On 22 October 1549, he married
Catherine of Habsburg, a daughter of
Holy Roman EmperorFerdinand I.[1] The marriage lasted only four months, as Francesco died of pneumonia on 21 February 1550, after falling into one of Mantua's lakes during a hunt. The widowed Catherine returned home to Innsbruck. The Habsburgs claimed that the marriage was not
consummated to increase Catherine's chances for a better second marriage.
Parrott, David (1997). "The Mantuan Succession, 1627–31: A Sovereignty Dispute in Early Modern Europe". The English Historical Review. CXII, Issue 445, February (445). Oxford Academic: 20–65.
doi:
10.1093/ehr/CXII.445.20.