Duke of Ferrara and of Modena

The title "Duke of Ferrara and of Modena" refers to the rulers of lands owned by the Este family. The Este family began as Marquesses, known as the Marchesi d'Este, and their power grew in the year 1039 with a leader named Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan. The family’s name comes from the city of Este, which is where they originated. Over many years, members of this family ruled important areas in Italy, bringing stability and culture to the places they governed. Their story is a part of the rich history of Italian nobility.

From the Lordship of Este to the Duchy of Ferrara-Modena-Reggio

The Este family began with Adalbert the Margrave, who may have been the first margrave of Milan from this family. In 1209, Azzo VI became the first marquess of Ferrara. The title was passed to his descendants, and a branch of the Este family took charge of the marquisate. They were also made marquesses of Modena and Reggio.

In 1452, Borso d'Este, who was the marquis of Modena and Reggio, was given the title of duke of Modena and Reggio by Emperor Frederick III. In 1471, Pope Paul II officially named him the Duke of Ferrara, even though the family had already been in charge there for a long time.

The territory of Ferrara was lost to the Papal States in 1597, but the House of Este kept ruling the Duchy of Modena and Reggio in the Emilia region until 1796. That year, it became part of Napoleon Bonaparte's Cispadane Republic. In 1814, the duchy was restored under a Habsburg descendant of the last Este duke. It stayed that way until it was annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia in 1859.

