Este family
Although the earliest evidence concerning this ancient noble house dates from Carolingian times in Tuscany, it is best known for its leading role in the politics and culture of northern Italy from 1250 to the Napoleonic era. Expanding its terrains from an Imperial land-grant at Este, near Padua, the family gradually came to dominate the eastern half of the Po valley in the late Middle Ages. From 1267 the Este controlled Ferrara and its hinterland, ultimately extending their rule to Modena and Reggio in the west and the flatlands of Rovigo to the north. For a dynastic house of the time, the Este enjoyed a remarkably long and uninterrupted régime. Recent attempts to explain their success have cited their administrative abilities, attention to social and economic problems, and swift suppression of internal dissent. The family includes a number of celebrated rulers, prelates, and patrons of the visual, literary and performing arts. The adroit use of dynastic marriages assured close relationships, especially in the 16th century, with such noble families as the Sforza, the Gonzaga and the Montefeltro in Italy; and the Habsburgs, the Valois and the Hanoverians in northern Europe.
