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Ranuccio II Farnese

Parma, 17 Sep 1630 – Parma, 11 Dec 1694

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born17 Sep 1630, Parmanot verified1 source
  • TitleDuke of Parma, 1646–1694not verified1 source
  • Died11 Dec 1694, Parmanot verified1 source
  • MotherMargherita de' Medicinot verified1 source
  • FatherOdoardo Farnesenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 17 Sep 1630

    Born in Parma

  2. 1646–1694

    Duke of Parma

  3. 1666–1678

    2 children are born

  4. 11 Dec 1694

    Dies in Parma, aged 64

Family

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Parents

Partners

Children · 2

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Parma.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1630s · Ranuccio II is born in Parma

In the news1636–1637

Spanish Invasion and Plundering in 1636

Spanish troops invaded and plundered the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, causing famine and disease that killed over 10,000 civilians.

Daily life

Communal dining habits and etiquette

Dining often involved sharing dishes, cups, and bowls, requiring guests to eat sparingly to leave food for others, as the key rule at the table was sharing.

In the news1630

Plague Epidemic in Piacenza in 1630

A major plague epidemic struck Piacenza, leading to strict quarantine orders and city-wide regulations issued throughout 1630 to contain the contagion.

At the table

Chicken was rarely eaten

For peasant families, eating chicken was a rare event, considered a sign that the bird was not worth selling at the market.

Music

The wandering hurdy-gurdy player

In popular tradition, wandering musicians, often children, were known for traveling across Europe and performing to the sound of the hurdy-gurdy.

Getting around

Daily Travel Distance for Alpine Travelers

Travel times were highly variable due to terrain and weather, but Alpine travelers generally covered between 20 and 40 kilometers per day on average.

What it cost

High salt costs impacted livestock economy

Salt was so expensive in the Duchy of Savoy that officials feared high prices ruined households and discouraged farmers from giving necessary portions to their cattle. This high cost of salt negatively affected milk, cheese, and meat production.