Ranuccio Farnese, called the Elder or il Vecchio (c. 1390 – shortly aft. 2 July 1450), Lord of Farnese, etc, was an Italian nobleman, feudal lord and

condottiero Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...

Life

Born in

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Although inhabited since the Bronze Age, as a Ancient G ...

, son of Pietro Farnese, Lord of Montalto, Latera, Farnese, Valentano, Ischia and Cellere, Captain of the Bolognese Army in 1400 and General Captain of the Army of the Republic of Siena in 1408, who died in 1415, nephew of Pietro Farnese, and wife Pentesilea Dolci, he is considered the founder of the fortunes of the Farnese family. In 1416 Ranuccio succeeded his father as commander-in-chief of the

Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena (, ) was a historic state consisting of the city of Siena and its surrounding territory in Tuscany, Central Italy. It existed for over 400 years, from 1125 to 1555. During its existence, it gradually expanded throughout south ...

's troops, and defeated the

Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: * Aaro ...

Pitigliano Pitigliano is a town in the province of Grosseto, located about south-east of the city of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). The town is known as ''the little Jerusale ...

. In April 1419

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...

appointed him as Senator of Rome, and three years later he received the fiefs of Tessennano and Piansano in the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

. Also serving as

Captain General of the Church The captain general of the Church () was the ''de facto'' commander-in-chief of the Papal States' armed forces (generally, the Papal Army and the Papal Navy) from the Middle Ages into the early modern period. The post was usually conferred on ...

under

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV (; ; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 March 1431 to his death, in February 1447. Condulmer was a Republic of Venice, Venetian, and a nephew ...

, Ranuccio obtained new lands in rewards of the creadits accumulated towards the Apostolic Chamber. These included Montalto di Castro,

Canino Canino is a town and ''comune'' of Italy, in the province of Viterbo (northern Lazio) in the internal part of Maremma Laziale. It is west of Valentano and northwest of Viterbo. It is also near the ancient Etruscan town of Vulci, and the des ...

, and numerous others in the northern

Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

. He died in Ischia.

Marriage and issue

He married c. 1420 Agnese Monaldeschi della Cervara, who died aft. 1450, daughter of Angelo Monaldeschi della Cervara, Patrician of Orvieto, and had: * Gabriele Francesco Farnese (1421/1422 - shortly aft. 1475), Lord of Ischia,

Cellere Cellere is a (municipality) in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region of Latium, located about northwest of Rome and about northwest of Viterbo. The main sight is the church of , designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. History C ...

, Gradoli, Marta, Isola Bisentina, etc, General of the Army of the

in 1450, married in

in 1442 Isabella called Lella Orsini, daughter of Aldobrandino Orsini, Count of Pitigliano and Nola, and had: ** Caterina Farnese (1454/1455 -

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

, 1502), married in 1480 Sigismondo, Count of Castellottieri, Patrician of Perugia ** Ranuccio Farnese (1456 - k.a. Fornovo, 6 July 1495), Lord of Canino and Gradoli, Captain of Florentine Army (1482-1495), Captain of Venetian Army in 1495, married in 1475 Ippolita Pallavicino, daughter of Federico Pallavicino, Marquess of Tabiano, and had: *** Federico Farnese (1480 - 1511), Lord of Canino and Gradoli, married in 1504 Ippolita Sforza (c. 1490 - Canino, 1543), daughter of Federico I Sforza, Count of Santa Fiora, without issue *** Ranuccio Farnese (- aft. 1512), Captain of the Florentine Army, unmarried and without issue *** Isabella Farnese (c. 1480 - 1521), married in September 1493 Giulio Orsini, Count of Pitigliano and Sovana *** Camilla Farnese (1482 -

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, 1550), married Giacomo Savelli, Lord of Palombara (- Rome, 1541) ** Paolo Farnese (1458 - Rome, 1490), Apostolic Protonotary ** Agnese Farnese (Ischia, c. 1460 -

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

, 23 October 1509), married in Siena in 1475 Andrea Todeschini-Piccolomini, Lord of Castiglione della Pescaia and of the Island of the Giglio (Siena, c. 1445 - Siena, December 1505), brother of Pope Pius III and maternal nephew of

Pope Pius II Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...

