Federico II Gonzaga
Son of Francesco II and Isabella d'Este, Federico II Gonzaga elevated Mantua to a full duchy through his close alliance with Emperor Charles V, who bestowed the ducal title in 1530. Federico was the principal patron of Giulio Romano, who transformed the Palazzo Te into one of the great Mannerist masterpieces of the 16th century. He was also the lover of Isabella Boschetti and a skilled political survivor during the catastrophic Italian Wars that consumed his generation.
- Nationality: Italian
- Roles: duke, patron of arts
