Individual Details
Pier Luigi Farnese Duke of Parma
(19 Nov 1503 - 10 Sep 1547)
Pier Luigi was born in 1503, the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, possibly by Silvia Ruffini, a Roman noblewoman who gave birth by Alessandro to three other sons. He was the namesake of his grandfather Pier Luigi.
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 Julius II. He was given a famous humanist tutor, Baldassare Malosso di Castalmaggiore, nicknamed Tranquillius; and quickly developed a love of war and fortifications. Alessandro was, however, keen to make Pier Luigi the true head of the Farnese family and so arranged a favourable marriage alliance with Gerolana Orsini, daughter of Lodovico Orsini, conte di Pitigliano, and Giulia Conti. In 1513 the engagement contract was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding was celebrated. Despite a loveless marriage, Gerolana remained a faithful, devoted wife, tolerating Pier Luigi's excesses, brutality, and extravagance 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 was born. However, Pier Luigi quickly began to tire of quiet palace life. Another four children would be born to the marriage. Alessandro, Ottavio and Vittoria would have progeny.
When his father was elevated to the papacy as Paul III, in 1534 Pier Luigi was named _Gonfaloniere_ (captain-general) of the Church. In 1537 he became duke of Castro, then marquis of Novara, and finally in 1545 the pope detached lands from the papal dominions, in spite of the cardinals' opposition, to create the duchy of Parma and Piacenza for his son.
Pier Luigi took possession of his new states on 23 September 1456. His firm rule and his taxes gained him the enmity 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.
Pier Luigi was a man of infamous habits, quite unfit for the high dignities conferred on him. His father the pope in 1535 had a letter sent to Pier Luigi about his scandalous behaviour: '...(the pope), having heard that you kept with you those young men, the same he spoke to you about at his departure for Perugia, was so annoyed that I cannot easily express, and he is grieving for three reasons - one being God's service, as he feels that as long as you persist in such a sin you cannot obtain any good; another being the honour of the (Farnese) House; and the third, the little care you have about His Holiness' orders, as he several times and on many occasion forbade you to do such things. You will therefore send the young men away from you, also because, going at the court of the Emperor, who hates such kind of vice, it will be more than certain that you cannot take these youths with you without a great infamy and shame, not only in front of His Majesty but also in face of the great other men (of the empire)....'
Notwithstanding his father's concerns and admonitions, in 1537 in the town of Fano (central Italy), Pier Luigi raped the 24-year-old bishop Cosimo Gheri while his servants tied the young prelate down. The bishop died 40 days later.
A letter exists from the chancellor of the Florentine embassy detailing a manhunt Pier Luigi had mounted in Rome to search for a youth who had refused his advances. Much of this was later used in Protestant polemic against the Catholic Church.
In 1547 a conspiracy was mounted against him by the counts Francesco Anguissola and Agostino Landi and the marqueses 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.
Source: Leo van de Pas
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 Julius II. He was given a famous humanist tutor, Baldassare Malosso di Castalmaggiore, nicknamed Tranquillius; and quickly developed a love of war and fortifications. Alessandro was, however, keen to make Pier Luigi the true head of the Farnese family and so arranged a favourable marriage alliance with Gerolana Orsini, daughter of Lodovico Orsini, conte di Pitigliano, and Giulia Conti. In 1513 the engagement contract was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding was celebrated. Despite a loveless marriage, Gerolana remained a faithful, devoted wife, tolerating Pier Luigi's excesses, brutality, and extravagance 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 was born. However, Pier Luigi quickly began to tire of quiet palace life. Another four children would be born to the marriage. Alessandro, Ottavio and Vittoria would have progeny.
When his father was elevated to the papacy as Paul III, in 1534 Pier Luigi was named _Gonfaloniere_ (captain-general) of the Church. In 1537 he became duke of Castro, then marquis of Novara, and finally in 1545 the pope detached lands from the papal dominions, in spite of the cardinals' opposition, to create the duchy of Parma and Piacenza for his son.
Pier Luigi took possession of his new states on 23 September 1456. His firm rule and his taxes gained him the enmity 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.
Pier Luigi was a man of infamous habits, quite unfit for the high dignities conferred on him. His father the pope in 1535 had a letter sent to Pier Luigi about his scandalous behaviour: '...(the pope), having heard that you kept with you those young men, the same he spoke to you about at his departure for Perugia, was so annoyed that I cannot easily express, and he is grieving for three reasons - one being God's service, as he feels that as long as you persist in such a sin you cannot obtain any good; another being the honour of the (Farnese) House; and the third, the little care you have about His Holiness' orders, as he several times and on many occasion forbade you to do such things. You will therefore send the young men away from you, also because, going at the court of the Emperor, who hates such kind of vice, it will be more than certain that you cannot take these youths with you without a great infamy and shame, not only in front of His Majesty but also in face of the great other men (of the empire)....'
Notwithstanding his father's concerns and admonitions, in 1537 in the town of Fano (central Italy), Pier Luigi raped the 24-year-old bishop Cosimo Gheri while his servants tied the young prelate down. The bishop died 40 days later.
A letter exists from the chancellor of the Florentine embassy detailing a manhunt Pier Luigi had mounted in Rome to search for a youth who had refused his advances. Much of this was later used in Protestant polemic against the Catholic Church.
In 1547 a conspiracy was mounted against him by the counts Francesco Anguissola and Agostino Landi and the marqueses 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.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 19 Nov 1503 | ||||
| Marriage | 1519 | Girolama Orsini | |||
| Death | 10 Sep 1547 |
Families
| Spouse | Girolama Orsini (1504 - 1590) |
| Child | Ottavio Farnese Duke of Parma, Camerino et Piancenza (1524 - 1586) |
| Father | Pope Paulus III (Alessandro Farnese) (1468 - 1549) |
| Mother | Silvia Ruffini (1475 - 1561) |
| Sibling | Constanza Farnese (1500 - ) |