Charles III (20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was a king of Spain and the oldest son of Philip V and Elisabeth Farnese. He ruled Spain from 1759 until his death in 1788. After he died, his son, Charles IV, became king. He was also the king of Naples and Sicily from 1734 until 1759. In those places he was known as Charles VII of Naples and Charles V of Sicily. He was the builder of the Palace of Caserta as well as the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Real Albergo dei Poveri in Naples.
Charles III grew up in Madrid. When he was 16 years old, he went to live in Parma, a city in Italy. He ruled that city, and the nearby city of Piacenza as their Duke from 1731 until 1734. In 1738 he married the Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony. They had 13 children. Only 8 of them lived to be adults.