Este

For Tolkien's fictional character, see Estë

Origins

The origins of the family, of Frankish nobility, date back to the time of Charlemagne in the early 9th century when they settled in Lombardy. Alberto Azzo d'Este II (996-1097) built a castle at Este, near Padua, and named himself after it. He had three sons from two marriages, two of whom became the ancestors of the two branches of the family:

Related Topics:
Frank - Charlemagne - 9th century - Lombardy - Azzo d'Este II - Este - Padua

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• Welf IV, the eldest (d. 1101), was the son of Kunigunde (d. 1056), the last of the Elder Welfs. He succeeded his maternal uncle, Welf III, as duke of Carinthia, became duke of Bavaria in 1070, and is the ancestor of the elder branch, the House of Welf.
• Hugo, issue of Azzo's second marriage to Garsend of Maine, inherited the county of Maine, his mother's dowry, but sold it one year later and died without heirs.
• Fulco I (d. about 1128/35), the third son, is the ancestor of the younger Italian line of Fulc-Este.

The two surviving branches, with Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony and Bavaria on the German side, concluded an agreement in 1154 which allocated the family's Italian possessions to the younger line, the Fulc-Este, who in the course of time acquired Ferrara, Modena und Reggio. Este itself was taken over in 1275 by Padua and in 1405 (together with Padua) by Venice.

Related Topics:
Henry the Lion - 1154 - Padua - Venice

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