Pirro Gonzaga

Who is Pirro Gonzaga?

Pirro Gonzaga was an Italian nobleman and condottiero.

He was the second child of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and Antonia Del Balzo. In 1499, at his father's death, he shared the heritage of Sabbioneta, Dosolo, Pomponesco, Gazzuolo and Rodigo with his brother Ludovico. In 1521 he sold the area of Sabbioneta to Ludovico.

In the late 1522 he participated in the conquest of Perugia. Taken as prisoner and accused of treason, in 1523 he lost his fiefs, which were assigned by emperor Charles V to his nephew Luigi Gonzaga.

In 1524, during the Italian Wars, he was defeated at the siege of Pavia. He later abandoned the imperial allegiance and sided for the French, until he was defeated by Fernando Francesco d'Avalos at the battle of Sant'Angelo Lodigiano. He surrendered, being imprisoned in the tower of Pizzighettone. Ransomed by his mother Antonia, he subsequently retired to Gazzuolo, where he died in 1529.

His daughter Lucrezia was a literate.