FARNESE, ALEXANDER , duke of Parma, general, statesman and diplomatist, governor-general of the Netherlands under Philip II. of Spain, was born at Rome on Aug. and died at the abbey of St. Waast, near Arras, on Dec. 3, 1592. He was the son of Ottavio Farnese, duke of Parma, and Margaret of Austria, natural daughter of Charles V. He accompanied his mother to Brussels when she was appointed governor of the Netherlands, and in 1565 his marriage with the princess Maria of Portugal was celebrated in Brussels with great splendour. Alexander Farnese had been brought up in Spain with his cousin, the ill-fated Don Carlos, and his uncle Don John of Austria, and after his marriage lived at the court of Madrid. He fought under the command of Don John in 1571 at Lepanto. In the autumn of 1577 Farnese was sent with reinforcements to Don John of Austria, governor-general of the Netherlands, and it was mainly his prompt decision at a critical moment that won the battle of Gemblours (1578). Shortly afterwards Don John died, and Farnese was appointed to take his place.
In military ability Farnese was inferior to none of his con temporaries, as a skilful diplomatist he was the match even of William the Silent, and he was untroubled by scruples. He fomented the divisions and jealousies between Catholic and Prot estant, Fleming and Walloon, and by the treaty of Arras, Jan. he secured the support of the "Malcontents," as the Catholic nobles of the south were styled, to the royal cause. The reply to the treaty of Arras was the Union of Utrecht, concluded a few weeks later between the seven northern provinces, who abjured the sovereignty of King Philip and bound themselves to use all their resources to maintain their independence of Spanish rule.
Farnese, as soon as he had obtained a secure basis of opera tions in Hainaut and Artois, set to work to reconquer Brabant and Flanders. Tournai, Maastricht, Breda, Bruges and Ghent opened their gates, and finally he laid siege (1584) to Antwerp. The town was resolutely defended by the citizens under Philip de Marnix, lord of St. Aldegonde, who was assisted by the engineer Gianibelli (q.v.). Farnese cut off all access to Antwerp from the sea by constructing a bridge of boats across the Scheldt from Calloo to Oordam. On Aug. 15, 1585, Antwerp was compelled by famine to capitulate. The whole of the southern Netherlands was brought once more to recognize the authority of Philip. But Holland and Zeeland continued to defy Farnese (see NETHER LANDS : History).
In 1586 Alexander Farnese became duke of Parma by the death of his father. Philip would not permit him to leave the Nether lands ; but neither would he permit him to use his veteran army to reconquer the Northern Provinces, though the moment was oppor tune. The king's whole energies were directed to the preparation of an Invincible Armada for the conquest of England, and Parma was ordered to collect an enormous flotilla of transports and to keep his army concentrated and trained for the projected invasion of the island realm of Queen Elizabeth. Thus the critical period passed by unused, and in the interval the Dutch had found in the youthful Maurice of Nassau, a military genius. Moreover, the accession to the throne of France of Henry of Navarre had relieved the pressure upon the Dutch, and placed Parma and his army between hostile forces. The expenditure upon the Armada had depleted the Spanish treasury, and in 1590 Farnese could get no regular supplies of money from the king for the payment of the soldiery, and he had to pledge his own jewels. A mutiny broke out, but was suppressed. Parma now received orders to raise the siege of Paris, which was blockaded by Henry IV. He left the Netherlands on Aug. 3, 1590, at the head of 15,00o troops. By brilliant generalship he outwitted Henry and succeeded in relieving Paris; but owing to lack of money and supplies he was compelled immediately to retreat to the Netherlands, abandon ing on the march many stragglers and wounded.
Again in in the midst of a campaign against Maurice of Nassau, Parma was obliged to march to relieve Rouen. He succeeded but was wounded before Caudebec, and was finally compelled to withdraw his army. He died at Arras on Dec. 3, 1J92. He was honoured by a splendid funeral at Brussels, but his body was interred at his own capital city of Parma. He lef t two sons, Ranuccio who succeeded him, and Edward, who was created a cardinal in 1591 by Pope Gregory XIV. His daughter Margaret married Vincent, duke of Mantua.
See L. P. Gachard, Correspondance d'Alexandre Farnese, Prince de Parme, gouverneur general des Pays-Bas, avec Philippe II., (Brussels, 18o) ; Pietro Fea, Alessandro Farnese, duca di Parma (t886).