Rulers

House of Este

Partitions of Este territories under Este rule

Table of rulers

Ruler		Born	Reign	Ruling part	Consort	Death
Adalbert the Margrave		c.910 ?	c.940 – 951	Lordship of Este (part of the March of Milan)	Unknown	951 aged 40-41?
Oberto I		c.930 Son of Adalbert	951 – 15 October 975	Lordship of Este (part of the March of Milan)	Willa of Spoleto seven children	15 October 975 aged 44-45
Oberto II		c.950 Sons of Oberto I and Willa of Spoleto	15 October 975 – 1014	Lordship of Este (part of the March of Milan)	Railenda six children	1014 aged 63-64
Alberto I			15 October 975 – 1002		Unknown three children	1002 aged 51-52
Ugo		c.970 First son of Oberto II and Railenda	1014	Lordship of Este (part of the March of Milan)	Unmarried	(26 January) 1035 Piacenza aged 64-65
Alberto Azzo I (Alberto II Azzo I)		c.970 Second son of Oberto II and Railenda	1014–1029	Lordship of Este (part of the March of Milan)	Adela one child	1029 aged 58-59
Alberto Azzo II (Alberto III Azzo II)		997 Modena Son of Alberto Azzo I and Adela	1029 – 20 August 1097	Lordship of Este Raised to: Marquisate of Este	Kunigunde of Altdorf 1036 one child Garsenda of Maine c.1050 two children Vitalia Orseolo one child	20 August 1097 Vangadizza aged 99–100?
Folco I		c.1050? Son of Alberto Azzo II and Garsenda of Maine	20 August 1097 – December 1128	Marquisate of Este	Unknown six children	15/22 December 1128 Vangadizza aged 87–88 or 100–101
Azzo III		c.1080 Sons of Ugo d'Este, Count of Maine and Heria of Hauteville	December 1128 – c.1142	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara since 1187)	Aichiva one child	c.1142 aged 61-62
Tancredo			December 1128 – c. 1145		Unknown	c.1145 aged 64-65
Azzo IV		c.1100? Sons of Folco I	December 1128 – c. 1154		Unknown	c.1154 aged 53–54?
Bonifazio I			December 1128–c.1165		Unknown two children	c.1165 aged 64–65?
Folco II			December 1128 – 1178		Unknown one child	1178 aged 77–78?
Alberto IV			December 1128 – 1184		Matilda two children	1184 (after 10 April) aged 83–84?
Obizzo I			December 1128 – 25 December 1193		Unknown one child Sofia Lendinara five children	25 December 1193 aged 92–93?
Azzo V		c. 1135 Son of Obizzo I and Sofia Lendinara	c.1140–1190		Marchesella Adelardi 1120 two children	c.1190 Ferrara aged 54-55?
Bonifazio II		c.1130? Son of Folco II	1178 – 1190		Unknown	1190 aged 59-60?
Azzo VI		c. 1170 Ferrara Son of Azzo V and Marchesella Adelardi	25 December 1193 – November 1212	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara )	Sofia Aldobrandini 1189 two children Sophia of Savoy before 1192 one child Alice of Châtillon 22 February 1204 two children	November 1212 Verona aged 41–42
Aldobrandino I		c. 1190 Ferrara Son of Azzo VI and Sofia Aldobrandini	November 1212 – 10 October 1215	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara)	Unknown Before 1215 three children	10 October 1215 Ancona aged 24–25
Regencies of Alice of Châtillon, Alberto da Baone, and Tisone da Camposampiero (1215–1219)
Azzo VII Novello		c.1205 Ferrara Son of Azzo VI and Alice of Châtillon	10 October 1215 – 16 February 1264	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara in 1215-1222 and since 1240)	Giovanna Puglia 1221 four children Amabilia Pallavicini 1238 no/two children	16 February 1264 Apulia aged 58–59
Occupation of Ferrara by Salinguerra II Torelli (1222–1240)
Obizzo II		1247 Ferrara Bastard son of Rinaldo d'Este	16 February 1264 – January/February 1293	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara; with Lordships of Modena since 1288 and Reggio since 1289)	Jacopina Fieschi 1263 three children Costanza della Scala 1289 two children	20 January or 13 February 1293 Ferrara aged 45-46
Azzo VIII		c.1265 Ferrara Son of Obizzo II and Jacopina Fieschi	January/February 1293 – 31 January 1308	Marquisate of Este (1/3, with Lordship of Ferrara)	Giovanna Orsini September 1282 three children Beatrice of Sicily April 1305 no children	31 January 1308 Este aged c.42-43
Aldobrandino II		c.1265 Ferrara Son of Obizzo II and Jacopina Fieschi	January/February 1293 – 1317	Marquisate of Este (1/3, with Lordship of Modena until 1306)	Alda Rangoni April 1305 no children	26 July 1326 Bologna aged c.60–61
			1317 – 26 July 1326	Lordship of Ferrara
Francesco I		c. 1290 Ferrara Son of Obizzo II and Costanza della Scala	January/February 1293–23 August 1312	Marquisate of Este (1/3, with Lordship of Reggio until 1306)	Orsina Orsini four children	23 August 1312 Ferrara aged 22–23
Modenese Republic (1306–1336)
Reggio occupied by the Papal States (1306–1405)
Regency of Fresco d'Este (1308)
Folco II		c.1300? Ferrara Son of Fresco d'Este and Pellegrina Caccianemici	31 January - October 1308	Lordship of Ferrara	Unknown	c.1315 Venice ged 14-15
Ferrara occupied by the Papal States (1308–1317)
Rinaldo		c.1290? Ferrara First son of Aldobrandino II and Alda Rangoni	1317 – 31 December 1335	Lordship of Ferrara (with Lordship of Modena since 1336)	Lucrezia Barbiano one child	31 December 1335 Ferrara aged 44–45?
Niccolò I		c.1290? Ferrara Second son of Aldobrandino II and Alda Rangoni	1317– 1 May 1344		Beatrice Gonzaga 21 April 1335 no children	1 May 1344 Ferrara aged 53–54?
Obizzo III		14 July 1294 Ferrara Third son of Aldobrandino II and Alda Rangoni	1317– 20 March 1352		Jacopa Pepoli May 1317 no children Filippa Ariosto (lover until 1347) 27 November 1347 ten children (legitimized 1347)	20 March 1352 Ferrara aged 57
