Mantua

During the Renaissance, the fortunes of the northern Italian city of Mantua often reflected the history of one family, the House of Gonzaga. Members of this family ruled Mantua from 1328—when they first seized control of the government—to 1707. In the 1300s and 1400s, Mantua faced threats from the neighboring cities of Venice and Milan. The Gonzaga, especially Ludovico II (1412–1478), managed to steer Mantua through this difficult period and to maintain the city's independence with well-timed alliances and military assistance.

During the late 1400s and the 1500s, Mantua became involved in a struggle between competing European interests. Two powerful families, the Habsburgs of Austria and Spain and the Valois of France, fought for control of northern Italy. In 1495 Francisco II Gonzaga (1466–1519) helped drive the French from Italy. Under another Gonzaga ruler, Frederico II (1500–1540), Mantua established close ties with the Habsburgs.

Mantua became an important cultural center during the Renaissance, and the Gonzaga invited many scholars and artists to the city. The humanist* Vittorino da Feltre (1378–1446) established a school in Mantua that became a model for later humanist schools. Antonio Pisanello and Andrea Mantegna were among the numerous artists who worked in the city. The Gonzaga also asked the Italian architect Leon Battista Alberti to design two churches, including San Sebastiano.

Mantua played a significant role in Renaissance religious history as well. Many members of the Gonzaga family served as bishops and cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, and during their long involvement they had considerable influence on papal* policies. In 1562–1563 Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga acted as president and papal representative at an important meeting of Catholic leaders, the Council of Trent.

(See alsoItaly. )

* humanist

Renaissance expert in the humanities (the languages, literature, history, and speech and writing techniques of ancient Greece and Rome)

* papal

referring to the office and authority of the pope