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 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 ...

and Piacenza from 1545 to 1547. Born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Pier Luigi was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (who later became

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

). He became a soldier and participated in the sack of Rome in 1527.

Youth

Pier Luigi Alessandro Farnese was born in 1503 from the union between Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (future Pope Paul III) and probably Silvia Ruffini - a Roman noblewoman who also gave birth with Alessandro to three other children: Costanza, Paolo and Ranuccio. In July 1505, Pope Julius II legitimated Pier Luigi so that he could inherit the Farnese family estates. On 23 June, 1513, Pope Leo X published a second legitimation of Pier Luigi. In spite of the legitimations, 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." He was given a famous humanist tutor, Baldassarre Malosso di Casalmaggiore, nicknamed "Tranquillus," and quickly developed a love of war and fortifications. His father was, however, keen to make Pier Luigi the true head of the Farnese family and so arranged a favourable marriage alliance with Gerolama (also known by the spelling ''Girolama'') 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

Alessandro Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baricco ...

was born.Giovanni Drei, ''I Farnese,'' Parma, 1950

Military career

Pier Luigi Farnese quickly became the stereotype of a mercenary soldier: wild and amoral. He had courage and daring and while strong and audacious was also sufficiently brutal to offend many observers. 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 the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

. As a result, he served under the standard of Charles V — remaining with the emperor until 1527, he was present at the Sack of Rome of that year, in which he took part. While his brother Ranuccio withdrew to

Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...

to defend the Pope; Pier Luigi crossed the Tiber and quartered his men in the family palace, thus saving it from destruction. Critics accused the Farnese of backing both sides, but

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

refused to condemn him. Finally when the plague hit the city, the imperial troops decided to withdraw. Pier Luigi withdrew from Rome into the Roman countryside, taxing it without mercy and permitting a climate of theft and murder. Pope Clement, tired of this behaviour, eventually threatened him with excommunication, until Cardinal Alexander tried diplomatically to reconcile his son with the pope. In 1528 Pier Luigi, still under imperial pay, fought in Apulia against the French army and distinguished himself in the defence of

Manfredonia Manfredonia is a town and commune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and gives its name to the gulf to the east of ...

Captain General of the Church

When his father was elevated to the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

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 (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...

, 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 The captain general of the Church ( it, Capitano generale della Chiesa) was the ''de facto'' commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Papal States during the Middle Ages. The post was usually conferred on an Italian or other noble with a p ...

had become vacant, and Paul nominated his son on 31 January 1537. Pier Luigi travelled through the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

defeating pockets of resistance before arriving in triumph at 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.Knight, Charles. "Farnese", ''Biography'': Or, Third Division of "The English Encyclopedia", Vol. 2, 1867
/ref> To this he added the territory of Ronciglione. 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 Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) : István Márta composer * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river ...

. 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 A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between ...

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 Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. 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. During his life Pier Luigi gained a certain reputation for cruelty, ruthlessness and decadence. A particular 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.Giovanni Dall'Orto, "Un avo poco presentabile", ''Babilonia'', 162 (January 1998). In 1538 his son Ottavio married Margaret of Parma, an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V; thus consolidating the friendship between the Farnese and the imperial family. In 1543 another son, Orazio, was sent to France and eventually married Diane de France - an illegitimate daughter of

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

. Finally in 1545 his third son, Ranuccio, was created a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...

by Paul III.

Duke of Parma and Piacenza

Paul III then went on to make Pier Luigi

and Piacenza, properties that had previously been a part of the

. Pier Luigi and his son,

Ottavio Ottavio is the Italian form of Octavius. Its feminine given name version is Ottavia. Ottavio may refer to: Given name * Ottavio Cinquanta, the President of the International Skating Union * Ottavio Leoni, Italian painter * Ottavio Piccolomini, (15 ...

, declared they would pay 9,000 golden

ducat The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained ...

i every year to the treasury of the Holy See, and, in exchange, they gave back the Duchies of Camerino and Nepi. Pier Luigi took possession of his new states on 23 September 1546.

Conspiracy and death

His tyrannical 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 V, who aimed to unite Parma and Piacenza to the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...

. It was Ferrante Gonzaga the governor of Milan who, having learned that Charles wanted to take possession of the cities, decided to launch a plot against the Farnese, supported by the marquis Anguissola and

Andrea Doria Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; lij, Drîa Döia ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was a Genoese statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime. As the ruler of Genoa, Doria reformed the Rep ...

. Ferrante began to spy on Pier Luigi and sent reports continually to Madrid. Pier Luigi did not remain passive; on 4 June 1547 he arranged the marriage of his daughter, Vittoria, with

Guidobaldo II della Rovere Guidobaldo II della Rovere (2 April 1514 – 28 September 1574) was an Italian condottiero, who succeeded his father Francesco Maria I della Rovere as Duke of Urbino from 1538 until his death in 1574. He was a member of the House of La Rove ...

, the Duke of Urbino. He also continued to work hard on the fortifications of his lands. Charles, concerned about the progress of work in Parma, was persuaded to give free rein to Ferrante to organize a conspiracy against the duke. Marquis Pallavicini Cortemaggiore offered support; but Ferrante preferred to rely on his distant kinsman Louis Gonzaga, Lord of Castel Goffredo and Castiglione, and his brother Count Giovanni Anguissola, governor of Como. Anguissola was able to convince Count Agostino Landi, Marquis Giovan Luigi Confalonieri, and Girolamo Alessandro Pallavicini to join him. 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,Dyer, Thomas Henry. ''Modern Europe 1521-1598'', G. Bell & Sons, 1877
/ref> although subsequent events led to the return of the duchy to Pier-Luigi's son,

in 1551. Following the death of his son, Pope Paul met in consistory and had Ferrante accused of the murder - declaring that Ottavio would succeed his father as the new duke and the new Gonfalonier of the Church. Pier Luigi's body was brought back and buried in Piacenza; later the body was transported to Parma by his wife Gerolama Orsini and then to the family tomb on the island of Bisentina on

Lake Bolsena Lake Bolsena ( it, Lago di Bolsena) is a lake of volcanic origin in the northern part of the province of Viterbo called ''Alto Lazio'' ("Upper Latium") or ''Tuscia'' in central Italy. It is the largest volcanic lake in Europe. Roman histori ...

Marriage and family

Pier Luigi Farnese had married

Girolama Orsini 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 ...

, daughter of Luigi Orsini and wife and first cousin Giulia Conti and paternal granddaughter of the 6th Counts of Pitigliano. They had four children: * Alessandro Farnese, the oldest son, bishop of Parma and Roman Catholic Cardinal *

Ottavio Farnese 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 ...

, Pier Luigi's successor as Duke of Parma * Ranuccio Farnese, Roman Catholic Cardinal * Vittoria Farnese, who married Guidubaldo II, Duke of Urbino He also had an illegitimate son, Orazio, who married Diane de France, illegitimate daughter of

. Letters also exist from Pier Luigi's 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.

Notes

External links

Farnese family tree
from about 1390 to 1766. , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnese, Pier Luigi 1503 births 1547 deaths Illegitimate children of popes Nobility from Rome Pier Luigi Pier Luigi Farnese 16th-century Italian nobility 16th-century LGBT people LGBT people from Italy Pier Luigi LGBT royalty LGBT Roman Catholics Captains General of the Church Military personnel from Rome