War of the Montferrat Succession

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War of the Montferrat Succession
Italia 1600.svg
Italy in 1600. Montferrat is portrayed as part of Mantua.
Date1613 – 1617
Location
Northwestern Italy
Result Peace of Pavia
Territorial
changes
None, return to the status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Supporting the Duke of Mantua :
Flag of the Margraviate of Mantua (1328-1575).svg Duchy of Mantua
Flag of Montferrat.svg Montferrat
Bandiera del granducato di Toscana (1562-1737 ).gif Tuscany (1613)
Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg Spanish Empire
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg  France (1613–14)
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (after 1400).svg Holy Roman Empire
Bandera de Napoles - Trastamara.svg Kingdom of Naples
Flag of Genoa.svg  Genoa
Supporting the Duke of Savoy :
Flag of Savoie.svg Duchy of Savoy
Flag of Montferrat.svg Montferrat
Bandiera del granducato di Toscana (1562-1737 ).gif Tuscany (1613)
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg  France (1615–17)
Flag of the Serene Republic of Venice.svg  Venice
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg John Anthony of Levo, prince of Ascoli
Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg Pedro de Toledo Osorio
Flag of the Margraviate of Mantua (1328-1575).svg Mainfroi of Castillon
Flag of the Margraviate of Mantua (1328-1575).svg Charles Gonzaga
Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Flag of Savoie.svg Charles Emmanuel I
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg François of Lesdiguières

The War of the Montferrat Succession (Italian: Guerra di successione del Monferrato) was a war of succession from 1613 to 1617 over the Duchy of Montferrat in northwestern Italy. [1]

Contents

Basackground

The direct cause of the conflict was the death of duke Francesco IV Gonzaga of Montferrat and Mantua on 22 December 1612 without male heirs. His brother Ferdinando Gonzaga was a cardinal, but renounced his ecclesiastical career in order to succeed his brother in both the Duchy of Mantua and the Duchy of Montferrat. However, Francesco's wife Margaret of Savoy was the daughter of duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy, who claimed Montferrat now fell to Maria (daughter of Francesco and Margaret). Charles Emmanuel invoked the treaty of 1 May 1330 on the occasion of the marriage of Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrat, daughter of Theodore I, Marquess of Montferrat, and Argentine Spinola, with Aymon, Count of Savoy. The treaty stipulated that when the male descendants of the marquis of Montferrat went extinct, those of Yolande (and thus the House of Savoy) would succeed in the marquisate, to provide the daughters with money.

The war

Both sides rallied numerous other states to their camps, and the war raged on for four years. Spain and France joined Ferdinando's side, but France would defect to Charles Emmanuel's side in 1615. That year, the Peace of Asti was drawn up between Spain and Savoy, but the treaty was never signed and the war continued. In 1617, agreements signed in Madrid and then at Pavia led to a peace settlement according to which: the Duke of Savoy would contest the succession of Ferdinando through Imperial tribunals and not through war, both Spain and Savoy would disarm, and occupied territories would be restored to Savoy and the Montferrat. Ferdinando was thus ultimately confirmed Duke of Mantua and Montferrat as intended.

Aftermath

When Ferdinando died in 1626, his brother Vincenzo II (1594–1627), also a cardinal, succeeded him as Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Despite marrying, following the resignation of Ferdinando and the expulsion of Vincenzo from the Sacred College of Cardinals (for violating the celibacy), neither produced any legitimate children. A new crisis erupted when Vincenzo II died on 26 December 1627, leading to the War of the Mantuan Succession (1627–1632).

Battles

References

  1. Alfani, Guido (2013). Calamities and the Economy in Renaissance Italy: The Grand Tour of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Springer. p. 47. ISBN   9781137289773 . Retrieved 14 September 2018.