Azzo IX		c.1300 Sons of Francesco I and Orsina Orsini	1317–24 June 1318	Marquisate of Este (with Lordship of Ferrara)	Tomasina Cattanei di Lusia no children	24 June 1318 Ferrara aged 17–18
Bertoldo I			1317– 21 July 1343		Domenica Pio 1324 two children Caterina da Camino July 1339 Ferrara no children	21 July 1343 Este aged 42–43
Francesco II		June 1323 Ferrara Son of Bertoldo I and Domenica Pio	21 July 1343 – 13 December 1384	Marquisate of Este	Caterina Visconti no children Taddea Barbiano three children	13 December 1384 Marquisate of Este aged 51
Aldobrandino III		14 September 1335 Ferrara First son of Obizzo III and Filippa Ariosto	20 March 1352 – 3 November 1361	Lordship of Ferrara	Beatrice da Camino 1351 two children	3 November 1361 Ferrara aged 26
Niccolò II the Lame		17 May 1338 Ferrara Son of Obizzo III and Filippa Ariosto	3 November 1361 – 26 March 1388	Lordship of Ferrara (with Lordship of Modena since 1352)	Verde della Scala February 1363 two children	26 March 1388 Ferrara aged 49
Azzo X		1344 Este Son of Francesco II and Taddea Barbiano	13 December 1384 – 1415	Marquisate of Este	Tommasina Guarnioni Ricciarda da Camino Amabilia Collalto three children (uncertain maternity)	1415 Venice aged 42–43
Alberto V		27 February 1347 Ferrara Son of Obizzo III and Jacopa Pepoli	26 March 1388 – 30 July 1393	Lordship of Ferrara (with Lordship of Modena)	Giovanna da Roberti 1388 no children Isotta Albaresani (lover until 1393) 1393 one child (legitimized 1393)	30 July 1393 Ferrara aged 46
Council of Regency supported by the Republics of Venice, Florence and Bologna (1393-1397)
Niccolò III		9 November 1383 Ferrara Son of Alberto V and Isotta Albaresani	30 July 1393–6 December 1441	Lordship of Ferrara (with Lordship of Modena; with Lordship of Reggio since 1405)	Gigliola da Carrara 1394 no children Laura (Parisina) Malatesta 1418 three children Ricciarda of Saluzzo 1429 or 1431 two children	6 December 1441 Milan aged 58
Taddeo		1390 Este Son of Azzo X	1415 – 21 June 1448	Marquisate of Este	Margherita Pio two children Maddalena Arcelli no children	21 June 1448 Mozzanica aged 43
Leonello		21 September 1407 Ferrara Bastard son of Niccolò III and Stella de' Tolomei	6 December 1441 – 1 October 1450	Lordship of Ferrara (with Lordship of Modena and Lordship of Reggio)	Margherita Gonzaga 1435 one child Maria of Naples 1444 no children	1 October 1450 Voghiera aged 43
Bertoldo II		May 1434 Este Son of Taddeo and Margherita Pio	21 June 1448 – 4 November 1463	Marquisate of Este	Giacopa Leonessa no children	4 November 1463 Corinth aged 29
The Marquisate of Este was definitively annexed to Modena-Ferrara-Reggio
Borso		24 August 1413 Ferrara Bastard son of Niccolò III and Stella de' Tolomei	1 October 1450 – 20 August 1471	Lordships of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (until 1452) Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (since 1452)	Unmarried	20 August 1471 aged 57
Ercole I the Fearless		26 October 1431 Ferrara Son of Niccolò III and Ricciarda of Saluzzo	20 August 1471 – 15 June 1505	Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio	Eleanor of Naples July 1473 six children	15 June 1505 Ferrara aged 73
Sigismondo I		31 August 1433 Ferrara Son of Niccolò III and Ricciarda of Saluzzo	11 May 1501 – 1 April 1507	Lordship of San Martino in Rio	Pizzocara three children	1 April 1507 Ferrara aged 73
Alfonso I the Artilleryman		21 July 1476 Ferrara Son of Ercole I and Eleanor of Naples	15 June 1505 – 31 October 1534	Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio	Anna Maria Sforza 23 January 1491 Pavia no children Lucrezia Borgia 1 September 1501 Ferrara seven children	31 October 1534 Ferrara aged 58
Ercole		c.1470 Bastard son of Sigismondo I and Cecilia Rachesi	1 April 1507 – 1523	Lordship of San Martino in Rio	Angela Sforza 28 November 1492 two children	1523 Castellarano aged 52–53
Sigismondo II		1493 Son of Ercole and Angela Sforza	1523 – 1561	Lordship of San Martino in Rio	Giustina Trivulzio 1533 six children	1561 Pavia aged 67–68
Alfonso		10 March 1527 Ferrara Bastard son of Alfonso I and Laura Dianti	28 August 1533 – 1 November 1587	Lordship of Montecchio (1533–1562) Marquisate of Montecchio (1562–1587)	Giulia Della Rovere 3 January 1549 three children	1 November 1587 Ferrara aged 50
Ercole II		5 April 1508 Ferrara Son of Alfonso I and Lucrezia Borgia	31 October 1534 – 3 October 1559	Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio	Renée of France 28 June 1528 Paris five children	3 October 1559 Ferrara aged 51
Alfonso II		22 November 1533 Ferrara Son of Ercole II and Renée of France	3 October 1559 – 27 October 1597	Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio	Lucrezia de' Medici 3 July 1558 Florence no children Barbara of Austria 5 December 1565 Innsbruck no children Margherita Gonzaga 24 February 1579 Ferrara no children	27 October 1597 Ferrara aged 63
Filippo I		1537 Ferrara Son of Sigismondo II and Giustina Trivulzio	1561 – 13 December 1592	Lordship of San Martino in Rio (1561–1588) Marquisate of San Martino in Rio (1588–1592)	Maria of Savoy 20 January 1570 Turin five children	13 December 1592 Ferrara aged 54–55
Carlo Filiberto I		1 November 1571 San Martino in Rio First son of Filippo I and Maria of Savoy	13 December 1592 – 26 May 1652	Marquisate of San Martino in Rio	Luisa de Cárdenas 1606 no children Livia Marini Castagna no children	26 May 1652 Milan aged 80
