Pope Paul III (29 February 1468-10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope from 1534 to 1549, succeeding Pope Clement VII and preceding Pope Julius III. Farnese belonged to the powerful Farnese family, and he was appointed a cardinal by Pope Alexander VI in 1493 as the result of Pope Alexander's love affair with his sister, Giulia Farnese.
Biography[]
Cardinal Farnese in 1505
Alessandro Farnese was born to the wealthy House of Farnese, and he was the brother of Giulia Farnese, the mistress of Pope Alexander VI. Giulia Farnese used her influence to ensure that her brother was made a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, and he was loyal to the Borgia clan due to his appointment as one of their puppets. He was mockingly called the "Borgia Brother-in-Law" and Cardinal Fregnese ("Cardinal Cunt") due to his connections to the corrupt and incestuous Borgia clan. Alessandro Farnese was good friends with Cesare Borgia during his youth, having studied with him at the University of Pisa, and he also engaged in sin; he had a long-lasting affair with Silvia Ruffini, who bore him three children (including Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma). In 1534, he was elected "Pope Paul III", and he was a patron of the arts, inviting artists such as Titian to his court. He also fought against the rise of Protestantism, allying with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire against the Schmalkadic League. He died in 1549, and he was succeeded by Pope Clement VII.