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55-628: The current residential settlement was founded by one Gilberto Fogliani in 1262 with the construction of the Castle around which some houses developed. Initially built for defensive purposes, it was later transformed into a seigneurial mansion by the Boiardo family (1423–1560) and later into a Renaissance palace by the Marquis Thiene (1565–1623), the Bentivoglio (1623–45) and princes of Este (1645–1796). Since

110-513: A cadet branch born out of wedlock, who continued to rule in the imperial duchies and carried on the family name. Ferrara, on the other hand, was annexed by force of arms in 1598 by Pope Clement VIII on grounds of the heir's illegitimacy and incorporated into the Papal States . During the 18th century, the unhappy marriage between the last male heir of the Este family, the future Duke Ercole III , and

165-668: A 743 Frankish campaign led by the Carolingian Mayor of the Palace Carloman against the Saxons, followed by a second expedition together with his brother Pepin the Short the next year. In 747 their rebellious brother Grifo allied with Saxon tribes and temporarily conquered the stem duchy of Bavaria . Pepin, Frankish king from 750, again invaded Saxony and subdued several Westphalian tribes until 758. In 772, Pepin's son Charlemagne started

220-466: A Holy Roman Emperor, Otto IV (1198–1218), dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg (1208–1806), later also dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg (1689-1803), styled the "Electors of Hanover" in 1705, and princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1269-1807). The House of Welf gave Great Britain and the United Kingdom the " Hanoverian monarchs " (1714–1901) as well as gave Russia an emperor Ivan VI . After the peace ending

275-562: A castle at Este , near Padua , and named himself after the location. He had three sons from two marriages, two of whom became the ancestors of the two branches of the family: The two surviving branches, with Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony and Bavaria on the German (Welf dynasty) side, concluded an agreement in 1154 which allocated the family's Italian possessions to the younger line, the Fulc-Este, who in

330-671: A close relative of Charlemagne. Ida of Herzfeld may have been an ancestor of the Saxon count Liudolf (d. 866), who married Oda of Billung and ruled over a large territory along the Leine river in Eastphalia, where he and Bishop Altfrid of Hildesheim founded Gandersheim Abbey in 852. Liudolf became the progenitor of the Saxon ducal, royal and imperial Ottonian dynasty ; nevertheless his descendance, especially his affiliation with late Duke Widukind, has not been conclusively established. Subdued only

385-703: A few decades earlier, the Saxons rose to one of the leading tribes in East Francia ; it is however uncertain if the Ottonians already held the ducal title in the ninth century. Liudolf's elder son Bruno (Brun), progenitor of the Brunswick cadet branch of the Brunonen , was killed in a battle with invading Vikings under Godfrid in 880. He was succeeded by his younger brother Otto the Illustrious (d. 912), mentioned as dux in

440-489: Is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries. The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf , included dukes of Bavaria and of Brunswick . This branch produced Britain's Hanoverian monarchs , as well as one Emperor of Russia ( Ivan VI ) and one Holy Roman Emperor ( Otto IV ). The original House of Este's younger branch, which

495-601: Is simply called the House of Este, included rulers of Ferrara (1240–1597), and of Modena (–1859) and Reggio (1288–1796). This branch's male line became extinct with the death of Ercole III in 1803. According to Edward Gibbon , the family originated from the Roman Attii family, which migrated from Rome to Este to defend Italy against the Ostrogoths . However, there is little evidence to support this hypothesis. The names of

550-696: The Electorate , the Prussian Province of Saxony (in present-day Saxony-Anhalt), and the Kingdom of Saxony , the latter corresponding with the German Free State of Saxony , which bears the name today, despite its territory not having been part of the medieval duchy (see map on the right). According to the Res gestae saxonicae by tenth century chronicler Widukind of Corvey , the Saxons had arrived from Britannia at

605-493: The Holstein region ( Nordalbingia ) of Schleswig-Holstein . In the late 12th century, Duke Henry the Lion also occupied the adjacent area of Mecklenburg (the former Billung March ). The Saxons were one of the most robust groups in the late tribal culture of the times, and eventually bequeathed their tribe's name to a variety of more and more modern geopolitical territories, such as Old Saxony ( Altsachsen ), Upper Saxony ,

