Marguerite of Parma
Marguerite of Parma or Marguerite of Austria , in Italian Margherita d' Austria (Audenarde, December 28th 1522 - Ortona January 18th 1586), duchess of Parma and Plaisance, is a natural girl of Charles Quint.
Youth
Marguerite is born in Audenarde, in Flandres, of the emperor Charles Quint and Jeanne Van der Gheynst, girl of a tapestry maker, maidservant of Charles de Lalaing, lord of Montigny. She was recognized by her father and was educated according to the precepts planned for her row. Its préceptrice was Marguerite girl of Maximilien of Austria governor of the the Netherlands.In one time characterized by political wars and nuns which ignited all the continent, it became a fundamental pawn in the play of alliances.
In 1533 it accepted in dowry the strongholds of Penne, Campli, Leonessa, Cittaducale and Montereale and it was promised with Alexandre de Médicis known as Alexandre the Moor , duke of Tuscany, which, to marry it, had to wait a few years. Their marriage was not happy because of the character of the husband. In 1537 Alexandre was assassinated by his cousin Lorenzino de Médicis and Marguerite was again free.
The marriage with Farnèse Octave
The condition of widow of Marguerite convainquit Paul III, in 1538, to ask its hand for his/her small son Octave Farnèse, wire of Pierre Louis Farnèse and duke heir to Castro, but Marguerite, ten seven years old, after having been duchess of Florence, aspired to good other things to marry Octave old of only fifteen years.Marguerite did not like Octave that she did not judge worthy of her row even if the pope accumulated for him the honors, the loads, the richnesses. She had to yield for reasons of State and she presented herself to Rome vêtue of black to show with all her dissension.
The marriage was celebrated the November 4th in the Chapelle Sixtine in the presence of the pope.
Paul III put all works about it so that the properties of Alexandre de Médicis in Rome are acquired with his/her new little girl.
The marriage did not appear happy; Octave was shown not very understanding and missed delicacy whereas Marguerite sought by all the means not to consume the marriage because of her preference for the women what made much discuss its contemporaries, it thought continuously of the court of Médicis.
According to the dispatches which Charles Quint received, it seems of Paul III and Pierre Louis made very to go up the moral one of Marguerite while Octave carried out a night life nonworthy of a grandson of pope.
In 1545, there were two fundamental events: the creation of the duchy of Parma in favor of Pierre Louis Farnèse, with for consequence the nomination by Octave of the duchy of Castro and the birth of twins.
Marguerite remained duchess of Castro until in 1547, year of died of Pierre Louis, Octave assumed the load of duke of Parma.
The August 27th 1545 Charles and Alexandre were born. Their baptism took place with Sant' Eustachio , in the presence of nineteen cardinals and godfathers of exception: Charles Quint and the queen of France. 1547, harmful year because of died of Pierre Louis, was the year when the couple Marguerite-Octave was resoldered. The courage shown by Octave for the reconquest of Parma vis-a-vis the ambitions of the Emperor and the pope led Marguerite to make a new assessment against her husband, feeling made up of friendship and comprehension.
During the war of Parma fought between Octave combined with king de France and the combined pope with Charles Quint, Marguerite always remained downtown what comforted, by its presence, the Parmesans.
After the war, the emperor, feeling his death to come, recommended Marguerite to his half brother Philippe II of Spain which developed a policy of bringing together with the duchy of Parma.
Among the agreements taken, there was the clause which his/her Alexandre son was to be placed under the supervision of king d' Espagne. In 1556 Marguerite in person accompanied Alexandre with Brussels where Philippe II was.
Controlling of the Netherlands
In 1559, Philippe II named Marguerite governor of the Netherlands which were in revolt against the Spanish domination. Marguerite started from Plaisance the May 25th in the middle of the acclamations of crowd. When it joined Ghent, the king presented it to the State-Generals and he conferred the full powerss to him.She sought a mediation to prevent that a revolt did not burst, softening the policy anticalvinist whom carried out Philippe II in order to bring the most moderate elements closer to the Flemish company towards the royal authority. However a conflict burst which finished in its favor, the royal authority and the catholic worship were restored. The dissensions with his/her brother led it to ask for the end of its load, it was replaced by the duke of Alba. Of 1579 with 1581, it turned over in Flandres accompanied by his/her Alexandre son as governor of this country but because of his hostility, Philippe II revoked it the December 13rd.
In 1586, at the 64 years age, she died in Ortona, in the the Abruzzi, the same year as her husband. She is buried in Plaisance.
She liked to be done called " Madama" , for this reason the Roman palate inherited Médicis is called Palais Madama, seat of current Sénat and it is for the same reason that is a Villa Madama with Monte Mario and a Castel Madama (castle) with Tivoli.