Francesco III. d'Este
Francesco III. d'Este (* July 2, 1698 in Modena ; † February 22, 1780 in Varese ) from the House of Este was the eldest son and successor of Rinaldo d'Este , Duke of Modena and Reggio , and ruled as Duke of Modena and Reggio from October 26, 1737 to February 22, 1780.
Life
He married on June 21, 1720 in Modena Princess Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans , daughter of Duke Philip II of Orléans , Regent of France (1715-1723).
In 1737, after the Counts of Novellara († 1728) had died out, the Gonzaga family gave him their territories that had fallen back as an imperial fief . In the War of the Austrian Succession he was on the side of France , which is why he was expelled from his duchies by the Austrians and Savoy on June 6, 1742 . The Peace of Aachen returned his possessions to him on April 30, 1748. Despite this partisanship, Maria Theresa made him governor of Lombardy six years later, in 1754 .
In 1746 he sold the 100 best works of the Este art collection for 100,000 Venetian zecchini (equivalent to around 650 kg of gold) to Friedrich August II of Saxony for his Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery , which they have gained worldwide recognition to this day.
progeny
Duke Franz III. von Modena and Charlotte Aglaé had ten children:
- Alfonso d'Este (born November 18, 1723 - † June 16, 1725)
- Francesco Costantino d'Este (born November 22, 1724 - † June 16, 1725)
- Maria Teresa Felicita d'Este (* October 6, 1726 - April 30, 1754) ⚭ December 25, 1744 Jean de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre (* November 16, 1725 - March 4, 1793),
- Ercole III. d'Este (1727–1803), Duke 1780, ⚭ 1741 Maria Teresia Cybo (1725–1790), daughter of Alderano Cybo , Duke of Massa and Carrara
- Matilda d'Este (February 7, 1729 - November 14, 1803)
- Son (July 14, 1730 - July 12, 1731)
- Beatrice d'Este (born November 24, 1731 - † April 3, 1736)
- Maria Fortunata d'Este (July 15, 1734 - September 21, 1803) ⚭ February 27, 1759 Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (September 1, 1734 - March 13, 1814)
- Benedetto d'Este (September 30, 1736 - September 16, 1751)
- Maria Ernestina (February 12, 1741 - August 4, 1774)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Rinaldo |
Duke of Modena and Reggio 1737–1780 |
Ercole III. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Este, Francesco III. d ' |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Duke of Modena and Reggio |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 2, 1698 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Modena |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 22, 1780 |
| Place of death | Varese |