Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena
Ercole III d'Este (Ercole Rinaldo; 22 November 1727 – 14 October 1803) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1780 to 1796. He was a member of the House of Este.
Biography
He was born in Modena, the son of Duke Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena and Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and Regent of France. He was the couples fourth child and had an older sister Maria Teresa and two brothers who died before his birth.
In 1741 he married Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa, by which he annexed the Duchy of Massa and Carrara to the Este territories. When his parents succeeded as rulers of Modena, he was styled His Royal Highness the Hereditary Prince of Modena (1737–1780) and after 1780, His Royal Highness the Duke of Modena.
Generally appreciated by his subjects (he sometimes spoke in Modenese dialect with them), and continued the reform begun by his father. He built the two bridges at Rubiera and St. Ambrogio at Modena on the Via Emilia, and built new roads connecting to the neighbouring states. In 1785 he founded the Atesine Academy of Fine Arts: during his reign arts and culture flourished, and among his protegées were Lazzaro Spallanzani, Giambattista Venturi, Girolamo Tiraboschi, Lodovico Ricci and others.
The French invasion forced him to flee to Venice on 7 May 1796, carrying with him a conspicuous personal asset. Later French soldiers captured him at Venice, robbing 200,000 zecchini from his house. After this episode he moved to Treviso, where he died in 1803. The peaces of Treaty of Campo Formio (1797) and Lunéville had assigned him territories in Breisgau in exchange of the lost Duchy, but he never took possession of them.
His only legitimate daughter Maria Beatrice married Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. Their son Francis IV regained the Duchy of Modena and Reggio in 1814.
Issue
- Maria Beatrice d'Este (1750–1829) married Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and had issue.
- Rinaldo Francesco d'Este (1753) died in infancy.
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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16. Alfonso III d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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8. Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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17. Isabella of Savoy |
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4. Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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18. Taddeo Barberini, Prince of Palestrina |
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9. Lucrezia Barberini |
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19. Anna Colonna |
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2. Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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20. George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
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10. John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
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21. Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt |
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5. Duchess Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
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22. Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern |
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11. Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate |
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23. Anna Gonzaga |
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1. Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena |
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24. Louis XIII of France |
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12. Philippe I, Duke of Orléans |
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25. Anne of Austria |
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6. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans |
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26. Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine |
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13. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate |
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27. Landgravine Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) |
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3. Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans |
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28. Louis XIII of France (= 24) |
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14. Louis XIV of France |
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29. Anne of Austria (= 25) |
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7. Françoise Marie de Bourbon |
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30. Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart |
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15. Françoise-Athénaïs, Marchioness of Montespan |
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31. Diane de Grandseigne |
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Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 22 November 1727 – 26 October 1737 His Highness Ercole d'Este
- 26 October 1737 – 22 February 1780 His Royal Highness the Hereditary Prince of Modena
- 22 February 1780 – 16 October 1796 His Royal Highness the Duke of Modena
- 16 October 1796 – 17 October 1797 Titular Duke of Modena
- 17 October 1797 – 14 October 1803 His Royal Highness the Duke of Breisgau
See also
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Princes of Modena
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| 1st Generation |
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| 2nd Generation |
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| 3rd Generation |
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| 4th Generation |
Alfonso III, Duke of Modena · Prince Cesare · Prince Obizzo · Prince Cesare · Prince Rinaldo · Prince Borso · Prince Ippolito · Prince Foresto · Prince Bonofazio · Prince Rinaldo · Prince Filiberto · Luigi, Lord of Montecchio and Scandiano · Sigismondo, Marchese of Lanzo and Borgomanero
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| 5th Generation |
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| 6th Generation |
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| 7th Generation |
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| 8th Generation |
Prince Alfonso · Prince Francesco Constantino · Ercole III, Duke of Modena · Benedetto Filippo, Abbot of Anchin
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| 9th Generation |
Prince Reinaldo
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| 10th Generation |
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| 11th Generation |
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*also Archduke of Austria
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Este, Ercole 3, Modena, Duke Of |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
22 November 1727 |
| Place of birth |
Ducal Palace of Modena, Modena |
| Date of death |
14 October 1803 |
| Place of death |
Treviso, Duchy of Treviso |