He is not to be confused with his better-known great-grandfather Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. This Alessandro was often called Alessandro di Odoardo (son of Odoardo). His elder brother Ranuccio II was the sixth duke of Parma and Piacenza .
He was general in the army of Venice, fighting the Turks, and later admiral in the Spanish Navy. He became governor of the Southern Netherlands after the Franco-Dutch War.
Alexander died in Madrid in 1689.
Family
By his mistress Maria de Lao y Carillo had the following children:
Alessandro Odoardo (Badajoz, 12 April 1663 – Cacéres, 21 May 1666)
Alessandro Maria (Badajoz, 30 October 1664 – 28 September 1726), Colonel in Spanish army
Margherita (Badajoz, 5 June 1665 – Parma, November 1718), nun in Parma
Isabella (Badajoz, 19 September 1666 – Parma, 27 December 1741), nun in Parma
