1. Humanism and Honour in the Making of Alessandro Farnese

Abstract

Born into a noble family on the rise in Roman society, Alessandro Farnese’s development was framed by cultural expectations in humanism and in the code of honour. Humanism provided the script and the classical skills for elite males to perform on the social stage of Rome, a ‘theatre society’. Honour, the foundation of social worth, was the prize that performance continually sought. The pervasive yet contested nature of honour is illustrated in texts that unfold an episode between the young Cardinal Farnese, Pope Alexander VI and his mistress, Giulia Farnese, the cardinal’s sister. The episode shows how Alessandro Farnese understood honour and how it became a touchstone throughout his years as cardinal and pope.