#House Farnese

[venicepearl]

Clelia Farnese (1552/1556 – 11 September 1613), was an Italian noblewoman, member of the House of Farnese, and by her two marriages Marchioness of Civitanova and Lady of Sassuolo. According to contemporaries, she was one of the most beautiful women of her time. She ruled as regent of the Lordship of Sassuolo during the absence of her second spouse Marco III Pio di Savoia, Lord of Sassuolo.

[ducavalentinos]

[...]In fact Orsino [Orsini] donated the castle of Carbognano to his wife in 1497, on condition that it would pass to his heirs. But in the case of his only daughter's demise, to secure its possession to Giulia Farnese would be free to dispose of it by sale or bequest. Moreover, two years later Orsino signed a marriage contract with Alessandro Farnese so that his daughter became betrothed to Federico Farnese, clearly intending that if his possessions could not be secured in the male line, they would at least end up as part of the patrimony of the Farnese. This was a noticeable divergence from the dynastic strategies normally used within the Orsini, which assumed that female Orsini offspring with a sizeable inheritance would marry into another branch of the family to keep the patrimony within the larger Orsini clan. The Borgia family: Rumor and Representation: Sexuality, Agency and Honor by Loek Luiten

[livesunique]

Villa Farnese, Caprarola, Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy

[borgialucrezia]

I know you focus more on Lucrezia and Juan (valid), but I was curious if you knew any books that went in-depth about Giulia? If not Giulia, any about the family in general, I just love the historical sources you pull from to parallel the show

hi!! i adore giulia so much! she's a truly captivating and intelligent figure to me as she wielded significant influence within her family based on the strength of her personality. remarkably at some point she defied the pope not just once, but twice, risking herself and her loved ones in the process. however, her close bond with lucrezia remains one of my most cherished aspects of the borgia history 🙏

“Admitedly, [Giulia] was quite different from Vanozza and in a manner that was not simply due to the great difference in their ages. Where Vanozza had been dedicated both to her own financial interest and her lover’s well-being, Giulia was lighthearted and featherbrained, never looking beyond the delights of today. and where Vanozza sought to tie her lover by submission and acquiescence, Giulia displayed an independence of spirit which kept Borgia’s interest at fever pitch even while such spirit could enrage him.”

— E.R Chamberlain - The Fall of the House of Borgia

“Vasari tells us, in his Vita degli Artefici, that over the door of one of the rooms in the Borgia Tower, the artist painted a picture of the Virgin Mary in the likeness of Giulia Farnese with Alexander kneeling to her in adoration, arrayed in full pontificals. Such a thing would have been horrible, revolting, sacrilegious.”

— Rafael Sabatini, The Life of Cesare Borgia

"The fifteen-year-old Giulia was already famous for her beauty. Giulia Bella, the Romans would call her a few years later, was not only beautiful, but intelligent, “endowed with gentleness and humanity.” Blond was the preferred hair color in those days, and legend has it that Giulia was blond. But a letter written to Cesare describes her as fusco (“dark complected”) with black eyes, a round face, and quidem ardor (“a certain vivacity”)."

— Emma lucas, Lucrezia Borgia

here are some fiction/biographies where giulia has highlighted roles (some of these books delve into giulia's relationship with rodrigo and the influence ower she wielded within the family, her political maneuvering and unwavering loyalty to her loved ones, capturing her fierce intelligence and her relationship with lucrezia) :

Lucretia Borgia According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day (Ferdinand Gregorovius)

The Life and times of Lucrezia Borgia, Maria Bellonci

Cesare Borgia: La sua vita, La sua famiglia, I suoi tempi, Gustavo Sacerdote.

Lucrezia Borgia, Emma Lucas

Cesare Borgia, Rafael Sabatini

The Fall of the House of Borgia, E.R Chamberlain

Blood & Beauty, Sarah Dunant

The Borgias: Power & Fortune, Paul Strathern

[rmelster]

As much as I love Philip, Duke of Parma, and I know his mother had a terrible influence in his family misfortunes, one has to acknowledge that his wife, Louise Elisabeth of France, wasn’t just an ambitious (or bratty) woman. Was she ambitious? Yes. Was she likely to have not had much relationship with her children because of her frequent visits to her family in Versailles? Yes. Was she married off at twelve to a young man seven years her senior who bedded her at an awfully young age, making her a mother at barely fourteen? YES. Was she likely to have not developed a certain fondness for her husband because of the previous fact? YES. Was she repulsed by her domineering mother-in law, to the point that she used to spent her first years in Spain playing with dolls and writing to her father about her unhappiness? YES.

[archduchessofnowhere]

THE ROYAL BAPTISM AT THE PALAZZO FARNESE

Rome, 29 December 1869

I have just left the Farnese Palace, and I really believe that one can say without exaggeration: Naples is no longer in Naples; it is all in Rome today.

It is doubtful indeed that, even in the middle of his capital, Francis II would have seen himself surrounded by a crowd more numerous and better representing, not only the elite, but all the ranks of the nation of which he is the legitimate sovereign.

Certainly more magnificent pomp could have shone in Naples around the royal cradle. But first of all, could the young princess have hoped to have more august godparents before God and at her entry into the Christian life? The Holy Father, the first and greatest of the world's monarchs, the very Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in whom the crown of suffering and misfortune heroically borne is added to the majesty of the tiara and the halo of sanctity; The Empress of Austria, who occupied the throne of the Habsburgs and whose sister was that great and pious Queen whom the people, anticipating in some way the judgment of the Church, like to proclaim "the Saint".

(...) The birth of the princess was a universal joy in the kingdom, and for two or three days hundreds of the most eminent people flocked to Rome. At the same time all the trains brought deputations chosen by each province and which the Piedmontese government allowed to pass, for want of being able to oppose a movement which was the expression of popular feeling.

From noon onwards, the vast halls of the Farnese Palace, which is one of the wonders of Rome and has few rivals in Europe, were filled with an enormous audience, composed almost exclusively of Neapolitans. Hardly the Senator of Rome and some Roman princes had been invited. The King, who, like all Bourbons, identifies his family with his country, had wished to be surrounded, with very few exceptions, only by his subjects and servants.

