Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua

Francesco II Gonzaga was marquess of Mantua from 1484 to 1519 and a prominent condottiero in the Italian Wars. Married to Isabella d’Este, he commanded forces for shifting alliances, fought at Fornovo and Agnadello, and balanced Mantua’s survival between Venice, France, the papacy and the Empire.

In Sarah Dunant’s The Marchesa, Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, searches for a modern scholar capable of hearing the life preserved in her letters.