Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza
| Alessandro Farnese | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Farnese by Jean Baptiste de Saive
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| Duke of Parma and Piacenza | |
| Reign | 15 September 1586 – 3 December 1592 |
| Predecessor | Ottavio |
| Successor | Ranuccio I |
| Governor of the Spanish Netherlands | |
| Reign | 1 October 1578 - 3 December 1592 |
| Predecessor | John of Austria |
| Successor | Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort |
| Born |
27 August 1545 Rome, Papal States |
| Died | 3 December 1592 (aged 47) Arras, France |
| Spouse | Infanta Maria of Portugal |
| Issue |
Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma Margherita Farnese, Duchess of Mantua Cardinal Oddoardo |
| House | House of Farnese |
| Father | Ottavio Farnese |
| Mother | Margaret of Parma |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Alexander Farnese (Italian: Alessandro Farnese, Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio) (27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. He is best known for his successful campaign 1578-1592 against the Dutch Revolt, in which he captured the main cities in the south (now Belgium) and returned them to the control of Catholic Spain. His talents as a field commander, strategist and organizer earned him the regard of his contemporaries and military historians as the first captain of his age.
Alessandro was the son of Duke Ottavio Farnese of Parma (a grandchild of Pope Paul III) and Margaret, the illegitimate daughter of the King of Spain and Habsburg Emperor Charles V. He had a twin brother, Charles, who only lived one month. His mother was the half-sister of Philip II of Spain and John of Austria. He led a significant military and diplomatic career in the service of Spain under the service of his uncle the King. He fought in the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and then in the Netherlands against the rebels.
He accompanied his mother to Brussels when she was appointed Governor of the Netherlands. In 1565 his marriage with Maria of Portugal was celebrated in Brussels with great splendour. Alexander Farnese had been brought up in Spain with his cousin, the ill-fated Don Carlos, and Don John, both of whom were about the same age as himself, and after his marriage he took up his residence at once in the court of Madrid.
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Wikipedia