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41-574: The city was created in 1250 by count Bernardino of Cunio after a flood which had destroyed his castle at Donigallia. After several passages of property in the hands of local noble families, the castle of Fusignano was transferred to the Este family in 1445. When the Duchy of Ferrara was annexed to the Papal States (1598), the fief was elevated to a marquisate, which in 1622, after a long struggle with

82-463: 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

123-473: 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

164-575: 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

205-738: A daughter, Matilda, who married Lord Henry Borwin I of Mecklenburg . The Henry the Lion Bible is preserved in near-mint condition from the year 1170; it is located in the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel , a town in Lower Saxony. Henry the Lion remains a popular figure to this day. During World War I , a nail man depicting Henry the Lion, called Eiserner Heinrich , was used in Brunswick to raise funds for

246-579: A fictional account of Henry's pilgrimage to the Holy Land . A popular part of the tale deals with the Brunswick Lion . According to legend, Henry witnessed a fight between a lion and a dragon while on pilgrimage. He joins the lion in its fight and they slay the dragon. The faithful lion then accompanies Henry on his return home. After its master's death, the lion refuses all food and dies of grief on Henry's grave. The people of Brunswick then erect

287-647: A powerful state comprising Saxony, Bavaria and substantial territories in the north and east of Germany, Frederick had Henry tried in absentia for insubordination by a court of bishops and princes in 1180. Declaring that Imperial law overruled traditional German law, the court had Henry stripped of his lands and declared him an outlaw. Frederick then invaded Saxony with an Imperial army to bring Henry to his knees. Henry's allies deserted him, and he finally had to submit in November 1181 at an Imperial Diet in Erfurt . He

328-504: A statue in the lion's honour. The legend of Henry the Lion also inspired the Czech tale of the knight Bruncvík , which is depicted on a column on Charles Bridge in Prague . The book The Pope's Rhinoceros (1996) by Lawrence Norfolk opens with an allegory of a planned ransack by Henry's army of the monastery at Usedom where purportedly a treasure was kept. However, the night before

369-493: 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

410-617: 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

451-539: The East Mark was not returned and became the Duchy of Austria . Henry was the founder of Munich (1157) and Lübeck (1159); he also founded and developed numerous other cities in Northern Germany and Bavaria, a.o. Augsburg , Hildesheim , Stade , Kassel , Güstrow , Lüneburg , Salzwedel , Schwerin and Brunswick . In Brunswick, his capital, he had a bronze lion , his heraldic animal, erected in

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492-665: 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

533-531: 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

574-569: 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

615-735: The Corelli family, was acquired by the Calcagnini . In the 18th century the city recovered from a dark period, and in 1796 became part of the French dominions. In 1815 it returned to the Papal States. With the unification of Italy (1860), Fusignano was separated from Ferrara and included in the province of Ravenna. During World War II , as part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy , Fusignano

656-596: The French invasion in 1796. Henry the Lion Henry the Lion ( German : Heinrich der Löwe ; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195 ), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty . Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of his time, until the rival Hohenstaufen dynasty succeeded in isolating him and eventually deprived him of his duchies of Bavaria and Saxony during

697-781: 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

738-502: The German war effort. Nazi propaganda later declared Henry an antecessor of the Nazi's Lebensraum policy and turned Brunswick Cathedral and Henry's tomb into a "National Place of Consecration". Shortly after his death, Henry the Lion became the subject of a folktale , the so-called Heinrichssage . The tale was later also turned into the opera Enrico Leone by Italian composer Agostino Steffani . The Heinrichssage details

779-609: The Proud of his duchies in 1138 and 1139, handing Saxony to Albert the Bear and Bavaria to Leopold of Austria . This was because Henry the Proud had been his rival for the Crown in 1138. Henry the Lion did not relinquish his claims to his inheritance, and Conrad returned Saxony to him in 1142. A participant in the 1147 Wendish Crusade , Henry also reacquired Bavaria by a decision of the new emperor, Frederick Barbarossa , in 1156. However,

