Dorotea Gonzaga

Dorotea Gonzaga (6 December 1449 – 20 April 1467) was an Italian noblewoman and Princess of Mantua. She was the daughter of Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua and Barbara of Brandenburg.

In 1466, Dorotea was about to marry Galeazzo Maria Sforza, but the engagement was called off and she died in 1467.

Life Her maternal grandparents were John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg. Dorotea's mother Barbara was considered one of the most well-educated women in Renaissance Italy. Dorotea therefore grew up in a milieu where scholarly pursuits and arts and culture were highly valued.

Little is known about Dorotea's education but it is probable that considering her own mother's education that it was a thorough one, and that it mirrored that of her younger sister Barbara who was taught to read and write Italian and German and also the classic languages Latin and Greek as well as history and literature.

Dorotea's father had long been eager to make a marriage alliance with the powerful Sforzas of Milan. Dorotea was engaged to Galeazzo after it was revealed that the originally intended bride, her older sister Susanna, was hunchbacked. It was then decided to replace the name of Susanna in the marriage contracts with that of Dorotea.

But Galeazzo Maria's father Francesco I Sforza was no longer interested in an alliance with Mantua and wanted to break the betrothal in order to instead secure a French royal match for his son. Galeazzo Maria was however adamant that he wanted to marry Dorotea. After communication between the Gonzagas and the Sforzas broke down, despite the best efforts of both Galeazzo Maria and his mother Bianca Visconti the betrothal was cancelled.

It was not until after the death of Galeazzo Marias father in 1466 that he was able to renew his suit for Dorotea. But as the marriage contract were being drawn up, Dorotea became ill with a fever and died just days before the wedding on the 20 April 1467. This sparked rumors that Galeazzo Maria had poisoned her to eliminate his obligations to marry her.