Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma
Encyclopedia
Pier Luigi Farnese was the first Duke of Parma, Piacenza
and Castro, from 1545 to 1547.
Born in Rome
, Pier Luigi was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (who later became Pope Paul III
). He became a soldier and participated in the sack of Rome
in 1527.
(future Pope Paul III) and probably Silvia Ruffini - a Roman noblewoman who also gave birth with Alexander to three other children: Constanza, Paul and Ranuccio.
His illegitimacy tormented Pier Luigi all his life, and doubtless contributed to the formation of his character. The nobility of Piacenza
was frequently known to insult him as "the bastard son of the Pope". As the eldest and beloved son he was legitimised along with his brother Paul at the age of two in 1505 by Pope Julius II
. He was given a famous humanist
tutor, Baldassarre Malosso di Casalmaggiore, nicknamed "Tranquillus"; and quickly developed a love of war and fortifications.
Alexander was, however, keen to make Pier Luigi the true head of the Farnese family and so arranged a favourable marriage alliance with Gerolama Orsini, daughter of Lodovico, Count of Pitigliano
. In 1513 the engagement contract was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding celebrated.
Despite a loveless marriage, Gerolama remained a faithful devoted wife, tolerating Pier Luigi's excesses, brutality, and extravagances with dignity. Delays in the construction at the palace in Gradoli
, meant the young couple had to lodge in the Castle at Valentano
. The following year their first son Alexander was born.
In 1520, at the age of seventeen, he and his brother Ranuccio were already employed as mercenaries in the pay of Venice
. As a result he served under the standard of Charles V
- remaining with the emperor until 1527 and present at the Sack of Rome
; in which he himself took part.
While his brother Ranuccio withdrew to Castel Sant'Angelo
to defend the Pope; Pier Luigi crossed the Tiber and quartered in the family palace, thus saving it from destruction. Critics accused the Farnese of backing both sides, but Pope Clement VII
refused to condemn. Finally when the plague hit the city, the imperial troops decided to withdraw.
Pier Luigi retired to the Roman countryside, taxing it without mercy and permitting a climate of theft and murder. Pope Clement, tired of this behaviour, eventually threatened excommunication, until Cardinal Alexander tried diplomatically to reconcile his son with the pope. In 1528 Pier Luigi, still under imperial pay, fought in Puglia against the French army and distinguished himself in the defence of Manfredonia
.
When his father was elevated to the papacy
as Paul III in 1534, great festivities were celebrated at Valentano, after which Pier Luigi left for Rome.
Paul's first action was to make Pier Luigi's eldest son, Alessandro Farnese, a cardinal. But Charles V only reluctantly allowed the granting of titles to Pier Luigi over the city of Novara
- agreeing an annual pension on the condition that the news was not made public. In the hope of speeding things up, Pier Luigi took direct part in the negotiations while leading troops into the lands occupied by his Farnese relatives. Novara and its surrounding territory was finally established as a marquessate in favour of Pier Luigi, but had to wait until February 1538 until formal investiture could be made.
In the meantime the office of Captain General of the Church
had become vacant, and Paul nominated his son on 31 January 1537. Pier Luigi travelled through the Papal States
defeating pockets of resistance before arriving in triumph at Piacenza
.
. Pier Luigi, was invested with the titles of Montalto
which gave the right to export grain without paying taxes; and Paul accepted feudal rights over Canine, Gradoli
, Valentano
, Latera
and Marta
. He exchanged the city of Frascati
for the fortress at Castro, and at bought Bisenzio from the diocese of Montefiascone. As a final act, Paul created a formal duchy
out of the lands and bestowed it upon his son and heirs. The duchy was, however, to come under the direct control of the Holy See
.
The Duchy of Castro operated as a functioning State within the Patrimony of Saint Peter. It possessed rich forests full of game, fertile vineyards and fields, and a great number of fortresses. In the consistory of 14 March 1537, the Pope also awarded his son the cities of Nepi
and Ronciglione
. Pier Luigi was tasked with repairing all the fortresses over which he was now feudal lord. The new Duke commissioned Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
to create a new capital, which saw the construction of a citadel, ducal palace and mint.
