GONZAGA, BONAVENTURA. – Theologian and ascetical writer of the Conventual Friars Minor, born in Reggio Emilia in the first half of the 16th century, died in Parma on 5 April 1586.
A philosopher and theologian, he directed various houses of studies, including that of Venice in 1566; he was also a spiritual poet and, above all, an ascetical writer, highly versed in mysticism. In 1574 he was secretary general of the Order. Among his works, much sought after in his time, the following deserve mention: Ragionamenti sopra li sette peccati mortali (Venice 1566), Parafrasi de' sette Salmi penitenziali, in verse (ibid. 1566) and in prose, con meditazioni et affetti (ibid. 1572), commentaries on the Sette parole della b. Vergine and on the Magnificat (Naples 1569, Parma 1585).