(...) With a delicacy worthy of his great heart, the King had asked the Bishops of the monarchy present in Rome to abstain from appearing at the ceremony: it was not necessary that a mark of religious fidelity should excite against the Episcopate of Naples the passions already so violent of Unitarianism and of the Revolution. On the other hand, fourteen Cardinals had come to pay homage to the majesty of right and wrong.

The number of young men mixed with the defenders who had been whitened in the service of the monarchy was particularly gratifying. After so long an exile, and in the midst of the temptations and seductions which are not spared, the presence and confidence of this generation, which is only just being born into public life, is a most favourable omen. Tradition is perpetuated, and hereditary devotion offers the Crown renewed phalanxes.

All the hope and all the future are there.

The Holy Father was represented by Cardinal Antonelli; the Empress Maria Anna, the godmother, was represented by Her Majesty the Empress [Elisabeth] of Austria, brilliant in beauty, grace, elegance and dignity. The procession of the princes was composed of H. M. the King of the Two Sicilies, H.R.H. the Duke and Duchess of Parma, H.I.H. and RR. the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Tuscany, H.R.H. the Count and Countess of Caserta, the Count and Countess of Girgenti, the Duke and Duchess of Alençon, the Duke of Bari and Princess Maria Immacolata, the Count and Countess of Trapani, the Prince their son and the two Princesses their daughters, the Prince of Hohenzollern.

The altar stood in the room decorated with the magnificent paintings of Salviati.

The young princess was carried on the arms of the Duchess of San Cesario. It was a touching honour for the illustrious and courageous Grand Mistress of the Palace, whose name is inseparably linked to that of the heroine of Gaeta and who deserved to receive the medal of that forever memorable siege; it was a touching honour for her to hold before the sacred font the royal child whose birth has just thrown a lightning bolt of happiness on the fortunes she has nobly shared.

S. Cardinal Patrizi performed the ceremonies and gave the young princess the names of Christina-Pia-Maria-Anna-Elisabetha-Natalina-Ephisa. The Neapolitan nurse in the magnificent costume of the women of her country, from the mountains of Avellino, was noted with interest near the font. These national clothes had a charm and a high significance in the midst of the brilliant finery of the great ladies and the insignia of the court figures.

The princess carried the magnificent christening gown, made of white lace, a gift from three hundred Neapolitan ladies, a masterpiece of taste and a guarantee of fidelity.

After the ceremony, the procession reformed. The Empress, the King, the Princes and Princesses went to the salons. The new Christian was brought to her august mother, whose emotion was deep. The Queen, with tears in her eyes, instructed the Duchess of San Cesario to thank all the faithful Neapolitans who had given, on this occasion, proof of a devotion that survives time, trials and persecutions. The Queen's emotion was so strong that duchess had to withdraw so as not to prolong its duration.

And, in fact, nothing honours a people and touches the hearts of sovereigns like these testimonies of a constancy above all perils, all perils and all sufferings.

The King was radiant with happiness. After ten years of proscription and in the midst of the joys of fatherhood, to find near him the servants who had been the companions of his misfortunes; to see a new generation rising up in the cult of right and duty; to receive the wishes of an entire people who aspire to become free again and to reconquer their nationality and their dynasty: what a consolation, and above all what hope!

Here, then, is at last a dawn of prosperity rising over the House of Bourbon and the kingdom of Naples! It is the harbinger of an even more beautiful day; it is the sign of a forthcoming triumph of good Law and Justice.

De Riancey, Henri (1870). Lettres sur Rome (Translation done by DeepL. Please keep in mind that in a machine translation a lot of nuance may/will be lost)

[roehenstart]

Margarita of Parma.

[medievalandfantasymelee]

We are now just a few days away from the end of the submission period for the Hot Medieval and Fantasy Men Melee, and our Entrants stand numbered at 250!!!

Submissions will close on the 27th of June, so if you have a hot medieval/medieval fantasy guy (or multiple of them) you'd like to see compete, send them in!

Here is a list of our Noble and Worthy Contenders so far.

If your man isn't here, that means he has not been submitted.

The Contenders

So Far…

Adhemar, Count of Anjou [Rufus Sewell], A Knight's Tale (2001)

Prince Aemond Targaryen [Ewan Mitchell], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Alessandro Farnese [Diarmuid Noyes], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

King Alfred the Great [David Dawson], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan [Antonio Banderas], The 13th Warrior (1999)

Antonius Block [Max von Sydow], The Seventh Seal (1957)

Aragorn, Son of Arathorn [Viggo Mortensen], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

King Arthur Pendragon [Alexandre Astier], Kaamelott (2004-2009)

King Arthur Pendragon [Bradley James], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Athelstan [George Blagden], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ash Williams [Bruce Campbell], Army of Darkness (1992)

Brian de Bois-Guilbert [Ciaran Hinds], Ivanhoe (1997)

 Brother Cadfael [Derek Jacobi], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Carlos I [Álvaro Cervantes], Carlos Rey Emperador (2015-2016)

Prince Caspian [Ben Barnes], The Chronicles of Narnia (2010)

Cesare Borgia [Mark Ryder], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

Cesare Borgia [Francois Arnaud], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Prince Chauncley [Daniel Radcliffe], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

Prince Daemon Targaryen [Matt Smith], House of the Dragon (2022-)

Khal Drogo [Jason Momoa], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Lord Eddard Stark [Sean Bean], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Edgin [Chris Pine], Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)

Éomer, Son of Éomund [Karl Urban], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Étienne de Navarre [Rutger Hauer], Ladyhawke (1985)

Faramir, Son of Denethor [David Wenham], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Finan [Mark Rowley], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Galahad [Michael Palin], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Galavant [Joshua Sasse], Galavant (2015-2016)

Gawain [Dev Patel], The Green Knight (2021)

Geralt z Rivii [Michał Żebrowski], The Witcher (2002)

Geralt of Rivia [Henry Cavill], The Witcher (2019-)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Basil Rathbone], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Sir Guy of Gisborne [Richard Armitage], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Prince Hamlet [Laurence Olivier], Hamlet (1948)

Hubert Hawkins [Danny Kaye], The Court Jester (1955)

King Henry II Plantagenet [Peter O’Toole], The Lion in Winter (1968)