* Angelo Farnese (1432/1433 - 1463), Captain of the Papal Army, married Costanza Malatesta (1430 - c. 1475), daughter of Galeotto Roberto Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, and had: ** Francesca Farnese (1453 -

Santa Fiora Santa Fiora is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Grosseto, in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about east of Grosseto. Santa Fiora borders the following municipalities: Abbadia San Salvatore, ...

, 1505/1506), married Guido Sforza (c. 1445 - 1508), Count of Santa Fiora * Pier Luigi I Farnese (c. 1435 - November 1487), Lord of Capodimonte, Musignano,

Valentano 250px, View of Valentano. Valentano is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is from the provincial capital, Viterbo. left, 220px, Rocca Farnese in Valentano. The placename is of uncertain ori ...

, Gradoli, Piansano,

and Abbazia al Ponte, Papal Vicar of Canino in 1466, married in

in March 1464 Giovanna called Giovannella Caetani of the Dukes of Sermoneta, daughter of Onorato III Caetani, Duke of Sermoneta, and had: ** Angelo Farnese (Canino, January 1465 - Capodimonte, May 1494), Lord of Canino, Montalto, etc, Captain of the Neapolitan Army 1484-1486, Captain of the Florentine Army 1486-1488, married in

on 11 May 1488 Lella Orsini, daughter of Nicola Orsini, Count of Pitigliano and Sovana, and had: *** Bernardina Farnese (c. 1490 - Mugnano, 1543), married in Rome in 1504 Ulisse Orsini, Marquess of Penna and Lord of Mugnano *** Laura Farnese (1492 - 1527), married in 1507 Guido, Count of Castellottieri, Patrician of Perugia ** Girolama Farnese (Canino, 1466 - killed by her stepson Giovanni Battista dell’Anguillara, Stabia Castle, 1 November 1505), married firstly by proxy in Capodimonte on 10 November 1483 Puccio Pucci, Patrician of Florence (

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, c. 1460 - Rome, 31 August 1494), Ambassador of the

Florentine Republic The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a Italy in the Middle Ages, medieval and Italian Renaissance, early modern state that was centered on the Italian city-states, Italian city of Florence ...

to the Pope, and married secondly in Rome on 15 February 1495 Giuliano Count dell’Anguillara, Lord of Stabia ** Alessandro Farnese,

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

** Beatrice Farnese (Canino, 1469 - Viterbo, 1507), Benedictine nun in 1480, Abbess of San Bernardino Monastery of Viterbo in 1490 ** Giulia Farnese * Pietro Farnese, Captain of the Army of the Common of Orvieto, unmarried and without issue * Caterina Farnese, unmarried and without issue * Violante Farnese, unmarried and without issue * Agnese Farnese, married in 1443 Paolo Savelli, Lord of Rignano * Lucrezia Farnese (c. 1430 - 1487), married c. 1445 Francesco, Count dell’Anguillara, Count of Anguillara Sabazia, Lord of Vetralla, Giove and Viano (c. 1425 - Rome, 1473) * Eugenia Farnese, married in 1455 Stefano called Stefanello Colonna, Lord of Palestrina, Bassanello, Castelnuovo, Anticoli, Carbognano and Roviano, San Cesareo and Genazzano (posthumous Castelnuovo, May 1433 - 1482/1490/c. 1490), General of the Church, and had issue * Pentasilea Farnese, married Costantino di Ruggiero Contranieri, Patrician of Perugia * Francesca Farnese, married Gentile Monaldeschi della Cervara, Count of Castiglione, Patrician of Orvieto * Giulia Farnese (- Rome, 1511), Franciscan tertiary nun

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnese, Ranuccio, Il Vecchio 1390s births 1450 deaths Farnese, Ranuccio Ranuccio Vecchio Farnese, Ranuccio Vecchio Captains General of the Church