In 1538 his son Ottavio married Margaret of Austria, daughter of Charles V
; thus consolidating the friendship between the Farnese and the imperial family. In 1543 another son, Orazio, was sent to the court of the king of France. Finally in 1545 his third son, Ranuccio
, was created a cardinal
by Paul III.
and Piacenza
, properties that had previously been a part of the Papal States
. Pier Luigi and his son, Ottavio, declared they would have pay 9,000 golden ducati every year to the Holy See, and, in exchange, they gave back the Duchies of Camerino
and Nepi
. Pier Luigi took possession of his new states on September 23, 1546.
During his life he had gained a fame on cruelty, ruthlessness and decadence. A scandal erupted in 1537, when he was accused of what became known as the 'rape of Fano
', where he allegedly raped the young bishop of the city, Cosimo Gheri, while marching with his troops (Gheri subsequently died). Letters also exist from his father, Paul III, reproaching him for taking male lovers when on an official mission to the court of the emperor; and another from the chancellor of the Florentine embassy detailing a man-hunt he had mounted in Rome to search for a youth who had refused his advances.
, who aimed to unite Parma and Piacenza to the Duchy of Milan
.
In 1547 a conspiracy was arranged against him by counts Francesco Anguissola and Agostino Landi
and the marquises Giovan Luigi Confalonieri and Girolamo and Alessandro Pallavicini
. After Anguissola and others had stabbed him to death, the conspirators hung his body from a window of his palace in Piacenza. Charles V's vicar Ferrante Gonzaga
captured the Duchy soon after; although subsequent events led to the return of the duchy to Pier-Luigi's son, Ottavio
in 1551.
Pier Luigi Farnese had married Girolama Orsini, daughter of Luigi Orsini and wife and first cousin Giulia Conti and paternal granddaughter of the 6th Counts of Pitigliano
. They had four children:
He also had an illegitimate son, Orazio, who married Diane, Duchesse d'Angoulême
and daughter of Henry II of France
.
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Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
and Castro, from 1545 to 1547.
Born in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Pier Luigi was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (who later became Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
). He became a soldier and participated in the sack of Rome
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
in 1527.
Youth
Pier Luigi Alexander Farnese was born in 1503 from the union between Cardinal Alexander FarnesePope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
(future Pope Paul III) and probably Silvia Ruffini - a Roman noblewoman who also gave birth with Alexander to three other children: Constanza, Paul and Ranuccio.
His illegitimacy tormented Pier Luigi all his life, and doubtless contributed to the formation of his character. The nobility of Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
was frequently known to insult him as "the bastard son of the Pope". As the eldest and beloved son he was legitimised along with his brother Paul at the age of two in 1505 by Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
. He was given a famous humanist
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
tutor, Baldassarre Malosso di Casalmaggiore, nicknamed "Tranquillus"; and quickly developed a love of war and fortifications.
Alexander was, however, keen to make Pier Luigi the true head of the Farnese family and so arranged a favourable marriage alliance with Gerolama Orsini, daughter of Lodovico, Count of Pitigliano
Pitigliano
Pitigliano is an Italian town and comune of province of Grosseto in the Maremma area of Tuscany. The town stands on an abrupt tuff butte high above the Olpeta, the Fiora and the Lente rivers.-History:...
. In 1513 the engagement contract was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding celebrated.
Despite a loveless marriage, Gerolama remained a faithful devoted wife, tolerating Pier Luigi's excesses, brutality, and extravagances with dignity. Delays in the construction at the palace in Gradoli
Gradoli
Gradoli is a comune in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about 100 km northwest of Rome and about 35 km northwest of Viterbo....
, meant the young couple had to lodge in the Castle at Valentano
Valentano
thumb|250px|View of Valentano.Valentano is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is 33 km from the provincial capital, Viterbo.left|thumb|220px|Rocca Farnese in Valentano....
. The following year their first son Alexander was born.
Military career
Pier Luigi quickly became the stereotype of a mercenary soldier - wild, primeval and amoral. He lacked neither courage nor daring, and was strong and audacious yet brutal enough to offend many commentators. Nor did he always fight on the traditional side of the papacy; reversing the pro-Guelph sentiments of the Farnese.In 1520, at the age of seventeen, he and his brother Ranuccio were already employed as mercenaries in the pay of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. As a result he served under the standard of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
- remaining with the emperor until 1527 and present at the Sack of Rome
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
; in which he himself took part.
While his brother Ranuccio withdrew to Castel Sant'Angelo
Castel Sant'Angelo
The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family...
to defend the Pope; Pier Luigi crossed the Tiber and quartered in the family palace, thus saving it from destruction. Critics accused the Farnese of backing both sides, but Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
refused to condemn. Finally when the plague hit the city, the imperial troops decided to withdraw.
Pier Luigi retired to the Roman countryside, taxing it without mercy and permitting a climate of theft and murder. Pope Clement, tired of this behaviour, eventually threatened excommunication, until Cardinal Alexander tried diplomatically to reconcile his son with the pope. In 1528 Pier Luigi, still under imperial pay, fought in Puglia against the French army and distinguished himself in the defence of Manfredonia
Manfredonia
Manfredonia is a town and comune of Puglia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is 35 kilometres northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and giving its name to the gulf to the east of it...
.
Captain General of the Church
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
as Paul III in 1534, great festivities were celebrated at Valentano, after which Pier Luigi left for Rome.
Paul's first action was to make Pier Luigi's eldest son, Alessandro Farnese, a cardinal. But Charles V only reluctantly allowed the granting of titles to Pier Luigi over the city of Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
- agreeing an annual pension on the condition that the news was not made public. In the hope of speeding things up, Pier Luigi took direct part in the negotiations while leading troops into the lands occupied by his Farnese relatives. Novara and its surrounding territory was finally established as a marquessate in favour of Pier Luigi, but had to wait until February 1538 until formal investiture could be made.
In the meantime the office of Captain General of the Church
Captain General of the Church
The Captain General of the Church was the de facto commander-in-chief of the papal armed forces during the Middle Ages. The post was usually conferred on an Italian noble with a professional military reputation or a relative of the pope...
had become vacant, and Paul nominated his son on 31 January 1537. Pier Luigi travelled through the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
defeating pockets of resistance before arriving in triumph at Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
.
Duke of Castro
Meanwhile Paul III gradually recovered the family lands around Castro which had been split after the death of Ranuccio the Elder. To this he added the territory of RonciglioneRonciglione
Ronciglione is a city and comune in the province of Viterbo, Lazio , c. 20 km from Viterbo. The city is located in the Cimini mountains, over two tuff scarps, on the SE slope of the former volcano crater now housing the Vico's Lake....
. Pier Luigi, was invested with the titles of Montalto
Montalto
-Town names:* Montalto delle Marche - Municipality in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy* Montalto Uffugo - Municipality in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy* Montalto Dora - Municipality in the province of Turin, Piedmont, Italy...
which gave the right to export grain without paying taxes; and Paul accepted feudal rights over Canine, Gradoli
Gradoli
Gradoli is a comune in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about 100 km northwest of Rome and about 35 km northwest of Viterbo....
, Valentano
Valentano
thumb|250px|View of Valentano.Valentano is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is 33 km from the provincial capital, Viterbo.left|thumb|220px|Rocca Farnese in Valentano....
, Latera
Latera
Latera is a small town and comune in the Province of Viterbo, Italy.Situated near Bolsena Lake and Mezzano Lake, is important for volcanic underground activity near the town centre. It has a small rock with a medieval palace by Farnese family, surrounded by medieval stone houses.-History:Latera and...
and Marta
Marta
Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...
. He exchanged the city of Frascati
Frascati
Frascati is a town and comune in the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with science, being the location of several international scientific...
for the fortress at Castro, and at bought Bisenzio from the diocese of Montefiascone. As a final act, Paul created a formal duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
out of the lands and bestowed it upon his son and heirs. The duchy was, however, to come under the direct control of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
The Duchy of Castro operated as a functioning State within the Patrimony of Saint Peter. It possessed rich forests full of game, fertile vineyards and fields, and a great number of fortresses. In the consistory of 14 March 1537, the Pope also awarded his son the cities of Nepi
Nepi
Nepi is a town and comune in Italy in the province of Viterbo, region of Lazio. The town lies 30 km southeast of the city of Viterbo and about 13 km southwest from Civita Castellana....
and Ronciglione
Ronciglione
Ronciglione is a city and comune in the province of Viterbo, Lazio , c. 20 km from Viterbo. The city is located in the Cimini mountains, over two tuff scarps, on the SE slope of the former volcano crater now housing the Vico's Lake....
. Pier Luigi was tasked with repairing all the fortresses over which he was now feudal lord. The new Duke commissioned Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
thumb|250px|The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the [[Trajan's Market]] in [[Rome]], considered Sangallo's masterwork.thumb|250px|View of St. Patrick's Well in [[Orvieto]]....
to create a new capital, which saw the construction of a citadel, ducal palace and mint.
In 1538 his son Ottavio married Margaret of Austria, daughter of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
; thus consolidating the friendship between the Farnese and the imperial family. In 1543 another son, Orazio, was sent to the court of the king of France. Finally in 1545 his third son, Ranuccio
Ranuccio Farnese (Cardinal)
Ranuccio Farnese was an Italian prelate, who was Cardinal of Santa Lucia in Messina, Sicily from 1545 to his death in 1565....
, was created a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
by Paul III.
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
Paul III then went on to make Pier Luigi Duke of ParmaParma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
and Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
, properties that had previously been a part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. Pier Luigi and his son, Ottavio, declared they would have pay 9,000 golden ducati every year to the Holy See, and, in exchange, they gave back the Duchies of Camerino
Camerino
Camerino is a small town of 7.135 inhabitants in the Marches , in the province of Macerata, Italy. It is located in the Apennines bordering Umbria, between the valleys of the rivers Potenza and Chienti, about 40 miles from Ancona....
and Nepi
Nepi
Nepi is a town and comune in Italy in the province of Viterbo, region of Lazio. The town lies 30 km southeast of the city of Viterbo and about 13 km southwest from Civita Castellana....
. Pier Luigi took possession of his new states on September 23, 1546.
During his life he had gained a fame on cruelty, ruthlessness and decadence. A scandal erupted in 1537, when he was accused of what became known as the 'rape of Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
', where he allegedly raped the young bishop of the city, Cosimo Gheri, while marching with his troops (Gheri subsequently died). Letters also exist from his father, Paul III, reproaching him for taking male lovers when on an official mission to the court of the emperor; and another from the chancellor of the Florentine embassy detailing a man-hunt he had mounted in Rome to search for a youth who had refused his advances.
Conspiracy and death
His firm rule and his taxes gained him the enmities of the cities, which were used to the fair authority of the Popes. The aristocracy, in particular, was supported against him by emperor Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, who aimed to unite Parma and Piacenza to the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
.
In 1547 a conspiracy was arranged against him by counts Francesco Anguissola and Agostino Landi
Landi
Landi is the surname of:* Chico Landi* Elissa Landi, Italian actress* Stefano Landi, Italian Baroque composer* The Doria-Pamphili-Landi family line.-See also:* Landi Kotal, the highest point on the Khyber Pass, Pakistan...
and the marquises Giovan Luigi Confalonieri and Girolamo and Alessandro Pallavicini
Pallavicini
The Pallavicini, Pallavicino, were an Italian noble family descended from Oberto I . The first Pallavicino fief was created by Oberto II, who received them it by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162...
. After Anguissola and others had stabbed him to death, the conspirators hung his body from a window of his palace in Piacenza. Charles V's vicar Ferrante Gonzaga
Ferrante Gonzaga
Ferrante I Gonzaga was an Italian condottiero, a member of the House of Gonzaga and the founder of the branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla.-Biography:...
captured the Duchy soon after; although subsequent events led to the return of the duchy to Pier-Luigi's son, Ottavio
Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ottavio Farnese reigned as Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1547 and Duke of Castro from 1545 until his death.-Biography:...
in 1551.
Family and children
Pitigliano
Pitigliano is an Italian town and comune of province of Grosseto in the Maremma area of Tuscany. The town stands on an abrupt tuff butte high above the Olpeta, the Fiora and the Lente rivers.-History:...
. They had four children:
- Alessandro Farnese, the oldest son, bishop of Parma and Roman Catholic Cardinal
- Ottavio Farnese, Pier Luigi's successor as Duke of Parma
- Ranuccio Farnese, Duke of ParmaRanuccio Farnese (Cardinal)Ranuccio Farnese was an Italian prelate, who was Cardinal of Santa Lucia in Messina, Sicily from 1545 to his death in 1565....
, Roman Catholic Cardinal - Vittoria Farnese, who married Guidubaldo II, Duke of UrbinoUrbinoUrbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
He also had an illegitimate son, Orazio, who married Diane, Duchesse d'Angoulême
Diane de France
Diane de France was the natural daughter of Henry II, King of France, and his Piedmontese mistress Filippa Duci. Some sources claim that she was the daughter of Diane de Poitiers....
and daughter of Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
.
External links
- Farnese family tree from about 1390 to 1766.
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