ESTE, FAMIGLIA d'. — It descended from a branch of the Obertenghi, of Lombard origin. ALBERTO AZZO II (d. 1097), great-grandson of Marquis Oberto I, who lived in the tenth century, established his residence in the fief of E. and is therefore regarded as the progenitor of the Este family. His firstborn son, adopted as heir by his uncle Guelfo III of Carinthia and appointed Duke of Bavaria by Henry IV, continued the Guelph line under the name of Guelfo IV. From his other son, Folco, descended the Italian branch, which, with his son OBEZZO (d. 1193), moved to Ferrara, where the Estensi disputed civic supremacy with the Ghibelline Torelli. Obezzо I was succeeded by his nephew AZZO VI (d. 1212), who at first supported Otto IV, then, after the latter’s excommunication, joined Innocent III and was charged by him with accompanying Frederick II to Germany. Of his sons, ALDOBRANDINO (d. 1215), in conflict with Padua, lost the castle of E.; BEATRICE I became a nun and blessed (v.); the other son, AZZO VII (d. 1264), who succeeded his brother, fought against Frederick II, took part in the battle of Parma, and was proclaimed podestà by the people of Ferrara, thus laying the foundations of the lordship. He headed the league that defeated Ezzelino in 1259. One of his natural daughters, BEATRICE II (v.), married Andrea II, king of Hungary. Since Azzo VII’s son Rinaldo had predeceased him, he was succeeded by Rinaldo’s natural son, OBEZZO I (d. 1303), who was an ally of Charles of Anjou and in 1288–89 seized Modena and Reggio. His daughter BEATRICE married Nino, judge of Gallura, and later Galeazzo Visconti (v. Dante, Purg., VIII, vv. 73–81). With his other son, AZZO VIII (d. 1308), a period of decline began.
A league of hostile lords caused him to lose Modena and Reggio. Upon his death, disputes over the succession enabled the Angevin to occupy Ferrara in the name of Clement V, who left it to him in custody. But in 1317 the people of Ferrara rebelled, recalling the nephews of AZZO VIII and their cousins, Rinaldo, Niccolò, and Obezzo, who joined the Ghibelline party. After the unfortunate descent of Louis the Bavarian, RINALDO (d. 1335) reached an agreement with the Pope and received Ferrara back from him as a fief of the Church. In 1336 OBEZZO II (d. 1352), taking part in the league against John of Bohemia, recovered Modena, of which his son ALDOBRANDINO (d. 1361) received the investiture from Charles IV. Aldobrandino was succeeded by his brother NICCOLÒ II (d. 1388), and he by their other brother ALBERTO (d. 1393), who was an ally of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and Venice against the Carrara family. Alberto founded the University of Ferrara in 1391. His natural son NICCOLÒ III (d. 1441) consolidated the family’s power. A dissolute and cruel prince (when an affair between his wife Parisina Malatesta and his stepson Ugo was discovered, he had both put to death), but an extremely shrewd ruler, after the death of Gian Galeazzo Visconti he enlarged his domains, and during the wars between Filippo Maria Visconti and Venice, skilfully manoeuvring between the contenders, succeeded in preserving them. He was succeeded by his natural son LEONELLO (d. 1450), a pupil of Guarino, who reformed the Ferrarese Studium and made the city one of the principal centres of Renaissance culture. He was followed by another natural son of Niccolò, BORSO (d. 1471), who, like his brother, was an enlightened patron of the arts, and succeeded in obtaining from Frederick III the title of Duke of Modena and from Paul II, in 1471, that of Duke of Ferrara. One of the richest codices in the world is known by his name: the Bible of Borso, produced at his commission in Ferrara between 1455 and 1461, now in the Biblioteca Estense of Modena (cf. G. Treccani degli Alfieri, La Bibbia di Borso d'Este, Milano [1942]). Borso was succeeded by ERCOLE I (d. 1503), the legitimate son of Niccolò III, who lost the Polesine in the war with Venice and remained neutral during Charles VIII’s descent into Italy. Of Ercole’s children, BEATRICE married Lodovico il Moro; ISABELLA, wife of Francesco II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, acquired widespread fame for her refined culture; IPPOLITO (v. below) became a cardinal. The other son, ALFONSO I (v. ALFONSO I d'ESTE, duca di FERRARA), married Lucrezia Borgia in a second marriage, by whom he had IPPOLITO II (v. below), a cardinal. He was succeeded by the son of his first wife, Anna Sforza, ERCOLE II (d. 1559), who was reconciled with the Church during the pontificate of Paul III and later allied himself with Paul IV against Spain. By his wife Renata of France, Ercole had LUIGI (v. below), a cardinal; LUCERZIA, wife of Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Urbino; and ELBONORA, both famous for their relations with Tasso; and ALFONSO II (v. ALFONSO II d'ESTE, duca di FERRARA). With him the legitimate succession of Niccolò III became extinct; and by his designation he was to be succeeded by CESARE (d. 1628), the son of a bastard of Alfonso I, but Urban VIII refused to recognize him and went to war against him. Cesare entrusted the negotiations to Lucrezia, Duchess of Urbino, who concluded the Convention of Faenza (1598), by which Ferrara passed to the Church, while Cesare withdrew to Modena. There he was succeeded by his son ALFONSO III (d. 1644), who was the father of RINALDO, cardinal and bishop of Reggio. After the death of his wife Isabella of Savoy, Alfonso became a friar and abdicated in favour of his son FRANCESCO I (d. 1658), who first fought for Spain
(phot. Orlandini)
ESTE, FAMIGLIA d' — Book of Hours of Renata of France, wife of Ercole II d'E. Page with the portrait of Renata — Modena, Biblioteca Estense.
IPPOLITO I d'E., cardinal. — Born at Ferrara on 20 November 1479 to Ercole I and Eleonora d'Aragona, he died at Ferrara on 2 September 1520. While still a child, he was given the archbishopric of Strigonia (Esztergom), in Hungary. At the age of fourteen he was made a cardinal deacon with the title of S. Lucia in Silice. In 1496 he was appointed archbishop of Milan, and in 1503, by Pius III, bishop of Ferrara. He subsequently held the bishoprics of Narbonne and Modena and the abbey of S. Maria di Pomposa. In 1497 he obtained permission to exchange the see of Strigonia for that of Agria (Eger). He was a more capable politician and experienced military commander than a good ecclesiastic. Duke Alfonso held him in high esteem and effectively associated him in the government of the State, excluding his other brothers. During the War of the League of Cambrai he took an active part in military operations and was the principal architect of the victory won by the Ferrarese forces at Polesella over the Venetian fleet. In 1510 Alfonso’s refusal to participate in the Holy League, and his renewed alliance with Louis XII, aroused Giulio II’s hostility toward the Este; and when the Pope threatened Ferrara, he encouraged the citizens to resist and defend the duchy’s independence. Summoned by the Pope to Rome, he sent Ariosto in his place; then, fearing Giulio’s anger, he withdrew to Parma and from there to his bishopric of Agria, where he remained for two months. In 1517 he went to Hungary again and stayed there for three years. In April 1520 he returned to Ferrara and died five months later.
The exclusive confidence Alfonso showed in him aroused against Ippolito the bitter resentment of his brothers Giulio and Ferrante. These jealousies, together with a rivalry for the favor of Angela Borgia, a court lady, gave rise to a grim family drama. Ippolito’s servants attacked Giulio, who escaped the ambush but was left with impaired sight. Since Alfonso refused to punish Ippolito, Ferrante and
(photo Anderson)
(from V. Pacifici, Ippolito II d'E. cardinale di Ferrara, Tivoli, 1936)