Alessandro Farnese (cardinal)
Alessandro Farnese (born 27 September or October 5 or October 7, 1520 in Valentano at Viterbo, † February 28 or March 2 or March 4, 1589 in Rome) was the eldest son of the Duke Pier Luigi Farnese of Parma II and the Gerolama Orsini and Cardinal of the Catholic Church.
On December 18, 1534 Alessandro was, in the year in which his grandfather Paul III. Pope was created 14 -year-old cardinal and first made a cardinal deacon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. In 1535 he moved to the title diakonia of San Lorenzo in Damaso.
He attained to end of life an abundance of functions and honors, including Vice- Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, Governor of Tivoli, Archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Archpriest of the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica, Administrator of Jaén (Castile ), Viseu ( Portugal), Würzburg and of Avignon. In 1536 he became the bishop of Monreale ( Sicily), 1538 Bishop of Massa, 1539 -1550 Titularpatriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop of Tours in 1553 and 1580 Archbishop of Cahors; Bishop of Benevento, Bishop of Montefiascone and since 1564, first cardinal priest, then successively cardinal bishop of several dioceses suburbikarischer last 1580 of Ostia - Velletri and thus dean of the College of Cardinals.
Already in 1538, when 18 -year-old, his grandfather pulled him to direct the policy of the Papal States. In 1546 he was the commander of the papal troops in support Schmalkaldic war on the side of the Emperor Charles V. After the death of his grandfather in 1549, he ran -. Whose sense - the continuation of the Council of Trent ( Second Period 1551-1552 ). 1555, he was for the election of the new Pope Paul IV decisive. In 1580 he was appointed cardinal dean.
He supported the Jesuits, for whom he da Vignola, the Mother Church of the Gesù was built by Giacomo Barozzi, let the Palazzo Farnese finish and commissioned Vignola with the construction of the Villa Farnese in Caprarola ( 1559-1573 ). Its foundations, together with his brother Ranuccio Farnese, also Cardinal, enabled the construction of the Oratory Most Holy Crucifix.