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660-600: The Napoleonic Wars reshaped Europe, ushering in the modern era , the Electorate of Hanover ( duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg , held in personal union by the king of Great Britain, George III ) was dissolved by treaty. Its lands were enlarged and the state was promoted to a kingdom . The new kingdom existed from 1815 to 1866, but upon the accession of Queen Victoria (who could not inherit Hanover under Salic law ) in 1837, it passed to her uncle, Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover , and thus ceased to be in personal union with

715-493: The Third Crusade , Henry returned to Brunswick in 1189 and briefly tried to regain the lost lands. After several setbacks, Henry made peace with Barbarossa's son and heir, King Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor . The ancient stem duchy of Saxony was partitioned in some dozens of territories of imperial immediacy by Barbarossa, and ceased to exist. The western part was split amongst several minor counties and bishoprics, as well as

770-520: The dowry of his niece the Marchesella , Ferrara passed to Azzo VI d'Este In 1146, with the last of the Adelardi. In 1242 Azzo VII Novello was nominated podestà for his lifetime. The lordship of Ferrara was made hereditary by Obizzo II (d. 1293), who was proclaimed Lord of Ferrara in 1264, Lord of Modena in 1288, and Lord of Reggio in 1289. Ferrara was a papal fief and the Este family were given

825-643: The 1960s, the town has been an important centre for the production of tiles, connected to the district of Sassuolo . As a titular Duke of Modena , the current holder of the title of "Marquis of Scandiano" would be Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este . Natives of Scandiano are: This article on a location in Emilia–Romagna is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . House of Este The House of Este ( UK : / ˈ ɛ s t i / EST -ee , US : / ˈ ɛ s t eɪ / EST -ay , Italian: [ˈɛste] )

880-524: The 777 diet at Paderborn , retired to Nordalbingia and afterwards led several uprisings against the occupants, avenged by Charlemagne at the Massacre of Verden in 782. Widukind allegedly had to pledge allegiance in 785, having himself baptised and becoming a Frankish count. Saxon uprisings continued until 804, when the whole stem duchy had been incorporated into the Carolingian Empire. Afterwards, Saxony

935-628: The Bear. During Barbarossa's fourth Italian campaign in 1166, a league of German Nobles declared war on Henry. The war continued until 1170, despite several attempts of the Emperor to mediate. Ultimately, Henry's position remained unchallenged, due to Barbarossa's favourable rule. In 1168, Henry married Matilda Plantagenêt , the daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and sister of Richard Lionheart . The following years led to an estrangement between Barbarossa and Henry. Henry ceased to support

990-557: The British Crown. The senior branch of the House of Welf continued to be ruled by the princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, as undisputed until the death of the ruling duke of Brunswick Prince William VIII , in 1884. Prior to his death, his brother Charles II from Geneva, as exiled de jure ruler of the house, had declared the Prussian annexation of the crown and the earlier Hanoverian usurpation absolutely illegal acts of usurpation inside of

1045-470: The Emperor's Italy campaigns, which were all proven unsuccessful, as massively as he used to, and instead focused on his own possessions. In 1175 Barbarossa again asked for support against the Lombard League , which Henry is said to have refused bluntly, even though Barbarossa kneeled before him. Records of this event were not written until several years later, and sources are contradictory, depending on whom

1100-668: The Fowler was elected German king in 919. Upon the deposition of the Welf duke Henry the Lion in 1180, the ducal title fell to the House of Ascania , while numerous territories split from Saxony, such as the Principality of Anhalt in 1218 and the Welf Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1235. In 1296, the remaining lands were divided between the Ascanian dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg ,

1155-662: The French invasion in 1796. Duchy of Saxony The Duchy of Saxony ( Low German : Hartogdom Sassen ) was originally the area settled by the Saxons in the late Early Middle Ages , when they were subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 772 AD and incorporated into the Carolingian Empire ( Francia ) by 804. Upon the 843 Treaty of Verdun , Saxony was one of the five German stem duchies of East Francia ; Duke Henry

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1210-759: The German House. At his death, his grandson continued internationally recognized appeals. Hanover formed the Guelph Party (or German Party) to continue political appeals against the Prussian and German annexations of the crown. All later generations of the Italian branch are descendants of Fulco d'Este. From 1171 on, his descendants were titled Margraves of Este. Obizzo I (d. 1193), the first margrave, battled against Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa . His nephew Azzo d'Este VI (1170–1212) became podestà of Mantua and Verona . As

