WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION: ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MANTUA - REGIMENT GUARDES DU DUC DE MANTOUE (Guardie del Duca di Mantova)

 One of the most obscure aspects of the War of the Spanish Succession is the strength and, above all, the uniforms of the army of the Duchy of Mantua and Monferrato. The Gonzaga-Nevers state consisted of two geographically separated territories: the Duchy of Mantua around the city of Mantua itself and the Duchy of Monferrato, centred on Casale, in what is today southern Piedmont.

The Duchy sided with France, a decision that ultimately proved disastrous. Following the collapse of French power in Northern Italy after the Battle of Turin in 1706, Emperor Joseph I accused Duke Charles IV Gonzaga-Nevers of felony and formally deprived him of his duchy in 1707.

In the western portion of the Gonzaga dominions, the principal city was Casale Monferrato, whose famous citadel — one of the strongest fortresses in Europe and a masterpiece of military engineering— had been demolished in 1695 on the orders of Louis XIV.

The purpose of this post is therefore to examine the armed forces of the Duchy, a task made extremely difficult by the almost complete lack of surviving information on the subject. Nevertheless, I have managed to reconstruct the regiments—each consisting of a single battalion—as well as the militia that formed the Duchy's principal military force.

Moreover, these units took an active part in the war and, of particular interest to me, two of them were present at the Battle of Turin: the Duke's Guards Regiment (Regiment of the Duke of Mantua's Guards) and the Beltrambi Regiment.

By siding with the Kingdoms of France and Spain, the Duchy came under strong French influence from a military standpoint, a fact that was also reflected in its uniforms. The organization, structure, and appearance of the Mantuan troops increasingly followed French military models, making them more akin to contemporary French units than to those of the Imperial Army.

The Duchy's military establishment consisted of three regiments: the Guards du Duque de Mantou (Duke of Mantua's Guards Regiment), the Beltrambi Regiment, and the Natta Regiment, supplemented by militia forces that provided the bulk of its local defensive capabilities. the last two were raised by two noble families of the West part of the Duchy, once in Asti.

Beginning with the first regiment, namely (Reggimento Guardie del Duca in Italian, it should be noted that it originated from the French Royal-Montferrat Regiment. The unit was subsequently transferred to the service of the Duke of Mantua and became known as the Guards of the Duke of Mantua, while retaining much of its French military character, organization, and traditions.

The uniform seems to have been predominantly white rather than grey, a characteristic consistent with the regiment's elite status. The facings, and most likely the breeches, were blue. This colour was significant not only as a traditional emblem of the House of Gonzaga, but also as a reminder of the unit's former position as the Royal-Montferrat Regiment in French service.

Regiment: Guardes du Duc de Mantoue/Guardie del Duca di Mantova

When its proprietor-colonel became Prosper de Gonzague, Marquis of Luzzara, the regiment adopted the title: Régiment des Gardes du Duc de Mantoue or Gardes de Monsieur le Duc de Mantoue. Upon the death or replacement of its proprietor-colonel, the regiment adopted the name: Régiment de Jaucourt de La Vaiserie, in accordance with the French military practice whereby regiments were customarily named after their commanding proprietor-colonel, but in all documents it is still reported as Reggimento Guardie del Duca di Mantova (in Italian or French)

The regiment operated primarily in Northern Italy. It is recorded as having served:

• during the Brescian Campaign, Cremona, 
• Battle of Governolo 1702
• Battle of Luzzara 1702;
• Operations along the Mincio River;
• Siege of Chivasso;
• Battle of Cassano in 1705;
• Siege of Turin;
• Battle of Turin in 1706.

Drapeau Colonel

The Colonel's Colour was white, inherited from the former Royal-Montferrat Regiment, and displayed the coat of arms of the Gonzaga-Nevers dynasty, who held the rank and dignity of Peers of France.

On the reverse side of their colours, the regiments of the Duchy of Mantua, even in the late seventeenth century, simply displayed the eagle of the Gonzaga dynasty on a white field. 

However, it appears rather unlikely that an eagle of this kind was actually displayed, as it was clearly a tribute to the Empire. Other sources instead suggest the presence of the Gonzaga coat of arms, which in this reconstruction has been placed upon the white cross of French derivation, following the pattern of a colonel's colour.

Drapeau Colonel Reverse Side

In the following reconstruction, the Ordonnance Colour follows the traditional pattern of French regimental colours, featuring a white cross at the centre, the colours of the House of Gonzaga in the cantons, and the coat of arms of the Gonzaga of Luzzara—the proprietors of the regiment—displayed in the centre.

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

Regiment Guardes du Duc deMantoue - Drummer

The drummers wore the Gonzaga livery, in yellow and black, whereas the drum was painted in the colours of the Marquisate of Montferrat.