Azzo VI (1170 – November 1212), also known as Azzolino, was an Italian nobleman and
condottiero. He held the title of
Marquis of Este
The House of Este ( , , ) 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 ...
(''marchio Eystensis'') from the death of his father,
Azzo V (1190) until his death.
Biography
He was heavily involved in the
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
politics of
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
in the first decade of the 13th century, serving as ''
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
'' of
Ferrara
Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
(1196, 1205, and 1208),
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
(1199),
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
(1206–1207), and
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
(1207–1208 and 1210–1211).
In his capacity as a leading Guelph ''
condottiero'' Azzo fought a prolonged war with
Salinguerra Torelli. In 1205 he conquered and razed the castle of
Fratta, residence of Salinguerra. His opponent responded by allying with
Ezzelino II da Romano
Ezzelino II da Romano, also known as Ezzelino il Monaco ("Ezzelino the Monk"; died 1235) was an Italian nobleman of the Ezzelini family, who was lord of Onara (until 1199), Romano, Bassano and Godego.
Biography
The son of Ezzelino I, in 1182 ...
and drove Azzo away, but the next year (1206) he had reconquered Fratta, which he held until 1209.
When
Emperor Otto IV
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.
Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 119 ...
descended to Italy, he had Azzo and Salinguerra reconciled. However, after Salinguerra left the alliance, Azzo entered the league formed by
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
against the emperor. In 1208 the pope made him
Marquis of Ancona, while the people of Ferrara named him at the city's seignior.
In 1212 Azzo sided with the exiles from
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a th ...
in the war against Ezzelino, but the latter defeated him at Pontalto near Vicenza. Azzo took refuge in Verona, where he died in November of that year.
Family
Azzo's first wife Elisa, a daughter of a count Aldobrandino, was dead by 1192. They had a son,
Aldobrandino I, who succeeded his father in 1212 (who had a daughter,
Beatrice d'Este, Queen of Hungary
Beatrice d'Este (1215 – before 8 May 1245) was Queen consort of Hungary as the third wife of King Andrew II of Hungary.
Beatrice was the only child of Marquis Aldobrandino I of Este but her mother's name and origin is unknown. Since her father ...
).
By 1192 he had remarried to a daughter of
Humbert III of Savoy
Humbert III (1136 – 4 March 1189), surnamed the Blessed, was Count of Savoy from 1148 to 1188. His parents were Amadeus III of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon. He ceded rights and benefits to monasteries and played a decisive role in the organizatio ...
, named either Sophia or Eleanor (as per the epitaph of their daughter Beatrice). She died on 3 December 1202. They had his only daughter,
Beatrice, later Abbess of Monte Gemmola.
On 22 February 1204 Azzo married for the third time to Alice (also called Alix), daughter of
Raynald of Châtillon
Raynald of Châtillon (french: Renaud; 11254 July 1187), also known as Reynald or Reginald, was a Crusader knight of French origin but also Prince of Antioch from 1153 to 1160 or 1161, and Lord of Oultrejordain from 1175 until his death. He wa ...
,
Prince of Antioch
Prince of Antioch was the title given during the Middle Ages to Normans, Norman rulers of the Principality of Antioch, a region surrounding the city of Antioch, now known as Antakya in Turkey. The Princes originally came from the County of Sicil ...
. While
Alberic de Trois-Fontaines
Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (french: Aubri or ''Aubry de Trois-Fontaines''; la, Albericus Trium Fontium) (died 1252) was a medieval Cistercian chronicler who wrote in Latin. He was a monk of Trois-Fontaines Abbey in the diocese of Châlons-sur-Mar ...
calls ' as the third of the three daughters of ', that is, by Raynald's first wife, the daughter of
Raymond of Antioch, it is unlikely that Alice could have been born before 1167, the latest possible date for Raynald's first wife's death. She was more likely the daughter of Raynald's last wife,
Stephanie de Milly. By his third and last wife he left a son,
Azzo VII, who eventually succeeded his elder brother and became head of the family.
Culture
Azzo's court was a cultural centre in northern Italy, drawing poets and artists from afar. He played host and patron to the
troubadour
A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...
s
Aimeric de Peguilhan
Aimeric or Aimery de Peguilhan, Peguillan, or Pégulhan (c. 1170 – c. 1230) was a troubadour (fl. 1190–1221)Gaunt and Kay, 279. born in Peguilhan (near Saint-Gaudens), the son of a cloth merchant.
Aimeric's first patron was Raimon ...
,
Peire Raimon de Tolosa
Peire Raimon de Tolosa (or Toloza; floruit, fl. 1180–1220)Aubrey, 17. was a troubadour from the Bourgeoisie, merchant class of Toulouse. He is variously referred to as ''lo Viellz'' ("the Old") and ''lo Gros'' ("the Fat"), though these are th ...
, and
Rambertino Buvalelli. Rambertino celebrated Azzo's daughter
Beatrice in all of his
love songs
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
, an overtly political act in the climate of the times.
In a contemporary vernacular ''vita'' of his daughter, the biography sums up Azzo's character and reputation: "he was beautiful of form, almost more than all other men. A prudent yet daring man, valiant in feats of arms and of perspicacious learning: a wise and marvellous conversationalist."
[''. . .fue bello de forme quasi più de tuti l’altri homini. Hommo prudente et ardito ualente in facti d’arme et de inzegno perspicace: sapiente et mirabile parladore'', quoted in Bertoni.] Azzo is also mentioned in the third canto of
Ludovico Ariosto
Ludovico Ariosto (; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic ''Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describes the ...
's ''
Orlando Furioso
''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'', more loosely ''Raging Roland'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was no ...
'', where the sorceress is telling Bradamant of his illustrious descendants:
References
Sources
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*
*
External links
Modena/Ferrara, Marchesi d'Este at Medieval Lands Project
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azzo 06 Of Este
1170 births
1212 deaths
Azzo 6
13th-century condottieri
12th-century Italian nobility
13th-century Italian nobility