Alessandro Farnese (cardinal)
On the 7th of October 1520, a boy named Alessandro Farnese drew his first breath inside the family castle at Valentano. This small town sat in Tuscany, now part of the province of Viterbo. His father was Pierluigi Farnese, who held the title Duke of Parma. His mother was Girolama Orsini, daughter of Ludovico Orsini, seventh Conte di Pitigliano. The boy entered a world already defined by power and bloodlines.
His grandfather, also named Alessandro Farnese, had risen to become Pope Paul III just two months before Alessandro's birth. The connection between the old Pope and his new grandson would shape every decision made for the child. Young Alessandro studied alongside his cousin Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora at Bologna. They attended the Collegio Ancarano, an institution founded in the 15th century by Petrus de Ancarano for students specializing in legal studies.
The path from student to ruler began with startling speed. On the 18th of December 1534, when he was only fourteen years old, Alessandro received the appointment as Cardinal Deacon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. His grandfather Paul III had been elected to the papacy just two months prior. This rapid ascent set a pattern that would define his entire career.
Alessandro Farnese accumulated church offices faster than any other man of his generation could manage them. He became Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church on the 13th of August 1535. That specific office produced the highest annual income of all curial positions available at the time. He held this post until his death on the 2nd of March 1589.
He also served as Governor of Tivoli from 1535 until 1550. The position required him to manage a town located near Rome. He later became Archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica between 1537 and 1543. Then he took over the role of Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica from 1543 until 1589. These titles were not merely ceremonial; they brought vast financial resources into his household.
His administrative reach extended far beyond Italy. He was appointed Administrator of Jaen, Spain, starting on the 30th of July 1535. He managed the Diocese of Vizeu in Portugal from 1547 to 1552. In 1536, Emperor Charles V named him archbishop of Monreale in Sicily. He collected the income from these distant dioceses while sending agents to handle local affairs. One-quarter of the fruits from the Diocese of Viseu was reserved for repairing the cathedral fabric.
Cardinal Farnese acted as Papal Legate to arrange peace between warring monarchs. He left Rome on the 29th of November 1539 to attempt an agreement between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Francis I of France. He entered Paris on the 31st of December that same year. The journey continued to Rouen where he met with the King on the 14th of January 1540.
He traveled to Flanders on the 17th of February to meet the Emperor. This meeting lasted three months before he returned to Paris on the 14th of May. A final audience with King Francis took place at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on the 17th. He arrived back in Rome on the 5th of June 1540. These diplomatic missions required constant travel across Europe during a time when roads were dangerous and communication slow.
In 1548, he hired Annibale Caro as his private secretary. Caro was a noted poet and prose stylist who had previously served Alessandro's father Pierluigi. After Pierluigi's murder on the 10th of September 1547, Caro worked for Duke Ottavio Farnese and then for Cardinal Ranuccio Farnese, Alessandro's younger brother. This partnership allowed the Cardinal to manage complex political correspondence with literary grace.
Papal conclaves became the primary arena for Alessandro Farnese's political maneuvering. In 1555, he did not participate in the first conclave held from the 5th to the 9th of April following Pope Julius III's death. He was serving as Legate in Avignon and avoided the unwelcome attention of the new Pope. When news of the Pope's death reached him, he traveled immediately to Rome carrying letters from Henri II of France favoring Cardinal Reginald Pole.
He arrived after the middle of April, too late to influence the initial vote. The French cardinals were absent, giving the Imperial faction an advantage. A second conclave opened on the 15th of May with eight additional cardinals. The leading candidate seemed to be Cardinal Carafa, but the Emperor Charles V opposed him. The Imperial faction favored Cardinals Carpi, Morone, and Pole.
In 1556, Cardinal Farnese commissioned Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola to transform a half-completed fortress at Caprarola into a country villa. Actual construction began in 1559 and finished in 1573. Even while only half complete, he hired Taddeo Zuccari and his workshop to decorate rooms on the lower floor between 1561 and 1563. The Stanza della solitudine received decoration from the same artists between 1563 and 1565
according to a design created by Onufrio Panvinio.
He acquired land on the Palatine hill in Rome during 1500. Roman ruins from the palace built by Emperor Tiberius filled the northwest end were converted into formal gardens. These Farnese Gardens became one of the first botanical gardens in Europe. Acacia farnesiana takes its name from these grounds, as does the biochemical compound farnesol derived from their floral essence.
His architectural patronage extended to the Church of the Gesù in Rome. He also restored the Villa Farnese near Lake Bracciano and rebuilt the monastery Tre Fontane. The Church of the Gesù stands today as one of the great monuments of Counter-Reformation religious architecture.
Under the direction of his curator Fulvio Orsini, the Farnese collections grew systematically. He collected ancient coins and commissioned modern medals. Paintings by Titian, Michelangelo, and Raphael adorned his walls. He possessed an important collection of drawings and commissioned Giulio Clovio's masterpiece, the Farnese Hours. This illuminated manuscript took nine years to complete and finished in 1546 before moving to the Morgan Library in New York.
He died quietly on the 2nd of March 1589 at the age of sixty-eight. Cardinal Farnese was buried before the high altar in the Church of the Gesù. Forty-two cardinals participated in his funeral ceremonies. An inscription above the church door commemorates his role in establishing the Jesuit Order and building the church from foundations up during the Jubilee Year of 1575.
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Common questions
When and where was Alessandro Farnese born?
Alessandro Farnese drew his first breath on the 7th of October 1520 inside the family castle at Valentano. This small town is located in Tuscany, now part of the province of Viterbo.
How old was Alessandro Farnese when he became a Cardinal Deacon?
Alessandro Farnese received the appointment as Cardinal Deacon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria on the 18th of December 1534 when he was only fourteen years old. His grandfather Pope Paul III had been elected to the papacy just two months prior.
What diplomatic missions did Alessandro Farnese undertake between 1539 and 1540?
Cardinal Farnese left Rome on the 29th of November 1539 to arrange peace between Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and Francis I of France. He traveled through Paris Rouen and Flanders before returning to Rome on the 5th of June 1540.
Which architectural projects did Alessandro Farnese commission during his lifetime?
Cardinal Farnese commissioned Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola to transform a fortress at Caprarola into a country villa from 1559 until 1573. He also restored the Villa Farnese near Lake Bracciano and rebuilt the monastery Tre Fontane.
When did Alessandro Farnese die and where is he buried?
Alessandro Farnese died quietly on the 2nd of March 1589 at the age of sixty-eight. Cardinal Farnese was buried before the high altar in the Church of the Gesù.