820-487: 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),

861-672: The courtyard of his castle Dankwarderode in 1166—the first bronze statue north of the Alps . Later, he had Brunswick Cathedral built close to the statue. In 1147, Henry married Clementia of Zähringen , thereby gaining her hereditary territories in Swabia . He divorced her in 1162, apparently under pressure from Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who did not cherish Guelphish possessions in his home area and offered Henry several fortresses in Saxony in exchange. In 1168, Henry married Matilda (1156–1189),

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902-578: The daughter of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine , and sister of King Richard I of England . Henry faithfully supported Emperor Frederick in his attempts to solidify his hold on the Imperial Crown and his repeated wars with the cities of Lombardy and the popes, several times turning the tide of battle in Frederick's favor with his Saxon knights. During Frederick's first invasion of northern Italy, Henry took part, among

943-704: 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

984-462: 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

1025-454: The east. He did not consider these Italian adventures worth the effort, unless Barbarossa presented Henry with the Saxon imperial city Goslar : a request Barbarossa refused. Barbarossa's expedition into Lombardy ultimately ended in failure. He bitterly resented Henry for failing to support him. Taking advantage of the hostility of other German princes to Henry, who had successfully established

1066-525: 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

1107-484: 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

1148-695: 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

1189-597: The others, in the victorious sieges of Crema and Milan. In 1172, Henry took a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (June–July), meeting with the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller , and spending Easter of that year in Constantinople. By December 1172, he was back in Bavaria and, in 1174, he refused to aid Frederick in a renewed invasion of Lombardy because he was preoccupied with securing his own borders in

1230-644: 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

1271-521: 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

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1312-558: The reign of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and of Frederick's son and successor Henry VI . At the height of his reign, Henry ruled over a vast territory stretching from the coast of the North and Baltic seas to the Alps , and from Westphalia to Pomerania . Henry achieved this great power in part by his political and military acumen and in part through the legacies of his four grandparents. Born in Ravensburg , in 1129 or 1131, he

1353-545: The relics it contained were transferred by Astorre II Manfredi to a chapel in the Cathedral of Faenza . Fusignano is twinned with: 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] )

1394-814: The rich city of Bardowick as punishment for its disloyalty. Only the churches were left standing. Barbarossa's son, Emperor Henry VI , again defeated Duke Henry, but in 1194, with his end approaching, he made his peace with the Emperor, and returned to his much diminished lands around Brunswick, where he peacefully sponsored arts and architecture. By his first wife, Clementia of Zähringen (divorced 1162), daughter of Duke Conrad I of Zähringen and Clemence of Namur, Henry had: By his second wife, Matilda (married 1168), daughter of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine : Three other children are listed, by some sources, as having belonged to Henry and Matilda: By his lover, Ida von Blieskastel, he had

1435-694: 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

1476-564: 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

1517-633: 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

1558-670: Was exiled from Germany in 1182 for three years, and stayed with his father-in-law in Normandy before being allowed back into Germany in 1185. At Whitsun 1184, he visited the Diet of Pentecost in Mainz, probably as a mediator for his father-in-law Henry II. He was exiled again in 1188. His wife Matilda died in 1189. When Frederick Barbarossa went on the Crusade of 1189 , Henry returned to Saxony, mobilized an army of his faithful, and conquered

1599-517: Was for four months on the front line, and reduced to ruins. One soldier Ali Haidar was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions here during World War II . The church of San Giovanni Battista houses a 16th-century pale portraying the Baptism of Christ . In the church of San Savino the ancient sepulchre of the namesake saint, one of the first evangelizers of Romagna, can be seen: however,

1640-434: 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,

1681-548: Was the son of Henry the Proud , duke of Bavaria and Saxony, who was the heir of the Billungs , former dukes of Saxony . Henry's mother was Gertrude , only daughter of Emperor Lothair II and Empress Richenza , heiress of the Saxon territories of Northeim and the properties of the Brunones , counts of Brunswick . Henry's father died in 1139, aged 32, when Henry was still a child. King Conrad III had dispossessed Henry

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