Mantua Raised to Duchy
The Gonzaga family had ruled Mantua as marquises since 1328; in 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V elevated Mantua to a duchy and Federico II Gonzaga to duke, consolidating the family's status among Italy's sovereign rulers. The Gonzaga court was one of the Renaissance's most significant cultural patrons: Mantegna had served as court painter from 1460, and the Palazzo Te — the pleasure palace Federico commissioned from Giulio Romano, begun in 1524 — was one of the most influential Mannerist buildings of the 16th century. The duchy remained in Gonzaga hands until the extinction of the male line in 1627, triggering the War of the Mantuan Succession.
- Year: 1530 CE
