Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga

Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga (Turin, 6 March 1889 - Eboli, 8 September 1943) was an Italian soldier who died in World War II, a gold medal for military valor and a silver medal for military valor.^[1]

Serene Highness Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga
Marquis of Vescovato
Predecessor	Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga
Successor	Maurizio Gonzaga
Born	(1889-03-06)6 March 1889 Turin, Kingdom of Italy
Died	8 September 1943(1943-09-08) (aged 54) Eboli, Kingdom of Italy
Spouse	Luisa Anguissola-Scotti
Issue	Maurizio Gonzaga
Names Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga
House	House of Gonzaga
Father	Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga
Mother	Ferdinanda Gonzaga nee Alliana
Religion	Roman Catholic

Biography[]

Early years[]

Prince Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga is the son of the general Prince Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga, marquis of Vescovato and from 1932 marquis of Vodice. Ferrante Vincenzo inherited the titles of Prince of Holy Roman Empire, Marquis of Vescovato, marquis of Vodice, count of Villanova, count of Cassolnovo, lord of Vescovato and Venetian patrician on his father's death. After graduating in engineering at the University of Turin, he then decided to pursue a military career.

The military career[]

After participating in the Libyan war and the First World War, in 1926 he was assigned to the Command of the Rome Army Corps. Then, in 1936, as colonel, he commanded the 1st artillery regiment "Cacciatori delle Alpi" in Foligno. The Second World War saw him command the artillery of the XIII Army Corps in Cagliari (from 10 June 1940) and then promoted to Brigade General on 1 July 1940, in Elbasan, Albania, under the command of the XXV ° (from 8 April to 1 November 1942).

The armistice of 8 September 1943 and death[]

On February 10, 1943, Gonzaga del Vodice was given command of the 222nd Coastal Division, located in the Salerno area (a unit with a serious lack of staff and with officers and soldiers often not up to par). After the armistice of 8 September, the Germans started the Achse operation which involved the disarmament of all the Italian units. For some days General Gonzaga had begun to prepare for any eventuality, and issued timely orders to the wards not to hand over the weapons to the Germans, but to regroup and prepare to resist. In , in the municipality of Eboli, General Gonzaga was joined with his own department by a German group commanded by Major Alvensleben who ordered him to surrender. Gonzaga refused to give up shouting to his men: "A Gonzaga never gives up". However, having held his own gun, he was killed with a burst of gunfire. Major Udo von Alvensleben then expressed admiration for Gonzaga's courage.

Family[]

Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga married Luisa Anguissola-Scotti(1903-2008), daughter of Ranuzio, count of Podenzano and Ville on October 20, 1937 in Piacenza. The couple had three children:

• Maurizio Ferrante, 15th marquis of Vescovato, 3rd marquis of Vodice, count of Villanova, count of Cassolnovo and patrician of Venice (born in Rome on 4 September 1938)
• Corrado Alessandro (born in Rome on 10 July 1941), lord of Vescovato and patrician of Venice
• Isabella (born in Rome on November 15, 1942), married Hans Otto Heidkamp

Honors[]

Ribbon	Award	Date awarded
	Gold Medal of Military Valour[2]	8 September 1943
	Silver Medal of Military Valor	31 October 1917
	Silver Medal of Marine Valor	2 August 1926
	Bronze Medal of Military Valor	September 1915
	Bronze Medal of Military Valor	November 1918
	War Merit Cross
	Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912
	Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918
	Allied Victory Medal
	Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy

References[]