He was the son of Ludovico I Gonzaga, the first capitano del popolo of Mantua, where Feltrino was born.
In 1345 he was unsuccessfully besieged by Mastino I della Scala.
In 1363, leading an anti-Visconti coalition, he won a battle at Solara.
He signed a treaty of peace with Bernabò Visconti in 1364, and in 1366 he was appointed as imperial vicar in Reggio by emperor Charles IV.
However, he maintained the county of Novellara and Bagnolo, which was ruled by a Gonzaga cadet branch until 1728.