King Henry V Plantagenet [Tom Hiddleston], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

Prince Henry [Dougray Scott], Ever After (1998)

Hugh Beringar [Sean Pertwee], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin], The Princess Bride (1987)

Jareth [David Bowie], the Goblin King, Labyrinth (1986)

Jaskier [Joey Batey], The Witcher (2019-)

Prince John Plantagenet [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Lancelot [Santiago Cabrera], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Legolas Greenleaf [Orlando Bloom], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Madmartigan [Val Kilmer], Willow (1988)

King Mark of Cornwall [Rufus Sewell], Tristan and Isolde (2006)

Mikoláš Kozlík [František Velecký], Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Merlin [Colin Morgan], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Niccolo Machiavelli [Thibaut Evrard], Borgia: Faith and Fear (2011-2014)

Prince Oberyn Martell [Pedro Pascal], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Peregrin “Pippin” Took [Billy Boyd], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Pero Tovar [Pedro Pascal], The Great Wall (2016)

Ragnar Lothbrook [Travis Fimmel], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ravenhurst [Basil Rathbone], The Court Jester (1955)

Richard Cypher [Craig Horner], Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)

King Richard [Timothy Omundson], Galavant (2015-2016)

Richard III Plantagenet [Aneurin Barnard], The White Queen (2013)

Robin Hood [Errol Flynn], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Robin Hood [Michael Praed], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robin Hood [Cary Elwes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood [Tom Riley], Doctor Who: “The Robot of Sherwood” (2014)

Rodrigo Borgia [Jeremy Irons], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Rollo [Clive Standen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Samwise Gamgee [Sean Astin], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sandor Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Sid [Luke Youngblood], Galavant (2015-2016)

Sihtric Kjartansson [Arnas Fedaravicius], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Thorin Oakenshield [Richard Armitage], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Tom Builder [Rufus Sewell], The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

Mr. Tumnus [James McAvoy], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Vlad III Dracula [Luke Evans], Dracula Untold (2014)

Westley [Cary Elwes], The Princess Bride (1987)

William Thatcher [Heath Ledger], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Will Scarlet O’Hara [Matthew Porretta], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Will Scarlett [Patrick Knowles], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Will Scarlett [Christian Slater], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

[cherienymphe]

Do you have any tips on studying the art of seduction or tapping into your sensuality as a woman? Books, movies, anything helps!

Rare topic of conversation alert but-

Forget men entirely. Tapping into your sensuality as a woman has nothing to do with men and everything to do with you and your love for yourself.

Date yourself. Court yourself. Move through life like you are in a relationship with you (because you are) and act accordingly. Treat yourself with care. Nourish your hair and skin and invest time + energy into making your mind and body feel good. Epsom salt baths, dancing, body oils, hair oils, buying yourself flowers, taking yourself on dates, meditation.

You can't be sensual if you're ignorant of and afraid of your own body. Familiarize yourself with it (stand naked in the mirror a lot, touch yourself non sexually a lot, study your own body a lot). You have to love your body and feel comfortable in your natural form. You have to feel confident and good both in and out of clothes.

That last part can intertwine with sexuality too. It's important to know what you like and what makes you feel good. It's healthy. Experimenting with self pleasure can help you learn a lot of things about yourself, some of them even non sexual.

Sensual means physically pleasing and it's related to the 5 senses, and taking the time to really indulge in those 5 senses will help you. We all know that things that are pleasing to the ear can have the power to relax us or turn us on, so listen to things that get your blood moving and make you feel warm. It could be asmr, it could be binaural beats, it could be a creator who reads stories and poems. I personally love to listen to Tom Hiddleston read poetry and short stories. He has a voice that is very audibly pleasing to me. Buy and wear scents that lift your mood, watch media or look at art that stirs up intense feelings. Indulge in touching things and things that feel good on your skin. Sleep naked, sit in the grass, walk on sand. Eat things that are very flavorful and juicy and messy lol. If you drink wine, I'd actually encourage you to research what kind of wine is best to drink with certain foods that really make flavors pop. Play music around the house, light scented candles or wax melts, give yourself massages. Just really indulge and take advantage of all of the senses that you can.

Look up sumrandomchick, zitacherry, and Anastasiamoongirl on tiktok

Movies/TV: kama sutra a tale of love, dangerous beauty (1998), The Borgias (Giulia Farnese and Lucrezia in particular), The Woman King, Moulin Rouge, Margarita With a Straw, The Handmaiden, She's Gotta Have It (2017), Belle de Jour (1967), Poor Things (I have yet to see this one but I have heard praises on its exploration of female sexuality). I personally don't want to recommend Memoirs Of A Geisha due to its wildly awful inaccuracies (so much so that the woman it's loosely based off of tried to sue the author I'm sure), however, if you take it with a grain of salt and have good discernment, there can be gems found in it.

[catholic-character-tournament]

Catholic Character Tournament

Current Bracket

All polls here (tagged #cct polls)

Round 5 (16 nominees) is Wednesday July 5 12 PST

Character Submission List:

(Note, not in the order in the bracket. They were randomized for the bracket) (crossed out means dead-dead)

*707/Luciel Choi (Mystic Messenger)

*Abuela Alma Madrigal (Encanto)

*Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape)

*Amon from (Tokyo Ghoul)

*Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series)

*Asia Argento (High School DxD)

Aslan from (Chronicles of Narnia)

*Aymeric de Borel (Final Fantasy 14)

*Aziraphale (Good Omens) (Disqualified) The Volturi

*Belizabeth Brassica (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Bishop Raphaniel Charlock (Dimension 20 - the Ravening War)

*Blake Langermann (Outlast 2)

*Brother Cellanus (The Completely Unerotic Adventures of Brother Cellanus)

*Caesar Zeppeli (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

*Carlos Reyes (911 Lone Star)

*Carrie White (Carrie)

*Catherine of Aragon (SIX: the Musical)

*CC (Code Geass)

*Chrollo Lucilfer (Hunter x Hunter)

*Chuck E. Cheese

*Claude Frollo(The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

*Crowley (Good Omens) (Disqualified) Vanessa Ives replacement (Penny Dreadful)

Dana Scully (the X files)

Doomguy  (Doom)

