Giulio d'Este

Giulio d'Este (July 13, 1478 – March 24, 1561) was the illegitimate son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, the result of an affair with Isabella Arduin, a lady in the service of Ercole's wife. He is known for the conflicts he had with his half brother Ippolito d'Este, which culminated in a failed conspiracy that Giulio conducted against both Ippolito and another half brother Alfonso I d'Este, then Duke of Ferrara.

Biography

In the court of Ferrara

The half siblings of Giulio, who Ercole fathered with his wife Eleonora d'Aragona, were Alfonso I d'Este (successor to his father), Ippolito d'Este (Cardinal Ippolito), Ferrante d'Este, Isabella d'Este (wife of Francesco II Gonzaga), Beatrice d'Este (wife of Ludovico Sforza), and Sigismondo d'Este. Giulio d'Este and Ippolito d'Este, held grudges and differences with each other over the course of their lives.

Giulio grew up in the court of Ferrara and later resided in his palace on the Via degli Angeli (road of angels) in Ferrara.

House of Este

The House of Este ([ˈɛste] Italian: Casa d'Este, originally House of Welf-Este) is a European princely dynasty. It is one of the most ancient noble dynasties in Europe.

The elder branch of the House of Este included the dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg (1208–1918) and produced Britain's Hanoverian monarchs and one Emperor of Russia (Ivan VI).

The younger branch of the House of Este included rulers of Ferrara (1240–1597), and Modena and Reggio (1288–1796).

Origins

Edward Gibbon said the family originated from the Roman Attii family, which migrated from Rome to Este to defend Italy against the Ostrogoths. However, there is little evidence to support this hypothesis. The names of the early members of the family indicate that a Frankish origin is much more likely. The first known member of the house was Margrave Adalbert of Mainz, known only as father of Oberto I, Count palatine of Italy, who died around 975. Oberto's grandson, Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan (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: