Duchy of Parma

The Duchy of Parma was a territory in what is now Italy, existing from 1545 to 1860, with the capital of the same name, Parma.

It was split from the Duchy of Milan in 1545 and originally granted as a fief by Pope Paul III to his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese. However, on taking possession of the fief in 1547, which at that time was confined to the city of Parma, he was murdered by the urban nobility, whereupon imperial troops under Ferrante I Gonzaga forced the surrender of the city to his son Ottavio Farnese. He also received Piacenza in fief, which is why the resulting dominion is inaccurately named the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza.

The Farnese ruled the duchy continuously until their extinction in 1731, after which it fell in secondary nobilities to the Spanish Bourbons under Charles III, who had to exchange it with Emperor Charles VI for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies as early as 1735 in the course of the Vienna Preliminary Peace. The Habsburgs ruled only until 1748; the small duchy fell to Philip of Parma from the House of Bourbon, who thus became the progenitor of the Bourbon-Parma collateral line.

When Duke Ferdinand died in 1802, the Duchy was occupied by French troops (cf. Subalpine Republic). After being annexed by France in 1808 and placed under the Department of Taro, the duchy was restored in 1814 with Marie-Louise of Austria as ruler. She ruled until her death in 1847, after which the House of Bourbon-Parma returned to the throne. In 1854, Duchess Louise Marie of Bourbon became regent of Parma. In 1859, due to the Sardinian War, she fled with her children first to Switzerland, and later to Austria. In 1860 Parma was absorbed into the Kingdom of Sardinia. The title "Duke of Parma" continued to be borne by the male descendants.

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See also

• List of the rulers of Parma