*Double (Skullgirls)

Doug Jones (The VelociPastor)

*Dracule Mihawk (One Piece)

*Duo Maxwell (Gundam Wing)

*Eddie Brock (Venom)

*Emilio Santoz from The Sparrow

Enrico Pucci (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

*Farnese de Vandimion (Berserk)

*Father Alexander Anderson (Hellsing)

*Father Brown (Father Brown)

Father John Mulcahy (MASH)

Father Paul (Midnight Mass)

*Felicia Hardy/Black Cat (Spiderman)

Firestar (Warrior Cats)

*Flayn (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

*Frank Castle (Marvel)

Friar Tuck (Robin Hood)

*Gabriel (Ultrakill)

*Galahad (The Mechanisms)

*Gerard (Unholyverse)

Gloria Maria Ramirez Delgado-Pritchett (Modern Family)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb)

*Helena Bertinlli (DC comics)

Hell boy (HellBoy)

Homura Akemi (Madoka Magica)

*Hot Pants (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

*Ibara Shiozaki (My Hero Academia)

*Inori Yamabuki/Cure Pine (Fresh Precure)

Jason Todd (DC Comics)

*Javert (Les Miserables)

Jean Valjean (Les Misérables)

*Jeanne d'Arc (Alter) (Fate/Grand Order)

*Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar) 

*John "Soap" MacTavish (Call of Duty)

*John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)

*John Ward (FAITH)

*Johnathan (Shin Megami Tensei IV)

*Junk Rat (Overwatch)

*Justin Law (Soul eater)

*Kawabuchi Sentarou (Kids on the Slope)

Kaworu Nagisa (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

*Kirei Kotomine (Fate franchise)

Knuckes the Echidna (Sonic)

*Kristen Applebees (Dimension 20's Fantasy High)

*Kuroe (Magia Record)

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (X-Men)

*Ky Kiske (Guilty Gear)

*Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

*Lady Rhea (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

*Leliana (Dragon Age)

*Leon (8:11)

*Lestat de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles)

*Libra (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

*Link (The Legend of Zelda)

*Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Chronicles)

*Luis Serra Navarro (Resident Evil)

Mac McDonald (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

Maddie Fitzpatrick (Suite Life of Zack and Cody)

*Marcy Park (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

*Mark Heathcliff (The Mandela Catalogue)

Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Marvel)

*Mello (Death Note)

*Mercedes (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

*Michael Carpenter (Dresden Files)

*Michael Corleone (The Godfather)

Miles Morales/Spider-Man

*Nate Ford (Leverage)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun)

*Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson)

*Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg (Ride the Cyclone)

*Pastry Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom)

*Patton Sanders (Sanders Sides (Web Series))

Pope Pinion IV (Cars)

Puss in Boots (Shrek)

Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Remy LeBeau/Gambit (X-Men)

*Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)

*RoboCop (RoboCop)

Ronan Lynch (The Raven Cycle)

*Ryker (Roleslaying With Roman)

*Saint Citrina Rocks (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Sasuke (Naruto)

*SCP-166 (Just a Teenage Gaia) 

*Seeley Booth (Bones)

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic)

*Shiro Fujimoto (Blue Exorcist)

Simon Belmont (Castlevania)

*Sir Keradin Deeproot (Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy)

*Sister Mary (The Young Pope)

Sister Michael (Derry Girls)

*Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel)

*Tammy Edwards (Legoland by Jacob Richmond) 

*Tatsumi Kazehaya (Ensemble Stars)

*Temenos Mistral (Octopath Traveler 2)

The Derry Girls (Derry Girls)

*The Penitent One (Blasphemous)

*Tobias Schneien (Ghost Eyes)

*Valeria Garaz (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reboot)

*Valery Michailov (Goncharov - 1973)

*Vector the Crocodile (Sonic the Hedgehog)

*Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

*Wesley Hailoh (Rhyme and Reason)

*William Murdoch (Murdoch Mysteries)

*Zakuro Fujiwara (Tokyo Mew Mew)

[bthump]

I’m not coming from a place of hate at all, I enjoy your takes on Berserk homoeroticism and appreciate your refreshing ability to make well informed, intellectual analysis so accessible for other fans. It is an important resource to have when dudebros try to make their homophobic bias sound like good arguments. However, when it comes to your analysis of Casca, I find myself disagreeing with almost everything you say. I’m usually only reading your blog quietly because I enjoy the discourse, but I feel like I need to add my two cents. I agree that Cascas writing falls flat to a degree, but I can’t help but think that you’re downplaying her character and arc because you don’t enjoy the parts of Berserk that aren’t about homoerotic tension between Guts and Griffith. Their homoerotic tension is also what is most interesting to me, but it’s not what Berserk is inherently about. We could dismiss Casca by saying ˋMiura can’t write women´, but then again characters like Farnese exist who have an entire complex thematic arc tied to religious extremism, authoritarian character and freeing herself from dogmatism and Berserk as a story is not punishing her or asking for redemption and is instead inherently ridding itself from moralizing judgements of characters. She’s allowed to evolve by herself. As a queer person, I see myself in her. Theres so much queerness and comphet in her story, I’m sad that there’s not many meta posts about her on here. Does Berserk have ideological streaks of conservatism and misunderstands women because Miura has a misogynistic bias? Yeah, unfortunately. But the story and many of the main characters are too complex and ambiguous for me to write them all off based on how some of their arcs are not feminist enough and could need improving. Imagine writing such a complicated and long story with so many characters as just one simple Japanese dude who never leaves his house and who was born in the 70s or whatever. Like, I get separating the story from the author and impact versus intent, but dismissing Casca because of her flaws in writing is dismissing all of Berserk because of some thematic flaws. It sounds like you’re expecting the perfect story for her to be a valid female character and that’s just not possible. I for once made peace with her flaws and am not rejecting her. I think Cascas story works for what it is and I empathize with her as someone who has experienced misogyny and SA. Farny and Schierke working through her trauma magically was a nice metaphor for solidarity between women and it’s rare to see that coming from a male author, I don’t think it’s less valid just because Miura has some gender bias. Casca still experiencing PTSD afterwards is also realistic and shows that Miura is willing to give Casca enough agency to work through that by herself without magic some time in the future of the story. Her story is uncomfortable and her character arc is long and flawed, but that’s what makes it impossible for me to dismiss her. I’m a bit disappointed that so many fans on the tumblr side are willing to basically rid Griffith from all his wrongdoings but then empathize the flaws in Casca and don’t understand that maybe they also have some internalized misogyny that doesn’t make them understand that bias. Especially with the argument that I often see with She Should Have Died. Why? Because she’s uncomfortable? Maybe explore that within yourself. Other than that I am happy to have this queer part of the fandom where we don’t judge each other for liking Griffith and enjoying GriffGuts as a ship. And I hope that you don’t think too harshly of my criticism, for it is only to improve our fandom discourse culture and not to throw stones. Thank you for existing!