1265-427: The author favoured. Nevertheless, lacking the support of the Saxons the following Battle of Legnano was a complete failure for the Emperor. When the majority of the realm's princes had returned from Italy, Henry's refusal was instantly exploited to weaken his position. Views differ, whether Barbarossa initiated Henry's downfall or if it was orchestrated by the princes first and foremost. Between 1175 and 1181, Henry

1320-463: The brothers Albert III, Eric I and John II, and Saxe-Wittenberg ( German : Herzogtum Sachsen-Wittenberg ), ruled by Albert II, took place before September 20, 1296. The Vierlande , Sadelbande (Land of Lauenburg), the Land of Ratzeburg , the Land of Darzing (today's Amt Neuhaus ), and the Land of Hadeln are all mentioned as the separate territory of the brothers. Albert II received Saxe-Wittenberg around

1375-402: The city of Goslar , which he had coveted for several years already. During the following war, Henry's domestic policy and the treatment of his vassals proved fatal, and his power quickly crumbled. In 1182, Henry the Lion ultimately went into exile, joining the court of his father-in-law, Henry II of England. Following the death of his wife and also of the Emperor, the latter while participating in

1430-571: The coast of Land Hadeln in the Elbe-Weser Triangle , called by the Merovingian rulers of Francia to support the conquest of Thuringian kingdom, a seeming reversal of the English origin myth where Saxon tribes from the region, under the leadership of legendary brothers Hengist and Horsa , invade post-Roman Britannia. (see Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ). The Royal Frankish Annals mention

1485-612: The contemporary annals of Hersfeld Abbey , which, however, seems to have been denied by the Frankish rulers. His position was strong enough to wed Hedwiga of the Babenberg , daughter of mighty Duke Henry of Franconia , princeps militiae of King Charles the Fat . As all of Hedwiga's brothers were killed in the Franconian Babenberg feud with the rivalling Conradines , Otto was able to adopt

1540-428: The continuous attacks by Hungarian forces, whereby the Saxon troops about 928/929 occupied large territories in the east settled by Polabian Slavs . Henry's eastern campaigns to Brandenburg and Meissen , the establishment of Saxon marches as well as the surrender of Duke Wenceslaus of Bohemia marked the beginning of the German eastward expansion ( Ostsiedlung ). In 1142, King Conrad III of Germany granted

1595-481: The course of time acquired Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. Este itself was taken over in 1275 by Padua , and in 1405 (together with Padua) by Venice . The elder branch of the original House of Este, known as the House of Welf (were also called Guelfs "Guelf" or "Guelph" which derives from the Italianized name for original “Welf”), produced dukes of Bavaria (1070–1139, 1156–1180), dukes of Saxony (1138–1139, 1142–1180),

1650-473: The ducal title to the Welf scion Henry the Lion (as Duke Henry III). Henry gradually extended his rule over northeastern Germany, leading crusades against the pagan Wends . During his reign, Henry massively supported to the development of the cities in his dominion, such as Brunswick , Lüneburg and Lübeck , a policy ultimately contributing to the movement of the House of Welf from its homelands in southern Germany to

1705-704: The duchy of Ferrara as papal fief from Pope Paul II , for which occasion splendid frescoes were executed at Palazzo Schifanoia . Borso was succeeded by a half-brother, Ercole (1431–1505), who was one of the most significant patrons of the arts in late 15th and early 16th century Italy. Ferrara grew into a cultural center renowned especially for music; Josquin des Prez worked for Duke Ercole, Jacob Obrecht came to Ferrara twice, and Antoine Brumel served as principal musician from 1505. Ercole's daughter Beatrice (1475–1497) married Ludovico Sforza , Duke of Milan ; another daughter, Isabella (1474–1539), married Francesco Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua . Ercole I's successor

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1760-456: The early members of the family indicate that a Frankish origin is much more likely. The Encyclopædia Britannica regards this family as a branch of the Obertenghi . The first known member of the house was Margrave Adalbert of Mainz , known only as the father of Oberto I , Count palatine of Italy , who died around 975. Oberto's grandson, Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan (996–1097) built

1815-786: The enfeoffment of his son and heir Duke Rudolph I with the Palatinate of Saxony , which ensued a long-lasting dispute with the eager clan of the House of Wettin . When the County of Brehna was reverted to the Empire after the extinction of its comital family, the king enfeoffed Duke Rudolph. In 1290, Albert II gained the County of Brehna and in 1295 the County of Gommern for Saxony. King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia succeeded in bringing Albert II in favour of electing Adolf of Germany , as new emperor (Albert II signed an elector pact on 29 November 1291 that he would vote

