be called the Austrian Lombardy (Lombardia austriaca) .

He died six days after having been deposed, the July 5th 1708, 55 years old. Its death put a final point at the sovereignty, which had lasted for almost four centuries, of Gonzague on Mantoue.

See too

House Gonzague
List of the sovereigns of Mantoue
List of the sovereigns of Montferrat
List of the princes d' Arches

External bonds

Itis.mn.it : Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga Nevers - Decimo duca di Mantova, ottavo del Monferrato
Sardimpex.com: Gonzaga - Marchesi E Duchi sovrani di Mantova
Genealogy.euweb.cz: Gonzaga family

Random links: