Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma

Ranuccio I
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
Reign	3 December 1592 – 5 March 1622
Predecessor	Alessandro
Successor	Odoardo
Born	(1569-03-28)28 March 1569 Parma, Parma
Died	Parma, Parma
Consort	Margherita Aldobrandini
Issue	Prince Ottavio Maria, Duchess of Modena and Reggio Odoardo, Duke of Parma Vittoria, Duchess of Modena Cardinal Francesco Maria
House	House of Farnese
Father	Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Mother	Infanta Maria of Guimarães
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Ranuccio I Farnese (28 March 1569 – 5 March 1622) reigned as Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1592. A firm believer in absolute monarchy, Ranuccio, in 1594, centralised the administration of Parma and Piacenza, thus rescinding the nobles' hitherto vast prerogative. He is best remembered for the "Great Justice" of 1612, which saw the executions of a large number of Piacentine nobles suspected of plotting against him. Because one of the conspirators, Gianfrancesco Sanvitale, falsely implicated several Italian princes, namely Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena, in the plot, Vincenzo and Cesare's names appeared on the list of conspirators during formal court proceedings; as a result, Ranuccio's reputation among the rulers of Italy was irreparably damaged because it was evident that he gave credence to Gianfrancesco's obviously false confession. When, consequently, in the early 1620s, Ranuccio was looking for a bride for his younger legitimate son and heir, Odoardo, none of the Italian ruling families were forthcoming with princesses. He did, however, manage to engineer a match with Margherita de' Medici, daughter of Cosimo II of Tuscany.

The husband of Margherita Aldobrandini, niece of Pope Clement VIII, Ranuccio, the son of a Portuguese infanta, was considered as a potential king of Portugal when his childless great-uncle King Henry I died. The throne, however, passed to Philip II of Spain, whose troops had promptly occupied the country after Henry I's death.

His great-uncle Henry I of Portugal's death triggered the struggle for the throne of Portugal when Ranuccio was 11 years old. As the son of the late elder daughter of Infante Edward, 4th Duke of Guimarães, the only son of King Manuel I whose legitimate descendants survived at that time, Ranuccio was according to the feudal custom the first heir to the throne of Portugal. However his father was an ally and even a subject of the Spanish king, another contender, so Ranuccio's rights were not very forcibly claimed. Instead, Ranuccio's mother's younger sister Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, claimed the throne, very ambitiously, but failed.

Under Ranuccio I's rule, the dukedom annexed the territories of Colorno, Sala Baganza, and Montechiarugolo. He guided a cultural renewal in the city of Parma, supporting the arts and constructing the 4,500 seat Farnese Theater. Numerous improvements and monuments in Parma were constructed under Ranuccio I at his behest, including a revitalization of the University of Parma and the final expansion of the city walls. Construction of the Palazzo della Pilotta, the court palace of the Farnese family, was completed in 1620.

Ranuccio was succeeded by his son Odoardo, initially under the regency of Ranuccio's brother, Odoardo Farnese.

Issue

He married Donna Margarita Aldobrandini—the daughter of Don Giovanni Francesco Aldobrandini, Prince of Carpineto and his wife the heiress Donna Olimpia Aldobrandini, Princess Campinelli—on 7 May 1600 in Rome, St. Sixtus. The couple had nine children:

• Alessandro Francesco Maria Farnese (8 August 1602), died at birth
• Maria Farnese (5 September 1603), died at birth
• Alessandro Farnese (5 September 1610), died at birth
• Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma (28 April 1612 – 11 September 1646), married Margherita de' Medici and had issue
• Onorato Farnese (7 July 1613 – 28 February 1614), died in infancy
• Maria Caterina Farnese (18 February 1615 – 25 July 1646), married Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena and had issue
• Maria Farnese (29 Apr 1618), died at birth
• Vittoria Farnese (29 April 1618 – 10 Aug 1649), married Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena and had issue
• Francesco Maria Farnese (19 August 1620 – 13 July 1647), Cardinal

Ancestry

Family of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma

16. Pope Paul III               8. Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma                       17. Silvia Ruffini               4. Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma                             18. Luigi Orsini               9. Girolama Orsini                       19. Giulia Conti               2. Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma                                   20. Philip I of Castile               10. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor                       21. Joanna of Castile               5. Margaret of Austria                             22. Gilles Johann van der Gheynst               11. Johanna Maria van der Gheynst                       23. Johanna van der Caye van Cocambi               1. Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma                                         24. Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu               12. Manuel I of Portugal                       25. Infanta Beatrice of Portugal               6. Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães                             26. Ferdinand II of Aragon               13. Maria of Aragon and Castile                       27. Isabella I of Castile               3. Infanta Maria of Guimarães                                   28. Fernando II, Duke of Braganza               14. James, Duke of Braganza                       29. Infanta Isabella of Viseu               7. Isabel of Braganza                             30. Juan Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Afán de Ribera, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia               15. Eleonor of Mendoza                       31. Isabel de Velasco or Leonor de Zúñ

References

Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma House of Farnese Born: 28 March 1569 Died: 5 March 1622
Regnal titles
Preceded by Alessandro	Duke of Parma and Piacenza 1592–1622	Succeeded by Odoardo
	Duke of Castro 1592–1622