Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara

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**Alfonso's ancestors in three generations**
	Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara
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	Topics Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara Topic Home Alfonso II d'Este (November 22, 1533 - october 27 1597) was duke of Ferrara from 1559 to 1597. He was a member of the house of Este Este The House of Este is a European princely dynasty. It is split into two branches; the elder is known as the House of Welf-Este or House of Welf, the younger, as the House of Fulc-Este or later simply as the House of Este.... . as the elder son of Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia.... and Renée de France, the daughter of Louis XII of France Louis XII of France Louis XII , called "the Father of the People" was the thirty-fifth List of French monarchs of France and the sole monarch from the House of Valois Cadet branch of the House of Valois.... and Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II of Brittany and Margaret of Foix.... . As a young man, he fought in the service of Henry II of France Henry II of France Henry II , of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I of France, was King of France from 31 March 1547, until his death.... , fighting against the Habsburgs. Soon after his accession to the throne, he was forced by Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent.... to send back his mother to France, due to her Calvinist creed. In 1583 he allied with Emperor Maximilian II Maximilian II Maximilian II can refer to:Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian II of Bavaria ... in the war against the Turks in Hungary Hungary Hungary* , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia.... . le class="wikitable">
Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara	Father: Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia....	Paternal Grandfather: Alfonso I d'Este Alfonso I d'Este Alfonso d'Este was Duke of Ferrara during the time of the War of the League of Cambrai....	Paternal Great-grandfather: Ercole d'Este I Ercole d'Este I Ercole I d'Este was Duke of Ferrara from 1471 until 1505. He was a member of the house of Este. He was nicknamed North Wind and the Diamond....
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Leonora of Naples Leonora of Naples Leonora of Naples or Eleonora of Aragon was the first Duke of Ferrara.Daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabella of Taranto , she was firstly consort of Massimiliano Sforza, Duke of Bari....
		Paternal Grandmother: Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei....	Paternal Great-grandfather: Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llan?ol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja was Pope from 1492 to 1503. He is the most controversial of the Secularism popes of the Renaissance, and his surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era....
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei was one of the many mistresses of the Pope Alexander VI , and among them, the one whose relationship lasted the longest....
	Mother: Renée of France Renée of France Ren?e of France , also known as Ren?e de France and Renata di Francia....	Maternal Grandfather: Louis XII of France Louis XII of France Louis XII , called "the Father of the People" was the thirty-fifth List of French monarchs of France and the sole monarch from the House of Valois Cadet branch of the House of Valois....	Maternal Great-grandfather: Charles I de Valois, Duke of Orléans
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Marie of Cleves Marie of Cleves Marie de Cl?ves was born in Prussia to Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves.On 27 November, 1440 at the age of fourteen she married Charles I de Valois, Duke of Orl?ans they had three children:...
		Maternal Grandmother: Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II of Brittany and Margaret of Foix....	Maternal Great-grandfather: Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the son of Count Richard of Etampe and the grandson of the late Duke John V, Duke of Brittany....
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Margaret of Foix Margaret of Foix Marguerite de Foix, , was, by marriage, Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486.She was the daughter of Gaston IV of Foix , Count of Foix, and Eleanor of Navarre ....

He had no known children, legitimate or otherwise.

legitimate line ended in 1597 with him.

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Alfonso II d'Este (November 22, 1533 - october 27 1597) was duke of Ferrara from 1559 to 1597. He was a member of the house of Este

Este

The House of Este is a European princely dynasty. It is split into two branches; the elder is known as the House of Welf-Este or House of Welf, the younger, as the House of Fulc-Este or later simply as the House of Este....
.

Biography

He was the elder son of Ercole II d'Este

Ercole II d'Este

Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia....
and Renée de France, the daughter of Louis XII of France

Louis XII of France

Louis XII , called "the Father of the People" was the thirty-fifth List of French monarchs of France and the sole monarch from the House of Valois Cadet branch of the House of Valois....
and Anne of Brittany

Anne of Brittany

Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II of Brittany and Margaret of Foix....
.

As a young man, he fought in the service of Henry II of France

Henry II of France

Henry II , of the House of Valois and the son and successor of Francis I of France, was King of France from 31 March 1547, until his death....
, fighting against the Habsburgs. Soon after his accession to the throne, he was forced by Pope Pius IV

Pope Pius IV

Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent....
to send back his mother to France, due to her Calvinist creed.

In 1583 he allied with Emperor Maximilian II

Maximilian II

Maximilian II can refer to:*Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria *Maximilian II of Bavaria ...
in the war against the Turks in Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
.

Ancestors

**Alfonso's ancestors in three generations**
Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara	Father: Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia....	Paternal Grandfather: Alfonso I d'Este Alfonso I d'Este Alfonso d'Este was Duke of Ferrara during the time of the War of the League of Cambrai....	Paternal Great-grandfather: Ercole d'Este I Ercole d'Este I Ercole I d'Este was Duke of Ferrara from 1471 until 1505. He was a member of the house of Este. He was nicknamed North Wind and the Diamond....
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Leonora of Naples Leonora of Naples Leonora of Naples or Eleonora of Aragon was the first Duke of Ferrara.Daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabella of Taranto , she was firstly consort of Massimiliano Sforza, Duke of Bari....
		Paternal Grandmother: Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei....	Paternal Great-grandfather: Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llan?ol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja was Pope from 1492 to 1503. He is the most controversial of the Secularism popes of the Renaissance, and his surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era....
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei was one of the many mistresses of the Pope Alexander VI , and among them, the one whose relationship lasted the longest....
	Mother: Renée of France Renée of France Ren?e of France , also known as Ren?e de France and Renata di Francia....	Maternal Grandfather: Louis XII of France Louis XII of France Louis XII , called "the Father of the People" was the thirty-fifth List of French monarchs of France and the sole monarch from the House of Valois Cadet branch of the House of Valois....	Maternal Great-grandfather: Charles I de Valois, Duke of Orléans
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Marie of Cleves Marie of Cleves Marie de Cl?ves was born in Prussia to Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves.On 27 November, 1440 at the age of fourteen she married Charles I de Valois, Duke of Orl?ans they had three children:...
		Maternal Grandmother: Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II of Brittany and Margaret of Foix....	Maternal Great-grandfather: Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the son of Count Richard of Etampe and the grandson of the late Duke John V, Duke of Brittany....
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Margaret of Foix Margaret of Foix Marguerite de Foix, , was, by marriage, Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486.She was the daughter of Gaston IV of Foix , Count of Foix, and Eleanor of Navarre ....

