The Ferocious Farnese. The True History of a Renaissance Dynasty

• A new book and the world premiere of the edition – Italian scholar, professor of Renaissance history and literature, author of the bestselling trilogy about the Medici dynasty and a historical blockbuster about Napoleon's brother Lucien Bonaparte, Marcello Simonetta, has written a history of the famous Farnese dynasty specifically for 'Slovo'
• More than 130 high-quality illustrations of masterpieces from the Renaissance

In this book, we will tell the true, yet unglamorous story of the deeds and misdeeds of the Farnese…

Marcello Simonetta

The glory of the cruel and mighty rulers of Parma surpasses the fame of most other dynasties of the Renaissance. Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese), his son Pier Luigi, and grandson Cardinal Alessandro are the main characters in the author's gripping narrative, which shows the reader the unimaginable greed, ambition, and intrigue of this family.

The grand frescoes depicting the fictional and actual deeds of the Farnese can only rival the scale of similar works of art dedicated to the Medici. And today, they can be seen in the Palazzo della Cancelleria, Castel Sant'Angelo, and other Roman palaces, while the villa Farnese built in Caprarola, with its unusual geometric shape and whimsical beauty, forever left a memory of the family's grandeur and ambition.

The Capodimonte Museum in Naples still holds a large collection of Farnese art – works from it will be seen on the pages of the book, including the preserved portraits of family members painted by Titian. 

The spectacular Farnese can be compared to the Medici in the longevity of their success, although they also did not lack epic defeats. Nevertheless, one cannot underestimate the significant success of the Farnese family, whose members remained rulers of Parma and Piacenza until the post-Napoleonic restoration, and to describe the entire history of their reign would require at least another whole book.