Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan
Alberto Azzo II d' Este (* 996 or 1009, † 1097 ) from the Italian family Este is the father of the younger Guelph. He founded in 1056 the town of Este, after which he and his descendants led her name.
He was the son of Alberto Azzos I., from whom he inherited lands in northern and central Italy.
His date of birth is unclear. For the first time in 1021 he appears as a witness on a deed. The Chronicon Bernoldi reported that he was at his death over a hundred years old.
Alberto Azzo II married around 1035 in his first marriage Countess of Altdorf Cunegonde, sister of the Duke Welf III. († 31 March preceding 1055 ), second husband Garsende of Maine, daughter of Count Herbert I.
Both Gwendolyn and Garsende were the last of their family Erbtöchter. Cunegonde received after the death of her brother's extensive properties of Guelph in Upper Swabia, Garsende brought the expectation of Maine into the marriage, that prompted Alberto Azzo to intervene after his wife's family was 1062 extinct in the male line, several times in female line was passed to after he had been called by an uprising in the country, to make 1070 the Count of Maine. He could enforce his claim a few years, but lost the county again in 1072 to the Duke Robert II of Normandy.
The last time he signed on April 13, 1097 a deed of gift to the monastery Vangadizza. He died in the same year and was buried in this same monastery.
He had three sons from the two marriages, who founded the various lines of the family:
- Welf IV ( Guelfo; * 1030/40-1101 ), Duke of Bavaria in 1070, the eldest son, was from the first marriage. He is the progenitor of the earlier German Guelph Line ( Welf -Estonians ), which extends to present-day British royal family.
- Hugo V. ( † around 1131 ), derived from the second marriage, Count of Maine ( 1069-1072 ), Titulargraf ( 1072-1090 ), Count ( 1090-1093 ), Titulargraf ( 1093-1131 ), died without issue.
- The younger Italian line ( Fulc -Este or just Este ) began with I. Fulco d'Este ( † around 1128/35 ), the third son. His descendants led since 1171 the title of Marquis of Este.