Gerolama Orsini (1504–1569) sometimes Girolama Orsini was the Duchess of Parma as the wife of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma. She served as Regent (Governor) of the Ducky of Castro in the name of her son Orazio, Duke of Castro between 1550 and 1553.

Biography

Born in Pitigliano, she was the daughter of Lodovico Orsini and Giulia Conti. In 1513, an engagement contract between Orsini and

Pier Luigi Farnese Pier Luigi Farnese (19 November 1503 – 10 September 1547) was the first Duke of Castro from 1537 to 1545 and the first Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1545 to 1547. Born in Rome, Pier Luigi was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farn ...

was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding was celebrated at

Valentano 250px, View of Valentano. Valentano is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is from the provincial capital, Viterbo. left, 220px, Rocca Farnese in Valentano. The placename is of uncertain ori ...

. Her husband was the illegitimate son of Pope Paul III and Silvia Ruffino. The couple had five children, three of whom would have further progeny. When Cardinal Alessandro Farnese became Pope Paul III in 1534, he made his son Pier Luigi captain-general of the Church, in 1537, Duke of Castro, and finally in 1545,

Duke of Parma and Piacenza The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859. The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, excep ...

. Gerolama remained in Rome and maintained the family presence at the court of the Pope. She was described as a sensible person capable of making important decisions when necessary, close to the Pope and the interests of her sons. She lived a retired life, but was always actively engaged in maintaining the political interest of her sons. She was widowed in 1547 and remained in Rome. When Pope Paul III died in 1549, Gerolama unsuccessfully attempted to work for the candidacy of a Pope beneficial to the Farnese family. In 1550, Gerolama was appointed the regent-governor of the Duchy of Castro in the absence of her son. Castro was occupied by Papal troops the same year. Gerolama maintained her regency by not resisting, and yet continuing to exert her authority while working for the end of the Papal occupation, and finally managed to achieve the end of the Papal occupation in 1552. Her regency ended when she was informed of the death of her son Orazio in 1553, and she departed for Parma, where she settled for the rest of her life. She died at the

Palazzo Farnese Palazzo Farnese () or Farnese Palace is one of the most important High Renaissance palaces in Rome. Owned by the Italian Republic, it was given to the French government in 1936 for a period of 99 years, and currently serves as the French emb ...

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

in 1590. She was buried at the Farnese crypt at the

Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata The Shrine of Santa Maria della Steccata is a Greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy. The name derives from the fence (Italian: ''steccato'') in the church. A Nursing Madonna is enshrined within, crowned on 27 May 1601 by ...

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

Issue

# Vittoria Farnese (10 August 1519 – 13 December 1602) married Guidobaldo della Rovere, Duke of Urbino and had issue. # Alessandro Farnese (5 October 1520 – 2 March 1589) never married. #

Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma Ottavio Farnese (9 October 1524 – 18 September 1586) reigned as Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1547 until his death and Duke of Castro from 1545 to 1547 and from 1553 until his death. Biography Born in Valentano, Ottavio was the second ...

(9 October 1524 – 18 September 1586) married

Margaret of Parma Margaret of Parma (; 5 July 1522 – 18 January 1586) was Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582. She was the illegitimate daughter of the then 22-year-old Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Johanna Maria van der Gh ...

and had issue. # Ranuccio Farnese (11 August 1530 – 1565) died unmarried. #

Orazio Farnese, Duke of Castro Orazio Farnese, Duke of Castro ( Valentano, February 1532 – Hesdin, 18 July 1553) was the third duke of Castro. He was the son of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma, and his wife Gerolama Orsini. He married Diane de France on 14 February 1552. O ...

(1532 – 18 July 1558) married

Diane de France Diane de France, ''suo jure'' Duchess of Angoulême (25 July 1538 – 11 January 1619) was the natural (illegitimate) daughter of Henry II of France. She played an important political role during the French Wars of Religion and built the H� ...

no issue.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orsini, Gerolama 1504 births 1590 deaths Gerolama House of Farnese Gerolama 16th-century Italian nobility 16th-century Italian women Duchesses of Castro Burials at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata Nobility from Rome People from Pitigliano 16th-century women rulers 16th-century viceregal rulers