Alessandro Farnese
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: Renaissance
- Categories: Government and Politics, Military History, Land Acquisition and Expansion, Territory Redistribution
- Subcategories: Colonialism, Colonies, Settlements, Generals, Military Officers, Soldiers
- Curriculum: Italian History, Renaissance History
Article abstract: Combining prodigious military ability and political talent, Farnese came close to retaking all of the Netherlands for Spain before imperial distractions and drains on Philip’s finances elsewhere combined to undermine his achievements.
Early Life
Alessandro Farnese had illustrious ancestry. His great-grandfather on his father’s side, for whom he was named, was Pope Paul III. His mother, Margaret of Austria, was the natural daughter of the Emperor Charles V. Two years after his birth, his father, Ottavio Farnese, inherited the Duchy...
[The entire page is 2067 words long]
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