Francesco Gonzaga (1538–1566)

Francesco Gonzaga was born in Palermo on 6 December 1538, the son of Ferrante Gonzaga (a member of the House of Gonzaga) and Isabella di Capua.[1] His father was at that time viceroy of Palermo. He was the nephew of Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga.[1] His brother Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga also became a cardinal.[1]

When Ferrante died in 1557 Ercole Gonzaga became guardian and the young Mantuan humanist and future Jesuit Antonio Possevino became tutor to the brothers. He studied law as a young man.[1] In 1538, he was made archpriest of Guastalla.[1] On 26 February 1560 he became a protonotary apostolic.[1]

Pope Pius IV made him a cardinal deacon in the consistory of 26 February 1561.[1] He received the red hat and the deaconry of San Nicola in Carcere on 10 March 1561.[1] The pope named him papal legate in the Campagne and Maritime Province.[1]

On 2 March 1562 he was elected Archbishop of Cosenza with dispensation for not having reached the canonical age; he was named administrator of the see.[1]

On 16 July 1562 he opted for San Lorenzo in Lucina, a titular church declared to be a deaconry pro illa vice.[1] He opted for the order of cardinal priests on 1 March 1564 and San Lorenzo in Lucina was returned to its status as a titular church at that time.[1] He resigned the government of the Archdiocese of Cosenza sometime before 12 January 1565.[1] On 5 May 1565 he was elected Bishop of Mantua with dispensation for not having reached the canonical age.[1]

He participated in the papal conclave of 1565-66 that elected Pope Pius V.[1] He died during the conclave, in Rome, on 6 January 1566. He was buried in San Lorenzo in Lucina.[1]

• Losito, Maria (2005). La Casina Pio IV in Vaticano. Vatican City: Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze.