Ferrante III Gonzaga

Ferrante III Gonzaga, was a Duke of Guastalla. He was the son of Cesare II Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla and Duke of Amalfi and Isabella Orsini.

Life

Ferrante succeeded his father in 1632. In 1638 he sold all the minor Neapolitan fiefs and in 1640 also sold the Principality of Molfetta.

Marriage and issue

On 25 June 1647, Ferrante married Princess Margherita d'Este, daughter of Duke Alfonso III d'Este of Modena. They had:

Isabella.
Rinaldo.
Cesare.
Anna Isabella, married in 1670 Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, [Duke of Mantua and Montferrat|Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga], Duke of Mantua and Monferrato.
Maria Vittoria, married in 1679 her cousin Vincenzo Gonzaga.
Vincenzo.

When Ferrante died without surviving male heirs, the Duchy of Guastalla became officially a part of the Duchy of Milan. It was ruled by his daughter Anna's husband, Ferdinando Carlo of Mantua from 1678 to 1692. Due to Austrian intervention, the Duchy then passed to his daughter Maria's husband, Vincenzo Gonzaga.