Marriages

He married three times:

On July 3, 1558, Alfonso married his first wife Lucrezia di Cosimo de' Medici, a daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569....
and Eleonora di Toledo
Eleonora di Toledo

Eleanor of Toledo Eleanor was born in Toledo, Spain, the second daughter of the Viceroy of Naples, Don Pedro ?lvarez de Toledo, 2nd Marquis of Villafranca - Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor's lieutenant-governor....
. She died two years afterwards, and poisoning is suspected.
On December 5, 1565, Alfonso married his second wife Barbara of Austria
Barbara of Austria

Barbara of Austria was born in Vienna to Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. From 1547, in Innsbruck with her sisters Magdalena, Margareta, Helena and Johanna of Austria, she received a deeply religious upbringing....
(April 30, 1539 - September 19, 1572), eighth daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand I was a Central European monarch from the Habsburg. He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary and Croatia from 1526....
and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
Anna of Bohemia and Hungary

Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans....
.
On February 24, 1579, Alfonso married his third wife Margherita Gonzaga
Margherita Gonzaga d'Este

Not to be confused with Margerita Gonzaga, Duchess of LorraineMargherita Gonzaga d'Este, Duchess of Ferrara was the daughter of William I, Duke of Mantua and Eleonora of Austria, and the sister of Vincent I, Duke of Mantua and Anna Caterina Gonzaga....
(May 27, 1564 - January 6, 1618). She was the eldest daughter of William I, Duke of Mantua
William I, Duke of Mantua

Guglielmo I Gonzaga was Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat from 1550 to 1587.He was the second son of Federico II Gonzaga of Mantua and Margaret Palaeologina of Montferrat....
and Eleonora of Austria
Eleonora of Austria

Archduchess Eleanor of Austria was the daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. She was a sister of Johanna of Austria, who married Francesco I de' Medici, Eleonora was the aunt of Marie de' Medici, Queen of France....
. Eleonora was an older sister of his second wife Barbara.

He had no known children, legitimate or otherwise.

Succession

The legitimate line ended in 1597 with him. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor

Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor

Rudolf II , Holy Roman Emperor as Rudolf II , King of Hungary as Rudolf , King of Bohemia as Rudolf II and Archduke of Austria as Rudolf V . He was a member of the Habsburg family....
recognized as heir his cousin Cesare d'Este

Cesare d'Este

Cesare d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1597 until his death. During his reign, in 1598, the house of Este lost the Duchy of Ferrara....
, member of a cadet

Cadet

A cadet may mean a future officer in the military, a junior branch of an important family, or simply a person who is a junior trainee....
branch, who continued to rule in the imperial duchies and carried on the family name. The succession, however, was recognized only by the Emperor but not by the Popes. In 1598 Ferrara was therefore incorporated into the Papal States

Papal States

The Papal States, State of the Church or Pontifical States were one of the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia ....
by Pope Clement VIII

Pope Clement VIII

Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from January 30, 1592 to March 3, 1605....
, on grounds of doubtful legitimacy.

Patron of the arts and sciences

Alfonso II raised the glory of Ferrara

Ferrara

Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara.It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north....
to its highest point, and was the patron of Torquato Tasso

Torquato Tasso

Torquato Tasso was an Italy poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata , in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem ....
, Giovanni Battista Guarini

Giovanni Battista Guarini

Giovanni Battista Guarini was an Italy poet, dramatist, and diplomat....
, and Cesare Cremonini

Cesare Cremonini (philosopher)

Cesare Cremonini, sometimes Cesare Cremonino , was an Italy professor of natural philosophy, working rationalism and Aristotle materialism inside scholasticism....
-- favouring the arts and sciences, as the princes of his house had always done. Luzzasco Luzzaschi

Luzzasco Luzzaschi

Luzzasco Luzzaschi was an Italy composer, organist, and teacher of the late Renaissance music. He was born and died in Ferrara, and probably spent his entire life there....
served as his court organist.

In addition, he was the sponsor of the Concerto delle donne
Concerto delle donne

The concerto delle donne was a group of professional female singers in the late Italian Renaissance of Ferrara, Italy, renowned for their technical and artistic virtuosity....
, a type of group which was to be copied all over Italy. He also restored the Castello Estense

Castello Estense

The Castle Estense or Castle of Saint Michele is an imposing, moated, medieval structure in the center of Ferrara, northern Italy. It is a large block with four corner towers....
, damaged by an earthquake in 1570.

His expenses, however, went at damage of the public treasure.

Trivia

Some specialists claim that Alfonso II is the duke upon whom Robert Browning

Robert Browning

Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian literature poets....
based his poem My Last Duchess
My Last Duchess

"My Last Duchess" is a poem by Robert Browning, frequently anthology as an example of the dramatic monologue. It first appeared in 1842 in Browning's Dramatic Lyrics....
.