His sister was Eleonora Luisa Gonzaga, sister in law to Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

He was engaged to Princess Maria Karolina Sobieska, granddaughter of John III Sobieski but Maria Karolina (known as Charlotte) refused and married Frédéric Maurice Casimir de La Tour d'Auvergne, Prince of Turenne instead.

[1] After death of his first wife, he was remarried on 23 February 1727 in Darmstadt to Theodora of Hesse-Darmstadt (6 February 1706 – 23 January 1784), the only daughter of Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt and his wife, Princess Marie Therese Ernestine of Croy-Havré (1673-1714).

Antonio Ferrante was burned alive in an accident in his capital, Guastalla.

After his death, the Duchy was inherited by his younger brother Giuseppe Gonzaga.