Sigismondo		26 June 1572 Turin Second son of Filippo I and Maria of Savoy	13 December 1592 – 26 August 1628	Marquisate of Lanzo	Francesca Charledes d’Antel d’Hostel 1618 three children	26 August 1628 Turin aged 56
Cesare		8 October 1562 Ferrara Son of Alfonso I, Marquess of Montecchio and Giulia della Rovere	1 November 1587 – 27 October 1597	Marquisate of Montecchio	Virginia de' Medici 30 January 1586 Florence ten children	11 December 1628 Modena aged 67
			27 October 1597 – 11 December 1628	Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (until 1598) Duchy of Modena and Reggio (from 1598)
Ferrara definitively annexed by the Papal States
Montecchio briefly annexed to Modena (1597–1638)
Filippo II Francesco		1621 First son of Sigismondo d'Este, Marquis of Lanzo and Francesca Charledes d’Antel d’Hostel	26 August 1628 – 26 May 1652	Marquisate of Lanzo	Margaret of Savoy 30 November 1645 Turin three children	1653 aged 31–32
			26 May 1652 – 1653	Marquisate of San Martino in Rio
Lanzo definitively annexed to San Martino in Rio
Alfonso III		22 October 1591 Ferrara Son of Cesare and Virginia de' Medici	11 December 1628 – 11 July 1629	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Isabella of Savoy 22 February 1608 Turin fourteen children	26 May 1644 Castelnuovo di Garfagnana aged 52
Francesco I		6 September 1610 Modena Son of Alfonso III and Isabella of Savoy	11 July 1629 – 14 October 1658	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Maria Caterina Farnese 11 January 1631 Parma nine children Vittoria Farnese 12 February 1648 Parma one child Lucrezia Barberini 14 October 1654 one child	14 October 1658 Santhià aged 48
Luigi I		27 March 1594 Ferrara Son of Cesare and Virginia de' Medici	1643 – 1 January 1664	Marquisate of Scandiano (with Marquisate of Montecchio)	Unmarried	1 January 1664 Modena aged 69
Carlo Emanuele		1622 Borgomanero Second son of Sigismondo d'Este, Marquis of Lanzo and Francesca Charledes d’Antel d’Hostel	26 May 1652 – 24 October 1695	Marquisate of Borgomanero	Paola Camilla Marliani 1645 one child	24 October 1695 Vienna aged 72–73
Sigismondo III		1647 First son of Filippo II Francesco and Margaret of Savoy	1653 – 28 August 1732	Marquisate of San Martino in Rio	Maria Teresa of Monaco seven children	28 August 1732 Parma aged 84–85
Carlo Filiberto		1649 Second son of Filippo II Francesco and Margaret of Savoy	1653 – 25 July 1703	Marquisate of Dronero	Thérese de Mesmes de Marolles six children	25 July 1703 Parma aged 53–54
Alfonso IV		14 October 1634 Modena Son of Francesco I and Maria Caterina Farnese	14 October 1658 – 16 July 1662	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Laura Martinozzi 27 May 1655 Compiègne two children	16 July 1662 Modena aged 27
Regency of Laura Martinozzi (1662–1674)
Francesco II		6 March 1660 Modena Son of Alfonso IV and Laura Martinozzi	16 July 1662–6 September 1694	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Margherita Maria Farnese 14 July 1692 Parma no children	6 September 1694 Modena aged 34
Luigi II		28 August 1648 Reggio Emilia First son of Borso d'Este and Ippolita d'Este	1 January 1664 – 26 May 1698	Marquisate of Scandiano	Unmarried	26 May 1698 Modena aged 49
Foresto		20 April 1652 Modena Second son of Borso d'Este and Ippolita d'Este	1 January 1664–23 May 1680	Marquisate of Montecchio		1725 aged 72–73
			26 May 1698 – 1725	Marquisate of Scandiano
Cesare Ignazio		1653 Third son of Borso d'Este and Ippolita d'Este	23 May 1680 – 27 October 1713	Marquisate of Montecchio		27 October 1713 Reggio Emilia aged 59–60
Montecchio was annexed to Modena
Scandiano was annexed to Modena
Rinaldo		26 April 1655 Modena Son of Francesco I and Lucrezia Barberini	6 September 1694 – 26 April 1737	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Charlotte Felicitas of Brunswick-Lüneburg 11 February 1696 Modena seven children	26 April 1737 Modena aged 82
Carlo Filiberto		1646 Son of Carlo Emanuele and Paola Camilla Marliani	24 October 1695 – 1714	Marquisate of Borgomanero	Bibiana Gonzaga 1671 one child	1714 aged 67–68
Gabriele		1673 Turin Son of Carlo Filiberto and Thérese de Mesmes de Marolles	25 July 1703 – 1734	Marquisate of Dronero (with Marquisate of Borgomanero from 1716)	Clara Colomba Cobianchi two children	1734 Castelfranco Emilia aged 60–61
Borgomanero was annexed to San Martino in Rio
Dronero inherited by the Birago di Vische family
Carlo Filiberto II		16 March 1678 San Martino in Rio Son of Sigismondo III and Maria Teresa of Monaco	1732 – 30 April 1752	Marquisate of San Martino in Rio (1732–1747) Principality of San Martino in Rio (1747–1752)	Teresa Sfondrati (1710–1773) 1734 three children	30 April 1752 San Martino in Rio aged 74
San Martino in Rio definitively annexed to Modena-Reggio
Francesco III		2 July 1698 Modena Son of Rinaldo and Charlotte Felicitas of Brunswick-Lüneburg	26 April 1737 – 22 February 1780	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans 21 June 1720 Modena ten children	22 February 1780 Modena aged 81
Ercole III		22 September 1727 Modena Son of Francesco III and Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans	22 February 1780 – 16 October 1796	Duchy of Modena and Reggio	Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa 16 April 1741 Modena two children Chiara Marini 1795 (morganatic) one child	14 October 1803 Treviso aged 75

