Pathways to Honour

Abstract

In his pursuit of honour, Alessandro Farnese prioritised his family. His strategies included securing Church offices, advantageous marriages, and Italian territories for his children and grandchildren. As he rose towards the papacy, Farnese was also influenced by the curial culture in which humanist concepts of the papal role intersected with the code of honour. These concepts, evident in court sermons, reflected a curial script that impelled the pope to project himself as the leading man in the coming of a new Imperium and the dawn of a Golden Age. As pope, Farnese wove this narrative through the magnificent display of festivals, art, and architecture. His pursuit of reform needs to be considered against the backdrop of this narrative.