Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua

Francesco II Gonzaga was Marquis of Mantua from 1484 until his death. A prominent condottiero and statesman during the Italian Wars, he is best known for commanding the Italian league forces at the Battle of Fornovo in 1495. Through his marriage to Isabella d'Este, one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance, Francesco helped establish Mantua as a significant cultural and artistic center.