Okay look, while I do appreciate the appreciation for my non-casca blog content, I can't look past this coming hand in hand with a lot of pretty insulting, and frankly baseless assumptions about my motives. I'm glad you're not coming from a place of hate, but from the sounds of it you're coming from a place of presumptive judgement, and I want to address that.

I've always been very direct and clear about how I don't think someone's tastes or opinions about a story reflect on them personally. I don't judge someone's character by their fictional interests, I judge it by their words and actions.

If you're going to be interacting with my blog, I'd appreciate being extended the same benefit of the doubt.

You seem to see someone who doesn't enjoy Casca's storyline and make assumptions about why, rather than taking the reasons I provide at face value. I have explained why, very thoroughly, quite often, and quite recently, while constantly referring back to the text and to Miura's comments to justify my conclusions. I literally don't know how I can possibly be more direct about how I am discussing the narrative of a story on its own terms without going full dry academic language lol, come on.

I like to think I'm also very clear about when I'm expressing my subjective opinion (eg i dislike het romance; I'm super into romantic betrayal as a trope, etc) vs when I'm analysing the story based on direct textual evidence (eg casca has no active involvement in the narrative post-eclipse; casca's sexual abuse is eroticized; etc). I certainly try to be. And frankly it is genuinely pretty insulting that you think I'm incapable of judging Casca's story on its own merits or lackthereof, and must be over-emphasizing the flaws of her narrative because I only care about griffguts.

The truth is I genuinely believe that Griffith and Guts' relationship is the thematic core of Berserk, based on the text of the story, and I also genuinely believe Casca's storyline sucks ass in most ways. And it's okay to disagree with one or both of those takes, but yeah I'm gonna take a little bit of offense at the insinuation that I'm too biased by shipping or misogyny or both to analyse the story.

If you love Casca's story despite its flaws, good for you. I'm happy for you. I have no desire to argue with you to make you change your mind. And I don't think it makes you misogynist or ableist or racist, even though I think Casca's storyline contains all of the above to some degree - but if I was going to respond to you in the same vein that you've responded to me, that would be fair game as an assumption. It would also be fair game to assume that you only like Casca and are dismissive of or blind to many of the story's faults because you're projecting or you ship gtsca or you think good feminism is all about stanning certain designated fictional characters regardless of their actual depiction. And I think that is something wrong with fandom culture. I think those are all shitty assumptions to make about someone based on which fictional characters they enjoy reading about most. So like, straight up, you're the only one throwing stones here.

So I want to ask you: why is it that someone discussing offensive fictional tropes makes you assume they are the real misogynist? Why are you equating criticism of writing with criticism of real women, as though media trends and narrative framing don't exist? Why do you think it even matters if I "reject" a fictional character because I don't like how she's written lol?

This strikes me as the same line of thinking that leads to shutting down all criticism of misogyny in media - how dare you say this outfit is unrealistic for a martial artist, some women like to wear high heels! How dare you criticize the average husband/model-esque wife trope, some beautiful women love their average husbands! How dare you criticize comics for fridging the girlfriends of superheroes, women sometimes suffer horrible fates in real life! How dare you criticize the born sexy yesterday trope, some women are naive! etc etc etc.

And this is why it's important to have at least some understanding of narrative framing and greater media trends when discussing media on any level beyond headcanon and projection. Casca isn't real, and as a construct she is not a sensitive or realistic depiction of a traumatized woman, regardless of whether someone identifies with her. She's not a sensitive or realistic depiction of a disabled women either. There are literally "funny" cartoonish background gags involving her shoving random things into her mouth. She gets sexy fanservice while regressed to the mentality of a toddler. She is sexually assaulted by and then shipteased with the protagonist. I could go on all day lol, lbr here. I should not be obligated to brush all that aside and pretend it doesn't irritate me and sometimes offend me in order to valorize a woman who doesn't like, yk, exist.

You and anyone else are free to project on her and relate to her and sympathize with her and love her, and I think that's great and what fandom is all about, but that still doesn't make her writing strong. And I think it's worth discussing how and why her writing fails, the same way it's worth discussing any other flaw of Berserk, like Guts' character flattening with the Eclipse, or Farnese's sudden personality 180, or the awkward pacing, or the prominent scary black man trope, etc, all of which I've also discussed plenty. If you feel like I've disproportionately focused on Casca criticism, then there are 2 reasons for that: 1. I respond to asks 99% of the time, so it's what the people are asking about. 2. Casca's storyline is the most prominent bad and offensive writing in the story, like it's the number one thing that's likely to drive new potential fans away, so of course people are going to want to talk about it.

Also I've written like, a lot of meta and speculation and headcanons etc about Casca beyond criticism of her narrative lol, so if you're sad about the lack of discussion and meta about her it's ironic that you're coming to me with that complaint. Be the change you want to see in the world, start your own Casca centric blog if you want more meta about her to exist, or read more of what already exists. I'd say I'm doing my part as far as I'm concerned lol, but I don't like the way that phrasing implies that anyone has an obligation to focus their interest on any particular fictional character.

I'm glad you enjoy other aspects of my blog, and if you stick around after this admittedly irritable response I hope you continue enjoying them. But if you feel the need to engage with me to defend a fictional character from my criticism again in the future, I'd appreciate it if you engaged with that criticism directly and analytically, rather than speculating about my character and motives.

