Francesco Maria I della Rovere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Francesco Maria I |
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Portrait by Titian, c. 1536–38
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| Duke of Urbino | |
| Reign | 11 April 1508 – 1516 |
| Predecessor | Guidobaldo I |
| Successor | Lorenzo II de' Medici |
| Reign | December 1521 – 20 October 1538 |
| Predecessor | Lorenzo II de' Medici |
| Successor | Guidobaldo II |
| Born | 22 March 1490 Senigallia, Duchy of Urbino |
| Died | 20 October 1538 (aged 48) Urbino, Duchy of Urbino |
| Spouse | Eleonora Gonzaga |
| Issue | Federico della Rovere Guidobaldo II della Rovere Ippolita della Rovere Giovanna della Rovere Giovanni della Rovere Caterina della Rovere Beatrice della Rovere Francesco della Rovere Maria della Rovere Elisabetta della Rovere Giulia della Rovere Giulio della Rovere Violante della Rovere |
| House | Rovere |
| Father | Giovanni della Rovere |
| Mother | Giovanna da Montefeltro |
Francesco Maria I della Rovere (born March 25, 1490 – died October 20, 1538) was an important Italian military leader. He served as the Duke of Urbino for two periods. His first rule was from 1508 to 1516. After losing his title, he managed to get it back from Lorenzo II de' Medici and ruled again from 1521 until his death in 1538.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Francesco Maria was born in Senigallia, a city in Italy. His father was Giovanni della Rovere, a captain for the Pope and the lord of Senigallia. His mother was Giovanna da Montefeltro, whose father was Federico III da Montefeltro. Francesco Maria was also the nephew of Giuliano della Rovere, who later became Pope Julius II.
In 1502, the della Rovere family lost control of Senigallia. It was taken over by Cesare Borgia, a very powerful figure at the time. Francesco Maria and his mother were saved from the conflict by a soldier named Andrea Doria.
Becoming Duke of Urbino
Francesco Maria's uncle, Guidobaldo I of Urbino, had no children. With the help of Pope Julius II, Guidobaldo named Francesco Maria as his heir in 1504. When Guidobaldo died in 1508, Francesco Maria became the Duke of Urbino. Thanks to his uncle the Pope, he was also able to get Senigallia back after Cesare Borgia's death.
In 1508, Francesco Maria married Eleonora Gonzaga. She was the daughter of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua and Isabella d'Este.
Military Career and Challenges
In 1509, Francesco Maria was made the commander-in-chief of the Papal States' army. He fought in the Italian Wars against cities like Ferrara and Venice. In 1513, he also became the lord of Pesaro.
However, when his uncle Pope Julius II died, Francesco Maria lost his main supporter. The new pope, Leo X, gave Pesaro to his own nephew, Lorenzo II de' Medici. In 1516, Francesco Maria was removed from power in Urbino. He tried to get it back the next year but was not successful. He could only return to his duchy after Pope Leo X died in 1521.
Francesco Maria later fought as a general for the Republic of Venice in Lombardy during the Italian Wars of 1521. With a new Medici Pope, Clement VII, the della Rovere family faced more difficulties. As a top commander of the Holy League, some historians believe his decisions contributed to the attack and looting of Rome in 1527.
He was involved in the capture of Pavia in the late 1520s and continued to fight for the Republic of Venice. He also arranged for his son, Guidobaldo, to marry Giulia da Varano. This marriage was a way to strengthen his family's power against the Pope in the Marche region.
Francesco Maria died in Pesaro. It is believed he was poisoned. Some scholars think that a play mentioned in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, called The Murder of Gonzago, might have been inspired by the story of Francesco Maria's death.
Children
Francesco Maria and his wife, Eleonora Gonzaga, had 13 children:
- Federico della Rovere (1511)
- Guidobaldo II della Rovere (1514–1574)
- Ippolita della Rovere (1515–1561)
- Giovanna della Rovere (1515–1518)
- Giovanni della Rovere (1516–1518)
- Caterina della Rovere (1518–1520)
- Beatrice della Rovere (1521–1522)
- Francesco Maria della Rovere (1523–1525)
- Maria della Rovere (1527–1528)
- Elisabetta della Rovere (1529–1561)
- Giulia Feltria della Rovere (1531–1563)
- Giulio Feltrio della Rovere (1533–1578)
- Violante della Rovere (1535–1538)
Images for kids
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Figure from Raphael's The School of Athens (1509–11), possibly Francesco della Rovere.
