GONZAGA, FRANCESCO. - Bishop, venerable, b. at Gazzolo (Mantua) on 31 July 1546, d. at Mantua on 11 March 1620. Son of the prince and marquis Carlo G., he was the uncle of St. Luigi G. Educated as a youth at the courts of Flanders and Spain, where he studied at the University of Alcalá, he there embraced the Seraphic Order in 1562 and in 1570 was ordained a priest.

Recalled to Italy in 1573, he was incorporated into the Venetian Franciscan province, and soon attained the highest dignities of the Order: in 1578 he was provincial minister, and the following year minister general. He visited almost all the provinces of Europe on foot. He renounced the cardinalate and the archbishopric of Milan offered to him after the death of St. Charles Borromeo. In 1587 he laid down the government of the Order to retire to a solitary life, but Sixtus V appointed him that same year bishop of Cefalù and in 1593 of Pavia, finally transferring him to Mantua, where he died. The cause of beatification was introduced as early as 1627. He also wrote various works; but his name is particularly linked to the De origine seraphicae religionis (Rome 1587), one of the most extensive compilations of Franciscan history.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: I. Donesmundi, Vita di F. G., Mantua 1625 (the author was G.'s secretary); [B. Mazzara-Fr. Paolini], Vita del sen. F. G., Rome 1906; I. Beschin-G. Palazzolo, Martyr. Franc., Vicenza 1939, p. 92 (with bibl.).

Alberto Ghinato

@incollection{ec6_gonzaga_francesco, author = {Ghinato, Alberto}, title = {Gonzaga, francesco}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {923}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gonzaga-francesco} }

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Gonzaga, Francesco

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