Cesare d'Este (8 October 1562 – 11 December 1628) was

Duke of Modena and Reggio This is a list of rulers of the estates owned by the Este family, which main line of Marquesses (''Marchesi d'Este'') rose in 1039 with Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan. The name "Este" is related to the city where the family came from, Este. ...

from 1597 until his death.

Biography

Born in

Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) 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 ...

, Cesare was the son of Alfonso d'Este, Marquis of Montecchio, fourth son of

Alfonso I d'Este Alfonso d'Este (21 July 1476 – 31 October 1534) was Duke of Ferrara from 1504 to 1534, during the time of the War of the League of Cambrai. Biography He was the son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and Eleanor of Naples and became du ...

and the cousin of

Alfonso II d'Este Alfonso II d'Este (22 November 1533 – 27 October 1597) was Duke of Ferrara from 1559 to 1597. He was a member of the House of Este. Biography Alfonso was the elder son of Ercole II d'Este and Renée de France, the daughter of Louis XII of F ...

, duke of Ferrara and Modena. When Alfonso II died without heirs in the October 1597, Cesare claimed the duchy of Ferrara.

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

raised an army and Cesare, denied French assistance, retreated to Modena. His capital was moved to

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

, which he entered on January 1598. Cesare's first years were troublesome: he had to face the quarrels between the Modenese and Ferrarese nobles who had come with him, the attempt at independence of Maro Pio of

Sassuolo Sassuolo (; ) is an Italian town, ''comune'', and industrial centre of the Province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna. Standing on the right bank of the river Secchia some southwest of Modena, the town is best known for being the centre of the Ita ...

, and a war against

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

for the possession of

Garfagnana The Garfagnana () is a historical and geographical region of central Italy, today part of the province of Lucca, in Tuscany. It is the upper valley or basin of the river Serchio, and thus lies between the main ridge of the Northern Apennines ...

Marriage and issue

On 30 January 1586, Cesare married

Virginia de' Medici Virginia de' Medici (29 May 1568 – 15 January 1615) was an Italian princess, a member of the House of Medici and by marriage Duchess of Modena and Reggio. Regent of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio in 1601 during the absence of her husband, s ...

, daughter of

Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. ...

, who suffered increasing symptoms of madness until her death in 1615. He was succeeded by his son,

Alfonso Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...

. * Giulia d'Este (1588–1645) died unmarried; *

Alfonso III d'Este, Duke of Modena Alfonso III d'Este (22 October 1591 – 24 May 1644) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1628 to 1629. He was the husband of Princess Isabella of Savoy, daughter of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and his wife Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spa ...

(1591–1644), married Isabella of Savoy * Laura d'Este (1594–1630) married Alessandro I Pico, Duke of Mirandola * Luigi d'Este, Lord of Montecchio and Scandiano (1593/1594–1664) * Caterina d'Este (1595–1618) * Anna Eleonora d'Este (1597–1651), died unmarried, nun * Ippolito d'Este (1599–1647) * Niccolo d'Este (1601–1640), married Sveva d'Avalos, no issue; *

Borso d'Este image:Borso d'Este.jpg, Borso d'Este, attributed to Vicino da Ferrara, Pinacoteca of the Castello Sforzesco, Sforza Castle in Milan, Italy. Borso d'Este (1413 – 20 August 1471) was the first duke of Ferrara and duke of Modena, Modena, which he ...

(1605–1657) married Ippolita d'Este * Foresto d'Este (1606–1639/1640)

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

*
Il Castello Estense:
genealogical tree , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Este, Cesare 1562 births 1628 deaths Nobility from Ferrara Cesare Cesare Cesare 16th-century Italian nobility 17th-century Italian nobility Italian Roman Catholics Burials at the Corpus Domini Monastery, Ferrara