Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara

Alfonso II d' Este (* November 22, 1533, † October 27, 1597 ) was the eldest son of Ercole II d' Este and his wife Renée de France. From 1559 until his death he was to succeed his father the Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio.

Life

Alfonso took in 1566 in the campaign of his brother Emperor Maximilian II in part against the Ottomans. 1574 he was a candidate for the crown of Poland, but was not elected.

Alfonso II included three marriages:

• In June 1558 Lucrezia de ' Medici ( 1545-1562 ), a daughter of Duke Cosimo I of Florence,
• On 5 December 1565, with Barbara of Austria ( 1539-1572 ), a daughter of Emperor Ferdinand I, and
• On February 24, 1579 by Margherita Gonzaga ( 1564-1618 ), a daughter of Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga of Mantua.

Since all three marriages remained childless, he sat his cousin Cesare d' Este, the son of his uncle Alfonso d' Este, Marquis of Montecchio to his heirs. Pope Clement VIII recognized this scheme because of the extramarital birth of Alfonso Montecchios not, Ferrara moved in 1598 as a ceased fief and incorporated it in the Papal States.

Patron of the arts and sciences

Alfonso II raised the glory of Ferrara to its highest flowering. Like his predecessors, he promoted the arts and sciences. He was the patron of the poet Torquato Tasso and Giovanni Battista Guarini, and Cesare Cremonini of the philosopher. His court organist was Luzzasco Luzzaschi.

He also supported the concerto delle donne, after which spread the idea of an ensemble of musicians all over Italy. He also had the Castello Estense renovate, after it was damaged by an earthquake in 1570.

The corresponding expenditure however is at the expense of the exchequer.