1870-513: The enlarged and elevated Grand Duchy of Baden during the Napoleonic reorganization of the western territories of the defunct Holy Roman Empire . In December of that same year, Ferdinand died without ever having had the opportunity to exercise his prerogatives as heir to the Este States. Maria Beatrice had succeeded her mother as Duchess of Massa and Carrara in 1790, but she too had been deposed by

1925-549: The eponymous city and Belzig . Albert II thus became the founder of the Ascanian line of Saxe-Wittenberg. Members of the Welf cadet branch House of Hanover later became prince-electors of the Hanover (as of 1692/1708), kings of Great Britain , Ireland (both 1714), the United Kingdom (1801), and the Hanover (1814). A number of seceded territories even gained imperial immediacy , while others only changed their liege lord on

1980-507: The final conquest of the Saxon lands. Though his ongoing campaigns were successful, he had to deal with the fragmentation of the Saxon territories in Westphalian, Eastphalian , Angrian , and Nordalbingian tribes, demanding the conclusion of specific peace agreements with single tribes, which soon were to be broken by other clans. The Saxons devastated the Frankish stronghold at Eresburg ; their leader ( Herzog ) Widukind refused to appear at

2035-478: The former was designated by Francesco III as heir for the imperial investiture as Duke of Modena and Reggio in the event of extinction of the Este male line. In the meantime, Francesco would cover the office of governor of Milan ad interim, which was destined for the archduke. In 1761, however, following the death of an older brother , Leopold became heir to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany as provided for

2090-558: The latter obtaining the title of Electors of Saxony by the Golden Bull of 1356 . The Saxon stem duchy covered the greater part of present-day Northern Germany , including the modern German states ( Länder ) of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt up to the Elbe and Saale rivers in the east, the city-states of Bremen and Hamburg , the Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia , and

2145-450: The medieval chronicler Widukind of Corvey , King Conrad designated Henry his heir, thereby denying the succession of his own brother Eberhard of Franconia , and in 919 the Saxon duke was elected King of East Francia by the assembled Saxon and Franconian princes at Fritzlar . Henry was able to integrate the Swabian, Bavarian and Lotharingian duchies into the imperial federation, vital to handle

2200-554: The name Saxony from north-western Germany to the location of the modern Free State of Saxony . The deposed ducal House of Welf could maintain its allodial possessions, which did not remain as part of the Duchy of Saxony after the enfeoffment of the Ascanians. The Welf possessions were elevated to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (also Brunswick and Lunenburg) in 1235. This duchy continued to use

2255-671: The new House of Austria-Este . Ercole III finally ascended the throne in 1780 upon the death of Francesco III, but was deposed in 1796 by the French. His States were transformed into the Cispadane Republic , which one year later was merged into the Cisalpine Republic and then into the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy . Ercole was compensated with the small principality of Breisgau in southwestern Germany, and when he died in 1803, it passed to his son-in-law, who in 1806 lost it to

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2310-412: The newly formed Duchy of Westphalia . In the east, the Ascanians, the Welf's old rivals, finally gained a severely belittled Duchy of Saxony, occupying only the easternmost, comparably small, territories along the river Elbe around Lauenburg upon Elbe and around Wittenberg upon Elbe . Limiting the lands the Ascanians gained along with the ducal title to these eastern territories caused the migration of

2365-898: The north. In 1152, Henry supported his cousin Frederick III of Swabia , to be elected King of Germany (as Frederick I Barbarossa), likely under the promise of granting the Duchy of Bavaria back to Henry. Henry's dominion now covered more than two thirds of Germany, from the Alps to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea , making him one of the mightiest rulers in central Europe, and thus also a potential threat for other German princes and even Barbarossa. To expand his rule, Henry continued to claim titles of lesser families, who left no legitimate heir. This policy caused unrest among many Saxon nobles and other German princes, first and foremost his father's old enemy, Albrecht

2420-463: The old Saxon coat-of-arms showing the Saxon Steed in argent on gules , while the Ascanians adopted for the younger Duchy of Saxony their family colours, a barry of ten, in sable and or , covered by a crancelin of rhombs bendwise in vert , symbolising the Saxon dukedom. In 1269, 1272, and 1282 the co-ruling brothers John I and Albert II gradually divided their governing competences within

2475-634: The position of hereditary papal vicars in 1332. Ferrara became a significant center of culture under Niccolò d'Este III (1384–1441), who received several popes with great magnificence, especially Eugene IV. He held a Council in Ferrara in 1438, later known as the Council of Florence . His successors were his illegitimate sons Leonello (1407–1450) and Borso (1413–1471), who was elevated to Duke of Modena and Reggio by Emperor Frederick III in 1452, receiving these duchies as imperial fiefs. In 1471, he received

2530-513: The princely couple would not produce a large offspring, the reigning Duke, Francesco III , set out to prevent Modena from suffering the same fate as Ferrara almost two centuries earlier. Thus, in 1753, two simultaneous treaties (one public and one secret) were concluded between the House of Este and the House of Austria , by which the Archduke Leopold , Empress Maria Theresa 's ninth-born child and third son, and Maria Beatrice were engaged, and

2585-405: The same as Wenceslaus). On April 27, 1292, Albert II, with his nephews still minor, wielded the Saxon electoral vote , electing Adolf of Germany. The last document mentioning the joint government of Albert II with his nephews as Saxon fellow dukes dates back to 1295. The definite partitioning of the Duchy of Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg ( German : Herzogtum Sachsen-Lauenburg ), jointly ruled by

2640-678: The second male heir of the imperial couple, and the treaties had to be revised. In 1763, in spite of the harsh opposition of Maria Beatrice's father, the two families agreed to simply replace the name of Leopold with that of Maria Theresa's fourteenth child, Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria , who was four years younger than his betrothed. In January 1771 the Perpetual Diet of Regensburg ratified Ferdinand's future investiture and, in October, Maria Beatrice and he finally got married in Milan, thus giving rise to

2695-560: The sister of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (1527–1576). His third wife, Margherita Gonzaga , was daughter of the duke of Mantua . Alfonso II raised the glory of Ferrara to its highest point, continuing the patron of Torquato Tasso and Giovanni Battista Guarini and in general favoring the arts and sciences, as the princes of his house had always done. The legitimate line ended in 1597 with him; as his heir, Emperor Rudolph II recognized his first cousin Cesare d'Este (1533–1628), member of

2750-413: The sovereign Duchess of Massa and Carrara , Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina , produced only one surviving child, Maria Beatrice . However, the Salic law excluded her, as a woman, from the succession to her father, while she was entitled to succeed her mother since the Salic law was derogated in the Duchy of Massa and Carrara by virtue of a 1529 decree of the Emperor Charles V . When it became obvious that

2805-427: The strong position of his father-in-law and to evolve the united Saxon duchy under his rule. In 911, the East Frankish Carolingian dynasty went extinct with the death of King Louis the Child , whereafter the dukes of Saxony, Swabia and Bavaria met at Forchheim to elect the Conradine duke Conrad I of Franconia king. One year later, Otto's son Henry the Fowler succeeded his father as Duke of Saxony. According to

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2860-400: The then three territorially unconnected Saxon areas (Hadeln, Lauenburg, and Wittenberg), thus preparing a partition. After John I had resigned in 1282 in favour of his three minor sons Eric I , John II and Albert III , followed by his death three years later, the three brothers and their uncle Albert II continued the joint rule in Saxony. In 1288, Albert II applied to King Rudolph I for

2915-413: Was charged with several accusations, such as violating the honour of the realm (honor imperii), breach of the peace, and treason. If he were to follow the summons to the Hoftag , Henry would've acknowledge the charges as rightful, and therefore refused all summons. In 1181, he was ultimately stripped of his titles. Unwilling to give up without a fight, Henry already had dealt the first blow in 1180 against

2970-434: Was his son Alfonso I (1476–1534), third husband of Lucrezia Borgia , daughter of Pope Alexander VI , sister to Cesare Borgia . Alfonso I was a patron of Ariosto . The son of Alfonso and Lucrezia Borgia , Ercole d'Este II (1508–1559), married Renée of France , daughter of Louis XII of France . His son Alfonso II first married Lucrezia, daughter of grand-duke Cosimo I of Tuscany . After she died, he married Barbara,

3025-403: Was ruled by Carolingian officials, e.g. Wala of Corbie (d. 836), a grandson of Charles Martel and cousin of the emperor, who in 811 fixed the Treaty of Heiligen with King Hemming of Denmark , defining the northern border of the Empire along the Eider River. Among the installed dukes were already nobles of Saxon descent, like Wala's successor Count Ekbert, husband of Saint Ida of Herzfeld ,

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