Francesco IV of Gonzaga
| Francesco IV Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
Francesco IV Gonzaga
|
|
| Duke of Mantua and Montferrat | |
| Reign | 1612 |
| Predecessor | Vincenzo I Gonzaga |
| Successor | Ferdinando Gonzaga |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret of Savoy |
| Issue | |
| Noble family | House of Gonzaga |
| Father | Vincenzo I Gonzaga |
| Mother | Eleonora de' Medici |
| Born |
7 May 1586 Mantua |
| Died | 22 December 1612 (aged 26) Mantua |
Francesco IV Gonzaga (7 May 1586 – 22 December 1612), was Duke of Mantua and (as Francesco II) Duke of Montferrat between 9 February and 22 December 1612.
Born in Mantua, he was the eldest son of Duke Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medici.
In 1607, Claudio Monteverdi dedicated his opera L'Orfeo to Francesco. The title page of the opera bears the dedication "Al serenissimo signor D. Francesco Gonzaga, Prencipe di Mantoua, & di Monferato, &c."
Francesco became Duke upon his father's death on 9 February 1612. He died at Mantua on 22 December 1612 without male heirs. He was succeeded by his brother Ferdinand.
On 19 February 1608 he married in Turin, Margaret of Savoy (1589–1655), daughter of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. They had three children (one son and two daughters), only one of whom survived into adulthood:
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