Alberto Azzo II d'Este

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Depiction of Albert Azzos II and his first wife Kunigunde
Grave of Albert Azzos II. Vangadizza Abbey in Badia Polesine

Alberto Azzo II. D'Este (* 996 or 1009; † 1097 ) from the Italian Obertenghi family is the progenitor of the noble Este family . As such, through his sons, he is also the progenitor of the younger Welfen (House Welf-Este) and the real Este (House Fulc-Este).

In 1056 he founded the city of Este , after which he and then his descendants took their 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 in a document. The Bernoldi Chronicon reports that he was over a hundred years old when he died.

Alberto Azzo II married Countess Kunigunde von Altdorf , sister of Duke Welf III , around 1035 . († March 31 before 1055), his second wife Garsende of Maine , daughter of Count Herbert I .

Both Kunigunde and Garsende were the last of their families to be heirs. After the death of her brother, Kunigunde received the extensive property of the (older) Guelphs in Upper Swabia , Garsende brought the entitlement to Maine into the marriage. The latter brought Alberto Azzo to intervene here. After his wife's family died out in the male line in 1062 and was inherited several times in the female line, he made himself Count of Maine in 1070 after being called into the country by a rebellion. He was able to enforce his claim for a few years, but lost the county again in 1072 to Duke Robert II of Normandy .

The last time he signed a deed of donation to the Vangadizza monastery on April 13, 1097 . He died that same year and was buried in the same monastery.

From the two marriages he had three sons, who founded the two family lines:

  • Welf IV. ( Guelfo ; * 1030 / 40–1101), Duke of Bavaria 1070, the eldest son, came from the first marriage. He is the progenitor of the younger German Guelph line (Welf-Este) , which extends to the British royal family and still flourishes today as the House of Hanover .
  • Hugo V. († around 1131), from the second marriage, Count of Maine (1069-1072), titular count (1072-1090), count (1090-1093), titular count (1093-1131), died without offspring.
  • The younger Italian line ( Fulc-Este or just Este ) began with Fulco I. d'Este († around 1128/35), the third son. His descendants held the title of Margrave of Este from 1171 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dominico Carutti: Regesta comitum Sabaudiae, marchionum in Italia. Turin 1889, L, p. 17.
  2. ↑ a b Bernoldi Chronicon. 1097. In: Georg Heinrich Pertz u. a. (Ed.): Scriptores (in Folio) 5: Annales et chronica aevi Salici. Hannover 1844, p. 465 ( Monumenta Germaniae Historica , digitized version )
  3. ^ Andrea Gloria: Codice diplomatico padovano. Deputazione veneta di storia patria, Venice 1877, 321, p. 344 ff.

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Este, Alberto Azzo II. D '
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ancestor of the Este family, founder of Este
DATE OF BIRTH 996 or 1009
DATE OF DEATH 1097