Maria of Portugal, Hereditary Princess of Parma
Infanta Maria of Guimarães was a Portuguese infanta and the wife of Alessandro Farnese, heir to the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. She was Hereditary Princess of Parma from their marriage on 11 November 1565 until her death in 1577.
Early life and background
Born in Lisbon on 8 December 1538 during the reign of her uncle John III of Portugal, Maria was the eldest daughter of Infante Duarte, sixth son of Manuel I of Portugal, and Isabel of Braganza. She lived in the Ribeira Palace with her mother and younger sister Catarina, not far from the chambers of her aunt, Queen Catherine.Raised in a deeply religious atmosphere, Maria was a devout Catholic and interested in the study of theology. She was considered well-learned for a woman of her time: she studied mathematics and natural philosophy, could write in Latin, and knew some Greek.
Around 1562, Maria's first cousin, King Philip II of Spain, began lengthy negotiations in Madrid to arrange her marriage with Alessandro Farnese, only son of Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma. An agreement was finally reached in September 1564. Alessandro was dissatisfied with the match because Maria was seven years older.
Princess of Parma
In May 1565, the proxy wedding ceremony was celebrated in Lisbon, with the Spanish ambassador to Portugal representing Alessandro at the altar. Accompanied by a grand fleet, Maria left Portugal on 14 September 1565. After the Infanta arrived in Flanders, Italian ambassadors remarked that she was more beautiful than expected. The wedding ceremony took place on 11 November 1565 at the court of Alexander's mother, Margaret of Parma, in Brussels. Festivities continued until January 1566.Maria finally embarked for Italy in May 1566. Fearful of contact with Protestants, she asked her confessor to preach a sermon to her Portuguese entourage warning of the countries "infested with heresy" they would travel through. The Protestant Flemish nobles on board pretended to be Catholic.
In June 1566, Maria made her solemn procession into Parma. Aside from visits to Piacenza, she lived in Parma with a small Portuguese court for the rest of her life. Famed for her piety, Maria was an influential figure in the city, modeling the ideals of the Counter Reformation. Her marriage proved mediocre; Maria loved Alessandro but was frustrated by his frequent affairs. The couple's first child, Margherita, was born in 1567, followed by Ranuccio in 1569, and finally Odoardo in 1573.
Besides religion, Maria was interested in food. She brought a collection of recipes, now referred to as O Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal, to Parma. The cookbook is believed to be the earliest compendium of Portuguese cuisine. The abundance of sugar in the recipes is noteworthy, appearing in various dishes featuring meat, eggs, and milk. Maria's sugar-rich diet contributed to her severe periodontitis.