ABSTRACT
The Este were members of the medieval nobility in Carolingian times. For centuries they ruled the little town of Este in the Euganean Hills near Padua. But late in the twelfth century a Marquis Obizzo d’Este seized Ferrara and early in the thirteenth century his son, Marquis Azzolino, and his heirs were solemnly elected perpetual lords of the city by the people of Ferrara. Ferrara lies in the flat and swampy Po valley some thirty-five miles from the Adriatic and about fifty-five miles southwest of Venice. The twelfth medieval marquis of Ferrara, Niccolo III, was also the first Renaissance prince in the Este dynasty. A transitional figure, he combined a medieval enthusiasm for pilgrimages to holy sites with a Renaissance interest in classical learning. The Marquis of Ferrara was sincerely concerned for the welfare of his people, kept taxes reasonable and tried to economize on Este family expenses.
