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unusual facts about Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma



County of Montechiarugolo

The title was held by the Torelli family in his whole history, until in 1612 it was annexed by Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma.

Duke of Parma

The Duke of Parma also usually held the title of Duke of Guastalla from 1735 (when Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor took it from Mantua) to 1847 (when the territory was ceded to Modena), again, except for the Napoleonic dukes, when Napoleon's sister Pauline was Duchess of Guastalla and of Varella.

Gerolama Orsini

Gerolama Orsini (1504–1570) sometimes Girolama Orsini was a member of the House of Orsini and the wife of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma.

In 1513 an engagement contract between Orsini and Pier Luigi Farnese was drawn up, and in 1519 the wedding celebrated at Valentano.

Giulio Alberoni

During the War of the Spanish Succession Alberoni laid the foundation of his political success by the services he rendered to Louis-Joseph, duc de Vendôme, commander of the French forces in Italy, to whom the duke of Parma had sent him.

Margherita Farnese

On 2 March 1581 she married Vincenzo Gonzaga, the future duke of Mantua, probably with the political aim of creating an anti-Florentine alliance between the Gonzaga and Farnese families, after their long feud since 1547, when Ferrante Gonzaga had organised a plot against Pier Luigi Farnese first duke of Parma and Piacenza.

Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma

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.

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 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.


see also