Duchy of Guastalla

The Duchy of Guastalla (it. Ducato di Guastalla ) was a small territory in northern Italy. It was formed from the town of Guastalla. Since 1428 the surrounding areas were added and it came to survey the county. His greatest importance was the area under the rule of Gonzaga. In 1621 it was elevated to a duchy. It was at this time about 1.5 square miles. In the Peace of Aachen in 1748 it fell along with the duchies of Parma and Piacenza to the Bourbon Philip and played no independent role. It was officially under various owners until the formation of the Kingdom of Italy ( 1861) on.

Development in the Middle Ages

The place Guastalla on the Po was first mentioned in the 8th century writing. Louis II gave the curtia regia 864 Angilberga his wife. In the 11th century it was the property of Canossa. In the 12th century, the city gained from the convent of San Sisto in Piacenza privileges and guarantees. As a result, several cities such as Cremona and Piacenza fought for the possession of the city. Officially, they remained a part of imperial Italy. Charles IV belehnte 1347 Correggio with the possession. However, he was too weak to enforce this. Guastalla therefore fell within the sphere of influence of the Visconti. Together with the surrounding areas was Guastalla in 1406 by the Visconti as a fief to the Signoria of Torrelli. The rule was in 1428 raised to the county, at the same time the territory from the Cremona has been resolved.

Rule of Gonzaga

Ferrante I Gonzaga, as a commander, Charles V, captured the county and in 1541 presented the full imperial immediacy restores. Since then, she was in possession of Gonzaga. The new ruler began in 1549 in order to convert the residence into a planned city with a pentagonal outline.

In 1567 Cesare Gonzaga I taught there a firm court. Even as a small child stepped Ferrante II Gonzaga in 1575 the father's heritage and ruled alone since he was seventeen until 1630th He stood in the favor of the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs and advantageous married a niece of Andrea Doria. He strove for the structural development of Guastalla. He also played a certain role among the small northern Italian princes. Emperor Ferdinand II gave him title of duke in 1621.

Together with his son Cesare II Gonzaga, he was Commissioner-General of imperial Italy. This allowed the position to be expanded among the princes. Also enlarged the prospect to decide the competition with the line Gonzaga - Nevers for Guastalla after the extinction of the line of Mantua. This failed. In the early 1630s, the fief New Ulm and Reggiolo were added that were originally owned by the line Mantua. Ferrante II and Cesare II died in quick succession in 1630 and in 1632. Among other things, because of the good relations with the courts of Vienna and Madrid survived the country's crisis.

Ferrante III. Gonzaga faces away from them and took no court offices. He tried to lead the country emphasizes independent. He had about envoys in major capitals. Through the sale of inherited property in Southern Italy, he was able to rehabilitate the finances and expand Guastalla on. However, he played for the Habsburg political role as he led the Duke of Modena in the Spanish camp in 1659. After the death of Ferrante III. there were no direct heirs. After a transitional phase in 1692 Vincenzo Gonzaga took the title of duke. In the following decades it was interrupted by the Spanish and Polish War of Succession, to the consolidation of the duchy.

After the death of Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga - Nevers Austria had taken the Duchy of Mantua in possession. However, a strong claim line Guastalla insisted on the Site. It came to devotion addresses by representatives of Mantua, the Duke of Guastalla. He also has been recognized by various European states as the Duke of Mantua. In the dispute with Vienna, Guastalla could not prevail, but also gained the Principality Bozzolo and the Duchy Sabbioneta. Further negotiations on compensation were unsuccessful.

End of independence

As Giuseppe Gonzaga died in 1746 without heirs, Francis I pulled the country as a completed fief. In the Treaty of Aachen, it coincided with the duchies of Parma and Piacenza to the Bourbon Philip. In the following decades, the duchy played no independent role.

In 1797 became part of the Cisalpine Republic Guastalla. Napoleon handed over in 1806 to his sister Pauline the country. Shortly after it came to the Kingdom of Italy. After the end of Napoleonic rule Guastalla was with Parma and Piacenza Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon passed. In 1847 it came temporarily to Charles of Bourbon, before it fell in 1848 to the Duchy of Modena. This Guastella came in 1860 to the Kingdom of Italy.

Ruler

Signori

Gilberto da Correggio (1307-1321)
Simone da Correggio (1321-1346), together with Guido da Correggio
Azzone da Correggio
Giovanni da Correggio

Count

Guido Torelli (1406-1449)
Cristoforo Torelli (1449-1490)
Guido Galeotto Torelli (1460-1479), together with Francesco Maria Torelli

Dukes

Ferrante II (1575-1632, 1621 Duke of Guastalla )
Cesare II (1632-1632)
Ferrante III. (1632-1678)

Vincenzo (1692-1714)
Antonio Ferrante (1714-1729)
Giuseppe (1729-1746)

Further development

House of Habsburg (1746-1748)
To the Duchy of Parma (1748-1847) (with interruptions )
To the Duchy of Modena (1847-1861)

Guastalla in the literature

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing laid the action of his tragedy Emilia Galotti in the Duodezstaat Guastalla, which has nothing to do with real Guastalla. One of the main characters is a fictional Prince of Guastalla called Hettore Gonzaga.

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