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Vincenzo Gonzaga (1634 – 28 April 1714) was the reigningDuke of Guastalla and by birth member of theHouse of Gonzaga.
Vincenzo was born as the second son ofAndrea Gonzaga, Count of San Paolo (d. 1686) and his wife, Laura Crispano dei marchesi di Fusara.[1] He was also paternal grandson ofFerrante II Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla his wife,Donna VittoriaDoria, daughter ofGiovanni Andrea Doria, 8thPrince of Melfi.
When Duke Ferrante III of Guastalla died in 1678 without a male heir, Guastalla was ruled byFerdinando Carlo, Duke of Mantua, who had married PrincessAnna Isabella Gonzaga, Duke Ferrante III's oldest daughter. In 1692, the reigning Duke of Guastalla was accused of felony, andEmperor Leopold I gave Guastalla and its territories to Vincenzo Gonzaga, who became the newDuke of Guastalla.
Vincenzo married firstly toDonna PorziaGuidi di Bagno (d. 1672), who was also his first cousin as daughter of NicolaMarquis of Bagno and Montebello by his aunt, Princess Teodora Gonzaga of Guastalla.
After the death of his first wife, Vincenzo married to another relative, Princess Maria VittoriaGonzaga di Guastalla (1659–1707), the youngest daughter of his cousin, DukeFerrante III Gonzaga of Guastalla (1618-1678) and his wife, Princess Margheritad’Este ofModena (1619-1692).[1]
The marriage was supported bySpain and was arranged as an effort to deposeFerdinando Carlo Gonzaga,the husband of his wife's sister Anna Isabella. Ferdinando Carlo had with the support of Emperor Leopold taken control overMantua after Maria Vittoria's father's death. Through Vincenzos being a close relative of Ferrante and through his marriage to an heir Maria Vittoria , her new husband would have a stronger claim on Mantua and Spain would gain an important ally once Vincenzo became the new duke of Mantua.
The couple were married in September, 1679[2] and Vincenzo proclaimed himselfDuke of Guastalla. Mantua protested, after which Spain intervened and threatened Mantua. In 1691, Spain attacked Mantua, and Ferdinando Carlo fled to Venice with his ministers. Mantua defended itself against Spain and Vincenzo was forced to give up his claim.
Maria Vittoria had been rejected as a bride for the widowed Emperor Leopold,[2] because she was thought to be "delicate"[2] to be able give birth to any children. Nevertheless Vincenzo and Maria Vittoria would go on to have three children.
Vincenzo Gonzaga inherited in 1707Bozzolo andPomponesco, and in 1710Sabbioneta.
| Preceded by | Duke of Guastalla 1692–1714 | Succeeded by |
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