Ranuccio II Farnese
Ranuccio II Farnese (born September 17, 1630 , † December 11, 1694 ) was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1646 to 1694 and belonged to the ducal house of Farnese , which ruled in Parma and Piacenza .
Life
Since the son of Duke Odoardo I Farnese and Princess Margherita de 'Medici (1612–1679) was still a minor when their father died in 1646, mother and uncle, Cardinal Francesco Maria Farnese (1619–1647), reigned until he was 1648 reached the age of eighteen. The French government offered him marriage to Cardinal Mazarin's niece ; despite the political and financial advantages that would have been associated with it, Ranuccio declined because he wanted a bride from a sovereign family. In the war between France and Spain, which lasted until 1659, he remained neutral, but had to allow their troops to cross his territory.
Foreign policy
In 1649 the second war for Castro broke out. Without Duke Ranuccio's consent, Pope Innocent X. had installed Cristoforo Giarda as bishop in his domain Castro , a papal fiefdom. When Giarda was murdered on March 19, 1649 before his arrival in the diocese, the Pope blamed the Duke, besieged Castro and razed it to the ground. Also in the ensuing battle near Bologna , the papal ones remained victorious. In 1650 Castro was drafted as a completed pontifical marriage.
In 1657 Ranuccio managed to conclude a repurchase agreement about Castro. Since he lacked the necessary money, the duchy remained with the Pope and was confirmed as papal property in the Peace of Pyrenees in 1659 , albeit with a repurchase option for Parma for eight years. In the following years Ranuccio tried every possible way to get money for the repurchase; but the sum of 814,865 Scudi finally offered to the Curia in 1666 was rejected as too small and Castro's confiscation was definitely pronounced.
Ranuccio had finally given up his plans for Castro, but bought the principality of Bardi and Compiano for the money in 1672 , with which the Parmesian duchy was expanded for the last time. During the Palatine War of Succession from 1689 to 1697, the neutral Parma was partly traversed and plundered by imperial troops under Prince Eugene of Savoy , including committing crimes against the civilian population.
Domestic politics
In terms of domestic politics, Ranuccio II tried to modernize. To reduce unemployment, he issued an export ban on unprocessed silk, carried out judicial reform, founded two academies and the Ducal Theater, and put on an extensive collection of works of art and books. Under him, the Farnese properties that remained in Rome were transferred to Parma. Musically inclined, he promoted ballet and opera and drew the composer Marco Uccellini to his court.
Marriages and offspring
Ranuccio Farnese was married to Margaret of Savoy (* November 15, 1635 - April 29, 1663), daughter of Duke Vittorio Amadeo I , since April 29, 1660 . She died in childbed two days after the birth of the second child, who died the next day. The first child died on the day it was born.
For the second time he married his cousin Isabella d'Este (born October 3, 1635, † August 21, 1666) on February 18, 1664, daughter of Duke Francesco I d'Este of Modena , with whom he had three children. She also died in childbed.
- Margherita Maria Farnese (November 24, 1664 - June 17, 1718) ⚭ July 14, 1692 Francesco II. D'Este (1660–1694), Duke of Modena
- Teresa Farnese (October 10, 1665; † 1702) ⚭ July 29, 1695 Gustav II. Merten (1655–1720), Count of Merten
- Odoardo II Farnese (1666–1693), Hereditary Duke of Parma and Piacenza, who died before his father.
In October 1668 Ranuccio married the base Maria d'Este (* December 8, 1644, † August 20, 1684), a half-sister of the second wife. With her he had seven children, two of whom grew up.
- Francesco Farnese (1678–1727), Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1694
- Antonio Farnese (1679–1731), from 1727 last Duke of Parma and Piacenza of the Farnese family.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Odoardo I. Farnese |
Duke of Parma 1646–1694 |
Francesco Farnese |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Farnese, Ranuccio II. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Duke of Parma and Piacenza (1646–1694) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 17th September 1630 |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 11, 1694 |