Margaret of Parma: A Life in Medals

Margaret of Parma (1522–1586) was a prominent Habsburg princess and important public figure in sixteenth-century Europe. Born an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V, she was raised within the imperial household and eventually married to Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence, and later to Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza and nephew of Pope Paul III. In 1559, she was appointed Governor-General of the Netherlands by her half-brother Philip II of Spain, becoming one of the most powerful women in Europe. Margaret’s image was carefully fashioned through official portraiture and, notably, through medals. In this lecture, Davide Gasparotto will follow the main events of her life through a close examination of medals commissioned by her or her entourage, showing how they functioned not merely as likenesses, but as political tools, projecting Margaret’s identity and authority across the territories she governed.

Registration is required for this free event. Registration includes complimentary museum admission starting at 4:30 p.m. Only children ages 10 and older are admitted.

Pictured: Portrait of Margaret, Duchess of Parma, by Antonio Moro, c. 1562.