Francesco III Gonzaga

Francesco III Gonzaga (10 March 1533 – 22 February 1550) was Duke of Mantua and Marquess of Montferrat from 1540 until his death. He was the eldest son of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and his wife Margaret Paleologina.^[1]

Francesco III Gonzaga
Duke of Mantua Marquess of Montferrat
Reign	28 June 1540 – 21 February 1550
Predecessor	Federico II Gonzaga
Successor	Guglielmo I Gonzaga
Born	10 March 1533 Mantua, Duchy of Mantua
Died	22 February 1550(1550-02-22) (aged 16) Mantua, Duchy of Mantua
Spouse	Catherine of Austria (m. 1549–50; his death)
House	House of Gonzaga
Father	Federico II Gonzaga
Mother	Margaret Paleologina

Life

On 22 October 1549, he married Catherine of Habsburg, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I.^[1] The marriage lasted only four months, as Francesco died of pneumonia on 21 February 1550, after falling into one of Mantua's lakes during a hunt. The widowed Catherine returned home to Innsbruck. The Habsburgs claimed that the marriage was not consummated to increase Catherine's chances for a better second marriage.

Honours

• Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece