Orazio Farnese

Marriage of Orazio Farneses to Diane de France, fresco in the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola

Orazio Farnese (* 1531 in Valentano ; † July 18, 1553 in Hesdin ) was the fourth son of Pier Luigi II Farnese (and thus the grandson of Pope Paul III ), and Gerolama Orsini. He was the third Duke of Castro .

biography

Orazio Farnese was born in Valentano Castle. His brothers were the cardinals Alessandro Farnese and Ranuccio Farnese and Ottavio Farnese , the Duke of Parma . In 1543, at the age of twelve, he was sent to the French court for education for diplomatic reasons (the Farnese wanted to maintain the balance between France and the emperor). Four years later, in June 1547, a marriage contract was signed between agents of King Henry II and the Pope, concerning Orazio and Diane de France , the king's illegitimate daughter. Orazio received the commitment to the Duchy of Castro and a pension of 25,000 ECU. With Pier Luigi's death in the same year, he was succeeded in the duchy, in addition, Orazio was appointed prefect of Rome.

In 1551, in connection with the conflict over Parma (Pope Paul III died in 1549), he lost the office of prefect and also the duchy, which was confiscated from and occupied by papal garrisons in all fortified places. 1552 was in Julius III. after the peace agreement the duchy returned.

The wedding with Diane took place on February 14, 1553 at the expense of Henry II in Paris. In the summer of the same year he was in Hesdin on the border with Artois when Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy besieged the city on behalf of Emperor Charles V. The Duke of Castro was killed on July 18, 1553 by a projectile from an arquebus .

Since Diane was not pregnant and Orazio Farnese thus had no heir, the Duchy of Castro passed into the hands of his brother Ottavio Farnese.

predecessor	Office	successor
Ottavio Farnese	Duke of Castro 1547–1553	Ottavio Farnese