[wandringaesthetic]

13, 20, 21 for choose violence game

oooh, I should have maybe asked to specify fandom I don't know what fandoms I share with you offhand I'm just going to do what I feel strongest about

13) worst blorboficiation:

Because it's really the only such case I have any kind of problem with: Emet-Selch. Like, I get it to an extent. Best Final Fantasy villain and it ain't close, and that's coming from someone who has a lot of leftover teenage psychosexual feelings about Sephiroth.

Um, what was I saying?

I hate this man. I have even less sympathy for him than the game wants me to have, I think. FANTASTIC character, I want to kick him down a flight of stairs. And I think that's a pretty normal way to feel until I happen upon some art or fic from someone who hardcore ships him with their WoL (or honestly with anyone I do not want to think about this man fucking) and they are just picking up frequencies I cannot receive and don't want to. No moral judgement because I live in a glass house, but I shudder.

20) part of canon you found tedious or boring

I find this one difficult because honestly nothing sends me out the door faster than "boring." I'm having trouble coming up with non gameplay examples, and even there, level grinding is kinda soothing in the right mindset. thhhhbbth FFX sphere puzzles and those were okay the first time they're just a roadblock to slow me down on all replays.

OH oh oh real answer: Homestuck first Intermission. The ONLY part of it that entertains me is Spades Slick murdering clocks. I've tried to reread homestuck like 3 times and every time I hit this like a brick wall.

21) part of canon you think is overhyped

Berserk Conviction arc: idk that it's all that overhyped but it's fairly popular with the fandom. It's probably the segment with the best art but it's also the segment where I question the narrative choices the most. The Farnese stuff is good and Lost Children is good and the rest is either third hand Satanic Panic stuff or so miserable I have a hard time taking it seriously and I just kind of wish someone who had more of a relationship, positive or negative, with Christianity was writing this? Really where Berserk comes closest to its reputation of being mindless grimdark. I find its shortcomings kind of comforting, though? As in, Miura had shortcomings and was still one of the best to ever do it.

evil answer: FMA 2003. It's not hyped in the sense that most people do agree that the manga and/or Brotherhood is better, but imo overhyped because I just do not think it is good at all.

alternate evil answer: The Empire Strikes Back. I mean it's good but nothing is that good, folks. It's the meat in the Star Wars sandwich but without that which comes before or after, does it matter? No.

[livesunique]

Palazzo Farnese, Rome, Italy,

By ChMantuano via Palazzo Farnese

[thehistoryprincesse]

𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝐼𝓈𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓂𝒶 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝒶 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶, 𝒟𝓊𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒯𝑒𝓈𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓃

Happy pride month everyone!! This month I will be trying to touch on some of my favorite queer icons in history. :)

Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia was born on 13 May, 1742, the fifth daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Empire, and elder sister to Marie Antoinette. Maria was deemed to be her mothers favorite child, which shows obvious in the letters between the two. This favoritism sparked much jealousy in her siblings, teasing and critizing her heavily, this favoritism, of course came with many upsides. She received a stupendous education and was regarded as perfectly speaking french, italian, and english, aswell as being an exceptional painter. But as a mothers favoritism often does, it isolated Maria greatly, which although having fell in love with multiple men in her life, none of the matches were quite supported by her mother.

Isabel of Parma on the other hand, did not have much love with her mother, Isabella of Bourbon-Parma was born on 31 December, 1741, to Philip, Duke of Parma, and Louise Elisabeth of France, the eldest daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska. At a young age Isabel was recorded to have threw violent tantrums frequently, which in turn her mother Elisabeth disciplined the girl so severely that isabel’s paternal grandmother Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain (de facto), compared the discipline to a military drill, (although Queen Elisabeth was recorded as to promoting this discipline.), soon enough their relationship grew so stressed that Isabel’s mother regarded the young girl as stubborn and unbearable to raise. Isabel after being dropped into the hands of her governess and forgotten about by her mother, quickly turned to mischief and curiousity, being recorded to play all day and night with no break, isabel writing, 'My head was always in the clouds, occupying itself with a hundred thousand ideas at once'.

Due to the influences of Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV and Maria Theresa of Austria came together to strengthen and ally the houses of bourbon, and that of the habsburg. In this alliance resulted many marriages, one of them being of Isabel of Parma, (a bourbon princesse) and Joseph II, Archduke of Austria, and the elder brother to Maria Christina. Her marriage with Joseph seemed to be impartial, he was recorded to have been taken by love (although he wasn’t really sure how to show it) with his new bourbon wife, but it seemed this love was awfully one sided, Isabel having had no opinion on her new husband.

During this period of time, Isabel was said to have grown majorly depressed and borderline suicidal. In a letter to Marie Christine saying; ‘What should the daughter of a great prince expect? Her fate is unquestionably most unhappy. Born the slave of the people’s prejudices, she finds herself subjected to this weight of honours, these innumerable etiquettes attached to greatness… In the end the effort is made to establish her. There she is condemned to abandon everything, her family, her country–and for whom? For an unknown person, whose character and manner of thinking she does not know… sacrifice to a supposed public good, but in fact rather to the wretched policy of a minister who can find no other way for the two dynasties to form an alliance which he pronounces indissoluble–and which, immediately it seems advantageous, is broken off…’

By the Isabel reached the age of twenty she was extremely successful in most everything she did, she continued her education, helped her husbands military strategies, and was said to have painted and decorated many rooms in the schobrunn palace, many of which are still on display today.

In the midst of her life in Vienna, it was obvious that Isabel and Maria had grown awfully close, many letters survive today of their close bond with eachother, clearly showing how Isabel had taken a liking to her husbands sister, instead of him.

“The confusion which reigns in a certain drawer which lives in my room, where are to be found together and without rhyme or reason a political tract, a pile of letters, a comic opera, a vaudeville, a treatise on education, a clavier part, some moral reflections. A sermon jostles a treatise on all types of foolishness, prayers are mixed up in a paper devoted to declaring my love to you, letters from the emperor muddle up with letters of a hundred persons who are indifferent to me, and with those letters which are so dear to me and constitute the sweetness of my life.”

Unfortunately, apart from one responding letter to Isabel, none of Maria’s correspondence to her sister-in-law survived. But it is clear that at some point, Maria had either fallen out with Isabel, or confessed to her that they could no longer continue their rendezvous, this is made clear in a very passionate letter Isabel had written.

