Farinelli and the King
Posted by Jane
on 8/3/2018, 13:28:45
Did the famous castrato Giovanni Farinelli really wield a lot of power and influence over King Fernando V of Spain? I read that the latter struggled a great deal with his royal duties, after arriving in his new country. As it was, his queen (Isabella Farnese) came up with the idea that perhaps music would have a soothing effect on his mind -- relieve him from the stress and burden of governance. So she contrived to bring the most celebrated singer of the day into the Spanish royal court. Evidently the two hit it off immediately, to the point of being virtually inseparable. The question is: just what exactly was the degree of Farinelli's hold over the king, anyway? Did he really become the DE FACTO ruler of the country?
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