Filippo II of Fidenza

Filippo II (1660 - Present), known as the Great, is a monarch of the House of Visconti who rules as King of Fidenza since 1668, following the death of his father, Amadeo III. Although for a period of 8 years, his mother ruled as regent for the Kingdom during his minority.

He was never expected to inherit the throne, but following the deaths of both his elder brothers and one of his elder sisters, Filippo was placed first in line to the throne. He has been known as a Patron of the Arts, promoting culture in Fidenza.

Reign of Francesco III - His Royal Highness, Duca di Sicilia
Filippo Giovanni was born on the 6th of May 1660 to the then heir apparent to the throne of Fidenza and his wife. It was a chilly evening on a visit to Florence, while the court were lodging at the Palazzo Pitti. The birth was sudden and unexpected, as the court were having a ball at the time. Every great nobleman in the land was there, which caused great breathing difficulties in the room. This birth was highly celebrated, as the couple had troubles conceiving a child for a few years.

His upbringing was one of brilliance, glamour and culture. No expense was spared to make sure he would fit in perfectly with the court, as one day he was destined to be the centre of attention of it. He was placed into the care of a governess, Maria Adelina. However, a few months after his birth, his grandfather Francesco III died of smallpox. Now, with his father on the throne, Filippo would become Crown Prince.

Reign of Amadeo III - His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince
Following the death of Francesco III, the new King Amadeo III would be crowned at St. Peter's Basilica. Amadeo had always been a sickly child and was frequently beset with illness, leaving him a very ineffective monarch. In addition, the King was frequently influenced by the Queen, so much so that people mockingly joked ''"there's been a role reversal on the throne." ''Furthermore, the King had little influence on Filippo's upbringing, as all of this was controlled by the Queen. The Queen dubbed it necessary that the small child was sent away from Palazzo Barberini to reside in Sicily, at Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco. He was accompanied by an entourage of servants, governesses and tutors. Beneventano del Bosco was small and quaint, dubbed a perfect location for the young Crown Prince to grow up.

He had a pleasant and quiet childhood and grew up without care at Beneventano del Bosco. He was given an excellent education, excelling in Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, English and German. He also took an interest in reading, music and painting. He adored his lessons, listening attentively to his tutors which would shape the person he would become in the future. Everything was done to ensure that he was fit for rule, and in the end these extra measures to shape him into a true ruler would pay off for the Kingdom. However, quite abruptly, his lessons and programs stopped.

Regency - His Royal and Catholic Majesty, the King
King Amadeo III suddenly died in a hunting accident on the 23rd of March 1668. A messenger rode out immediately to inform those at Beneventano del Bosco about the death. He was also tasked with bringing the new King back to Rome, where he was expected to be. A regency was immediately set up, as Filippo was only eight years old at the time. His mother, the now Queen Dowager, dominated this regency and nullified her husband's wish to make the influential Prince of Florence the regent for the King.

The Regency Council which was set up was a mere formality, as the real power rested with the Queen Dowager. The regent was almost universally hated across the country, while the young King had tremendous approval ratings. Many noblemen wished to dislodge the Queen-Regent, it is disputed whether they actually succeeded in dislodging her, as she kept the title of "Regent" but her power was diminished after demands from the Regency Council. The Regency was uneventful overall, a time of economic and cultural stability for the Kingdom.

Coronation
The coronation of the King took place on the 21st of May 1676, at Saint Peter's Basilica, in Rome. It was a long, massively traditional ceremony. The service lasted for little under three hours, and was conducted by His Holiness, the elderly Pope Clement X. Hundreds of great men and women from across the land turned out to see the coronation, hoping to secure their favour with the new monarch. Well-off people were not the only ones trying to witness the coronation, however. Hundreds of thousands of common citizens turned up outside the Basilica, hoping to get a glimpse of their new monarch. The beginning of his reign was seen as a new hope for the Kingdom as they had struggled through very weak monarchs in the last few reigns. As the procession left the cathedral, bells tolled all across the land marking the new coronation. The procession rode back to Palazzo Barberini for celebrations. These were grand celebrations, involving fireworks and performances.

Marriage
From a young age, he had been betrothed to a French princess of the House of Bourbon, Helene Antoinette. This marriage was considered to be beneficial, as Fidenza had old, strong ties with the Kingdom of France. The young Princess was brought to Fidenza in 1677, when she came of age. Bells tolled in Rome for her arrival. The first time they saw each other was at the wedding, as it was not custom to be presented to each other before marriage. The marriage was a solemn and traditional ceremony, followed up by a lavish and grand celebration, which struck awe in all who attended.

Great Turkish War
A few years after Filippo ascended the throne, he was almost immediately dragged into the Great Turkish War. The Ottoman Empire was terrorising Europe, and when they attacked Habsburg Austria, most of central and southern Europe were embroiled in war. Fidenza was pressured by Pope Innocent XI to join the Holy League and to honour Catholicism by fighting the Muslim turks. The war was long and bloody, and dominated the majority of his early reign. The Battle of Vienna was the boiling point of the war, which was a massive Ottoman defeat. There was a major offensive launched against the Ottomans through Hungary and parts of Europe controlled by the Turks, and ended in a great victory for the Holy League.