Habsburg-Este dukes of Modena and Reggio, 1814–1859

(from 1815 also Duke of Mirandola and from 1829 Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Francesco IV 14 July 1814– 21 January 1846		6 October 1779 Milan son of Ferdinand, Duke of Breisgau and Maria Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Massa	Maria Beatrice of Savoy 20 June 1812 Cagliari Cathedral four children	21 January 1846 Modena aged 66
Francesco V 21 January 1846– 11 June 1859		1 June 1819 Modena son of Francis IV and Maria Beatrice of Savoy	Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria 20 March 1842 Kreuzkirche (Munich) one daughter	20 November 1875 Vienna aged 56

Habsburg-Este dukes of Modena and Reggio, post monarchy

Heir apparent: Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Francesco V 1859–1875		1 June 1819 Modena son of Francis IV and Maria Beatrice of Savoy	Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria 20 March 1842 Kreuzkirche (Munich) one daughter	20 November 1875 Vienna aged 56
Francis Ferdinand 1875–1914		18 December 1863 Austria son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies	Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg 1 July 1900 Reichstadt three children	28 June 1914 Sarajevo aged 50
Charles 1914–1917		17 August 1887 Austria-Hungary son of Archduke Otto Franz Joseph of Austria and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony	Zita of Bourbon-Parma 21 October 1911 Schwarzau) eight children	1 April 1922 Funchal aged 34
Robert 1917–1996		8 February 1915 Austria-Hungary son of Charles and Zita of Bourbon-Parma	Margherita of Savoy-Aosta 28 December 1953 Bourg-en-Bresse five children	7 February 1996 Basel aged 80
Lorenz 1996–present		16 December 1955 France son of Robert and Margherita of Savoy-Aosta	Princess Astrid of Belgium 22 September 1984 Brussels five children	alive age 69