Alessandro Farnese was an Italian military leader, who was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1678 until 1682.

He is not to be confused with his better known great-grandfather Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma

Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...

. This Alessandro was often called Alessandro di Odoardo (son of Odoardo).

His title was Prince of Parma. His elder brother Ranuccio II

Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma

Ranuccio II Farnese was the sixth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1646 until his death nearly 50 years later.-Birth and Succession:...

 was the sixth Duke of Parma

Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....

 and Piacenza

Piacenza

Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...

 .

Biography

He was born in Parma

Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....

, the second son of Odoardo Farnese

Odoardo Farnese

Odoardo Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1622 to 1646.-Biography:Odoardo was the sole legitimate son of Ranuccio I Farnese and Margherita Aldobrandini...

, fifth Duke of Parma, and Margherita de Medici

Medici

The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...

.

He was general in the army of Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

, fighting the Turks

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 and later admiral in the Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

.

He became governor of the Southern Netherlands after the Franco-Dutch War

Franco-Dutch War

The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...

, which was mainly fought on its territory, but in which Spain had played no part.

Alexander died in Madrid in 1689.

Family

By his mistress Maria Lao y Carillo had the following children:

• Alessandro Odoardo (Badajoz, 12 April 1663 – Cacéres, 21 mei 1666)
• Alessandro Maria (Badajoz, 30 oktober 1664 – 28 September 1726), Colonel in Spanish army
• Margherita (Badajoz, 5 juni 1665 – Parma, November 1718), nun in Parma
• Isabella (Badajoz, 19 September 1666 – Parma, 27 December 1741), nun in Parma