Margarita Dei Paleologi di Monferrato

Frederick had signed a marriage contract with the heir to the Marquisate of Monteferrat, Maria Palaeologina. When Maria died, he was able to marry her sister Margaret on November 16, 1531. At the death of the last legitimate male heir of the Palaiologos family, Giovanni Giorgio (1533), the marquisate of Montferrat passed to the Gonzaga, who held it until the 18th century.

Frederick and Margaret were parents to seven children:

Eleonora Gonzaga.

Anna Gonzaga.

Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua (March 10, 1532 - February 22, 1550).

Isabella Gonzaga. Married Fernando Francesco d'Ávalos.

Guglielmo I of Gonzaga (April 24, 1538 - August 14, 1587).

Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers (October 22, 1539 - October 23, 1595). Father of Charles I, Duke of Mantua.

Federico, Cardinal Gonzaga (1540 - February 21, 1565).

Guglielmo I Gonzaga

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guglielmo (William) I Gonzaga (24 April 1538-14 August 1587) was Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (as Guglielmo X of Monferrato) from 1550 to 1587.

He was the second son of Federico II Gonzaga of Mantua and Margaret Palaeologina of Montferrat.

Anne of Alençon

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In 1517, her eldest daughter, Maria, was betrothed to Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este, who later became Marquis and Duke of Mantua. The marriage contract was annulled, however, after Federico accused Maria of attempting to poison his mistress Isabella Boschetti, wife of the Count of Calvisano.

On the death of William in 1518, the infant Boniface inherited the Marquisate. Anne, however, acted as regent until his unexpected death in June 1530 and she remained involved in the government of Montferrat when Boniface was succeeded as Marquis by her brother-in-law John George, previously commendatory abbot of Lucedio and (unconsecrated) Bishop of Casale.

Boniface’s death also rekindled Federico II Gonzaga’s interest in marrying Maria. On the latter’s unexpected death in September 1530 his attentions turned to the second daughter, Margherita. Having weighed up the various proposals for Margherita’s hand, Anne opted for the link with the House of Gonzaga and the marriage was concluded in October 1531.

In 1533 the Marquis John George died, leaving one natural son, but no heir. A dispute over the succession to the Marquisate, an imperial fiefdom, ensued, the contenders being the Gonzaga, the Marquis of Saluzzo and the House of Savoy, all of whom were able to make plausible claims. Meanwhile the Montferrat was effectively under Spanish domination. In 1536 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor assigned the fiefdom to Margherita Paleologa and her husband, Federico II, Duke of Mantua. Anne, however, returned as de facto ruler. In 1540 Federico II died at Marmirolo and was succeeded by his seven year old son Francesco as Marquis of Montferrat and Duke of Mantua. Margherita Paleologo Gonzaga became regent, together with her brother-in-law Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga.