Margherita Farnese (1567 – 1643). Italian noblewoman member of the House of Farnese and by marriage Hereditary Princess of Mantua during 1581–1583.
Her marriage with the heir of the Duchy of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga, was annulled after two years due to Margherita's inability to consummate (because of a deformity of the genitals). After her divorce, the princess took monastic vows with the name of Sister Maura Lucenia and became Abbess of the monastery of Sant'Alessandro, Parma.
On the paternal side, the princess was the granddaughter of Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margaret of Austria (in turn an illegitimate daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor); on the maternal side, she was the granddaughter of the Infante Duarte of Portugal, Duke of Guimarães and Isabel of Braganza.
As a child, Margherita was ill with smallpox, which disfigured her face. The princess didn't receive a good education; she even not learned Latin. At the same time, she had a kind and modest character and was fond of poetry and music.
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