Civil War
Civil War erupted between the House of Medici and the Pazzi family in 1695. The two families had been bitter rivals for many generations, and after constant murder of family members from each side, de jure house war erupted. The King was quoted saying; ''"Of course, I agree with the Medici more than the Pazzi, but in all fairness, they are both as bad as each other." ''He originally vowed to keep the Crown and the Government out of the conflict, for fear of triggering international intervention, however, it became an international crisis when the Serene Republic of Venice began aiding the Pazzi, and crossed the border into Fidenza.

The King declared this an act of war, and officially declared a state of war against Venice. The Royal Army, however, was not to engage in combat with the Pazzi, but rather target the Venetian Armies. Venice was largely outnumbered by the Royal Army and sought peace quickly. This peace treaty was harsh against the Venetians, almost completely pushing them out of their homeland and leaving them stranded in their Balkan holdings. Never again would the Serene Republic of Venice play a large role in European Politics. Now, with the defeat of the Venetians, the Civil War seemed to be virtually won, however, the Archduchy of Austria soon got involved, seeking to restore Venice to its place. It wasn't until a brisk night in 1696 that the crown would become involved against the Pazzi.

Assassination Attempt and Consequences
Amadeo de Pazzi (1680 - 1696) was a young man of sixteen years old when he attacked the King. Ludovico de Pazzi had urged the young man to go after the King, who supported the House of Medici. Should he have succeeded, the Pazzi had also intended to murder the Queen-Consort and the Crown Princess, which was part of a long plan to dispose of the House di Visconti. King Filippo II was walking with a few favoured courtiers through the streets of Rome on a cold evening in December 1696. A notable scholar of Rome noted;

"The atmosphere that evening was naturally tense, it was snowing outside, but I could tell there was a storm coming."

As he walked, Amadeo and a group of four militia men were waiting in an alleyway for the King to pass by. As the King passed by, Amadeo jumped out and lunged a knife at him, stabbing him in the stomach. Remaining strong, the King drew his sword and challenged Amadeo to a duel. The young boy had originally caved into peer pressure, and now he burst into tears. The King chose to have mercy, and rather than killing him right then and there, he had him arrested and taken into custody. The King recovered quickly, and as a result of this attack, he brought the Royal Army into the Civil War on the side of the Medici. Although King Filippo expressly forbade torture for the young boy, the guards watching him in prison disregarded this order. Amadeo was put under endless and brutal torture, until he died from internal injuries in prison, on Christmas Day.

The Royal Army of Fidenza marched into Romagna, where the Pazzi were lodging, and intercepted them in battle on Boxing Day of 1696. They were led by the King himself, alongside the Princess of Florence. Around 37,000 combined Fidenzian-Medici forces attacked the Pazzi-Venetian forces camping in Romagna. The battle of Romagna was a bloody, anarchic mess of people butchering each other without order. Civilians in the area were attacked, women were raped and children were assaulted, the battle became less of a battle than an attack on civilians. The King decided he would have no more, and rode on his horse bearing a sword. He rode to Ludovico de Pazzi and personally beheaded him with his own sabre. The Pazzi fled, their leader slain. The battle was won by the Fidenzian Army, but the stains and horror of that day would never leave the minds of the country. Many other minor battles would ensue, but after a battle in 1697, the Civil War became a stalemate.

End of the Civil War
The War was won in 1700, when Filippo imposed harsh peace treaties upon all his enemies. He took huge chunks of land away from the Holy Roman Empire and Venice particularly, executed the head, consort and heirs to the Pazzi family and forced huge monetary reparations upon all. From this point onwards, Filippo II would be known as the Great, expanding his realm significantly, and as scholars of Rome wrote;

"Filippo II outshines all of his predecessors in grandeur, conquest and centralisation. His nobles never get close to making a powergrab, and now seeing his severity and harshness in these treaties for the Civil War, nobody will dare contest the right of Fidenza to be considered a Great Power of Europe."

Personality
In his formative years, the King was known as timid and shy, but as he grew a feisty, more boisterous personality began to emerge. It is noted that, to those he likes, he is friendly, humorous and well wishing, but to those out of his favour, he can shoot glares like ice to them, ignore them quite efficiently and make clever remarks about them behind her back. He has been known as stern, and harsh. Nobles remain in check merely by considering the reaction of the King at their every action. The old Feudal ways of autonomous nobles was no more, and Filippo II was the greatest example that the monarchy was firmly in charge, with his imposing nature and striking terror into his nobility, keeping them in Rome where they can't cause fuss at their own estates.

Legitimate Issue

 * Maria Angelica, Crown Princess of Fidenza (13th March 1677 - Present)
 * Amadeo Filippo, Duke of Sicily (25th November 1678 - Present)
 * Giovanni Maria, Duke of Sicily (30th August 1679 - Present)
 * Stillborn daughter (12th July 1681)
 * Miscarried twins (19th May 1682)
 * Matteo Luchino, Count of Marche (28th February 1683 - Present)
 * Adelina Lucrezia, Duchess of Pisa (26th December 1686 - Present)

Legitimised Issue (with Princess Catherina of Florence)

 * Alfons Vittorio, Duke of Calabria (17th January 1688 - Present)

Illegitimate Issue (with Princess Catherina of Florence)

 * Maria de' Medici, Lady of Florence (19th August 1690 - 27th January 1691)
 * Filippo de' Medici, Lord of Florence (24th October 1693 - Present)