“I am writing you again, cruel sister, though I have only just left you. I cannot bear waiting to know my fate, and to learn whether you consider me a person worthy of your love, or whether you would like to throw me into the river…. I can think of nothing but that I am deeply in love. If I only knew why this is so, for you are so without mercy that one should not love you, but I cannot help myself.”

Sadly, shortly after making this letter, Isabel passed away at the age of 21 due to smallpox, aware that she was bound to pass soon, Isabel wrote one last letter to her dear Maria. Advising her on how to navigate and survive the court of Vienna, and how to convince her mother on a marriage.

Clearly, Maria took his letter with utmost sincerity, as after after mourning for much much longer then required, Maria had convinced her mother on a marriage, ending up being the only daughter of Maria Theresa to marry for love, instead of convenience. That suitor being the Prince Albert of Saxony, a man with no fortune or inheritance.

[litcest]

The House of Borgia: Alexander VI's Early Reign (Part 2)

| Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | References |

Popes seemed to pass away with some frequency during Rodrigo's tenure as Vice-Chancellor, for, on 12 August 1484, Pope Sixtus IV died as a result of an illness. Following the Pope's demise, two main contenders emerged for the papacy: Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere and Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia. Both cardinals lobbied heavily for support, using bribes and promises, but neither could secure the two-thirds majority needed. In the end, they worked together to elect a compromise candidate, Cardinal Giovanni Cibo, whom they believed they could control. Cibo became Pope Innocent VIII, and was little more than a puppet for Rodrigo and Giuliano, often wavering between the advice of the two, who continue to antagonise each other.

This would last until 25 July 1492, when Pope Innocent VIII died. And it was finally time for Rodrigo to achieve what he had been aspiring to this whole time. On 11 August 1492, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia was made Pope Alexander VI. His election was met with huge support from the Roman population, who admired his charm and acts of benevolence. Upon taking power, Alexander quickly transformed Rome, expelling mercenaries, establishing a City Watch, and overhauling the justice system.

His reforms angered the Roman aristocracy, especially the Orsini family, who had previously held power. Nevertheless, Rodrigo made himself accessible to the public, allowing citizens to petition him directly, which was an unprecedented practice. 

His personal life stirred controversy when he moved his family, including his mistress Giulia Farnese, into the Vatican apartments. Like he had done with Vanozza, Rodrigo arranged for Guilia to marry an aristocrat, this time Orsino Orsini, who was the son of one of Rodrigo's cousins. Interestingly, through some accounts, Guilia and Lucrezia were close friends.

After moving his family into the Vatican, the next step of Rodrigo's plan was to assign his sons to positions of power by elevating Cesare to the rank Archbishop of Valencia and cardinal, appointing Juan as Captain-General of the Papal Army and arranging the engagement between Jofrè and the granddaughter of the King of Naples.

Jofré wasn't the only child for whom Rodrigo secured a marriage, as he promised Lucrezia's hand to Giovanni Sforza, member of the Sforza Family, which controlled Milan and were in part responsible for Rodrigo's ascent into papacy. Lucrezia married Giovanni on 12 June 1493 and, like it was traditional for the time, their first moment of conjugal intimacy was eyewitnessed by Rodrigo (this will be relevant later, when Lucrezia files for annulment of the marriage). 

Lucrezia moved to Pesaro to live with her husband Giovanni, who ruled the town, and there she stayed until 1496, when the couple would return to Rome to be by Rodrigo's side as he battled sickness. Jofrè also returned to Rome with his wife, Sancia of Aragon, who would allegedly become Cesare's mistress, as recorded at the time by the Mantuan envoy Gian Carlo Scalona:

"Jofrè, younger than his wife, had not consummated the marriage; he is not a man and, I understand, for many months past the lady Sancia has given herself to the Cardinal of Valencia."

By this point, due to Rodrigo's behaviour, the Borgia family, had already gained a reputation for sexual misconduct, which is ironic given that his behaviour was not worse than many of his contemporaries in the Church, the only difference was that Rodrigo didn't bother to hide his affairs or his illegitimate children. Rodrigo's children grew up, rumours of the Borgias depravity escalated, making it so that, nowadays, separating fact from gossip is a difficult endeavour.

This becomes especially true when talking about Lucrezia and her marriages. It's known that Giovanni Sforza left Rome around Easter of 1497, and, even back then, it was speculated that he fled fearing for his life, that he believed he would be poisoned. After he left, Some speculated that she began an affair with Pedro Calderon, her father's chamberlain.

Another widespread rumour suggested that Cesare, driven by jealousy over Juan's position as Duke and their father's clear favouritism, orchestrated his brother's murder on 14 June 1497. Regarding Juan's murder, while the killer was never found, there were plenty of suspects: from the Orisini family, to Cesare or Jofrè. Although there is no evidence that either sibling was involved in Juan's death, they seem to be the favourite culprits in modern day media. In Mario Puzo's The Family, Jofrè is the one to kill him, while both in the Assassin's Creed franchise and in Showtime's The Borgias, it's Cesare who plots the assassination. Not even Lucrezia escaped being blamed, as in Sky/Canal+'s Borgia show, she's the one to stab him.

However, the more significant allegation is that of incest. There seems to be evidence of Lucrezia's closeness to Rodrigo and Cesare, as well as of strange behaviour on their part, with accounts of Lucrezia and Rodrigo watching and laughing as horses had sex. There is no evidence supporting these rumors, and they were likely spread by Giovanni Sforza as retaliation for the annulment of his marriage with Lucrezia.

In light of recent changes in the political tides of Italy, Lucrezia's marriage with Sforza was no longer beneficial to the family's political ambitions and so Rodrigo made plans to marry his daughter to another man. However, at the time, the Church did not allow divorce, so the only option was an annulment. To secure the annulment, it was necessary to claim that the marriage had never been consummated. Giovanni was offended by the Borgias' assertion of his impotence, as he believed it undermined his masculinity, and so he began to accuse Lucrezia of having affairs, including with her own brother and father, with the Ferrenase envoy saying that Giovanni claimed "that he had known his wife an infinity of times, but that the Pope had taken her from him for no other purpose than to sleep with her himself". Despite Giovanni's initial refusal to sign the papers, he was eventually pressured by his own family and, in November of 1497, the marriage between him and Lucrezia was annulled.

