Guido Sforza Gonzaga Explained

Guido Sforza Gonzaga (1552 – 23 February 1607) was an Italian nobleman and prince of the Holy Roman Empire.^[1]

Life

He was a son of marquis Sigismondo II Gonzaga and Lavinia Rangoni, meaning that he belonged to the Marchesi or Vescovato cadet branch of the House of Gonzaga, a branch that originated with Giovanni Gonzaga, lord of Vescovato.^[2]

Guido served as Grand Chamberlain to Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, then the same duke's ambassador to Maximilian II. He also fought against the Ottoman Empire in Hungary.

Marriage and issue

He and his wife Elena Campiglia (?-1596) had eight children:

• Eleonora (1591-?)
• Elena, became a nun
• Pirro Maria (1590–1628)
• Sigismonda (1587–1595)
• Elisabetta (1591-?)
• Giuliana (1593–1599)
• Caterina (1589–1609), became a nun
• Laura (1595-?)

References

1. Giuseppe Amadei and Ercolano Marani (editors), I ritratti gonzagheschi della collezione di Ambras, Mantova, 1980.
2. Pompeo Litta, Famiglie celebri d'Italia. Gonzaga di Mantova, Torino, 1835