Punzón de arcabucero

The first-born son of Philip V (1683-1746) and his second wife, Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766), the future Charles III was educated by Joseph Arnaud, the Jesuit priest Ignace de Laubrussel, and Father Saverio de la Conca. Together with learning to read and write, his training included knowledge of geography, history, religion, military tactics, Latin and modern languages, as well as other disciplines of a more social nature such as horse riding, hunting, dancing and music. 

Charles III was not originally destined to reign, as his older brothers, the future Louis I and Ferdinand VI, preceded him in the line of succession to the Spanish throne. However, in early 1731, he was recognised as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, following the death...