Around this time, Lucrezia was sent to the Basilica of San Sisto, to be kept away from the public eye. It was also rumoured that she was pregnant, allegedly by her lover, Pedro Calderon.

In February of 1498, Pedro Calderon was found murdered. Once again, Fingers were pointed at Cesare and Rodrigo, whose motive was thought to be jealousy over his affair with Lucrezia. In March of the same year, a new member of the Borgia family was born, he was named Giovanni Borgia and his parentage is unknown, some documents claimed him to be Cesare's son, while others placed him as Rodrigo's son. Giovanni's mysterious origins only fueled the persistent rumors of incest within the Borgia family.

As soon as Lucrezia was free from Giovanni Sforza, Rodriga arranged for her to be married to Alfonso of Aragon, son of the King of Naples. Reports indicate that during the wedding ceremony on July 21, Lucrezia spent much of her time dancing with Cesare instead of her new husband.

Lucrezia was not the only one who had her life plans changed by her father. With the death of Juan, Rodrigo needed a new son to establish a dynasty, and the best candidate for the job was Cesare. Only that he was a cardinal, and therefore, he could not officially have a family or control lands. Since Cesare wasn't particularly religious, he had no objections when Rodrigo asked him to leave the Church. In quick succession, Cesare was given the title of Duke of Valentinois by Louis XII of France; engaged to be wed with Carlotta, daughter of King Federigo of Naples and given the command of some of Louis XII's troops.

There was only one setback: when Cesare arrived in France, Carlotta didn't want to marry him, as she was in love with another man. And, unlike Lucrezia who married whom she was told, Carlotta wasn't so easily influenced and so, the wedding plans fell apart. It wasn't all over, however, as Cesare had made quite an impression on King Louis, who in turn arranged for Cesare to marry Charlotte of Albret, the sister of the King of Navarre. The ceremony was held on 12 May 1499 and was the much needed good news for the family, as it seemed that the political tides were turning back onto their favour. 

Using the newly consolidated alliance with the Borgias, Louis XII marched his army to Italy with Cesare by his side, with the intent of taking Milan and the Romagna region. Cesare proved to be a competent military leader, impressing his father and earning the title of Captain-General of the Papal Forces, which was the position Juan held before being murdered. 

While Cesare busied himself with war, Lucrezia was pregnant and gave birth to Rodrigo of Aragon on 1 November 1499. Cesare's own wife gave birth to their first child soon after, with Louise Borgia being born on 17 May 1500. For Rodrigo Borgia, this meant that this family had a guaranteed future.

A new problem would soon arise to the family. Whether just two years before an alliance with Naples had been beneficial, now it proved a liability. Not that Cesare needed a political reason to hate Alfonso of Aragon, For Cesare, Alfonso being married to Lucrezia was enough of a crime in itself and his dislike of Alfonso was well known.

When Alfonso was attacked and severely injured on 15 July, rumours quickly identified Cesare as the culprit. Alfonso did survive the attack, but his recovery was slow, and Lucrezia stayed by his side the whole time. The tension between Alfonso and Cesare was at an all time high, with Alfonso even firing a crossbow bolt at Cesare, and then claiming it had been an accident. On 18 August 1500, Alfonso was found murdered inside his own room, strangled by the commander of Cesare's personal guard.

While Lucrezia was noted as being distraught over her husband's passing, she seemed to quickly forgive her brother after he paid her a visit in the villa that she had isolated herself in. What Cesare told her or what they did remains unknown, but after his departure, Lucrezia's mood significantly improved. Another incident suggestive of incestuous feeling among the siblings occurred when Cesare demanded to sleep in the conjugal bed of Lucrezia and Giovanni Sforza when occupying the latter's castle in Pesaro.

[my18thcenturysource]

"The Family of Philip, Duke of Parma", 1755, Guiseppe Baldrighi, Galleria Nazionale, Parma.

Felipe de Borbón y Farnesio was the Duke of Parma from 1748 to 1765, and also the subject of one of my favourite portraits of the whole 18th century (from a set of 3, I will post those another time). The second son of King Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, he became the Duke of Parma, that had been ruled by his mother's family for generations, via the Teatry of Aux-la-Chapelle in 1748, founding the House of Bourbon-Parma.

In this portrait we can see Philip sitting next to his wife Louise Elisabeth of France, the eldest daughter of Louis XV of France. They didn't have happy marriage, and she died of smallpox in 1759 at 32 years old.

Standing behind them there's their daughter Isabella of Parma, here wearing a lilac robe de cour, she would later marry Marie Antoinette's older brother, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, and would become very close (some people think that suspiciously close) to her sister in law Maria Christina. She died of smallpox after a difficult birth followed closely by two miscarriages at the age of 21.

At the front there are the Ferdinand (later Duke of Parma) and Maria Luisa (future wife of Charles IV and then Queen of Spain, yeah her cousin because of course).

At the front there's Ferdinand and Maria Luisa (aren't they the CUTEST?!). Both of them were born in 1751, and she's keeping his toy sword away from him, playing and pissing him off, like all siblings should. Ferdinand would become the Duke of Parma in 1765 at 14 years old and be later married to his bother in law's sister Maria Amalia of Austria. In 1801 he ceded the Duchy of Parma to France in the Treaty of Aranjuez.

Maria Luisa of Parma would become the Queen of Spain since she married Charles, then Prince of Asturias in 1765. He was mainly interested in hunting and mechanics and she in state affairs, so she became an influential and dominant figure in court. If this telenovela is not already sad enough for you, her father died unexpectedly in 1765 in Alessandria after having accompanied her to sail for Spain to be married to the Infante Charles.

There's also the profile figure of Marie Catherine de Bassecourt y Thieulaine the children's governess. She was a maid of honour of Phiilip's mother Elisabeth Farnese, and she joined Maria Luisa when she went to Spain and remained in the Spanish court since then. In 1765 Philip gave her the title of Marchese of Borghetto, thanking her services and merits.

And finally, some pets and music. Didn't find anything about the dog nor the bird BUT I love them both. Especially the super fancy collar.