Obizzo II d'Este

Obizzo II d'Este

Obizzo II. D'Este (* around 1247 ; † February 13, 1293 ) was Signore of Ferrara from 1264 , of Modena from 1288 and of Reggio nell'Emilia from 1289 . With him the communal era in Ferrara ended, and at the same time he laid the foundation for the rise of the Estonians , who ruled the city until 1597.

Life

Obizzo was an illegitimate son of Rinaldo I d'Este, the only son of Margrave Azzo VII , and a Neapolitan laundress. Shortly after he was born, his mother had to leave Ferrara with him and go to Ravenna .

The situation changed for Obizzo in 1251 when Rinaldo, an opponent of Emperor Frederick II since 1238, was poisoned together with his wife Adelaide da Romano . Since Obizzo was the only descendant of Azzo, the grandfather campaigned for his recognition. Pope Innocent IV legitimized him in 1252 shortly after his mother was drowned. In 1263 he married Giacomina († December 1287). She was a daughter of Niccolò Fieschi di Lavagna and niece of the Pope. After 1263 she gave birth to the future Azzo VIII as the first son († January 31, 1308), four more children followed. Their daughter Beatrice married Galeazzo I. Visconti , Signor of Milan, on June 24th, 1300 . The second daughter Maddalena was married first to Aldobrandino Turchi from Ferrara, then to Raniero di Canossa . The second son Francesco died in the war in 1312, the only surviving son was Aldobrandino II († 1326).

On February 7, 1264, Obizzo was appointed Signor of Ferrara as a Guelph , and came to power under the acclamation of the "people". With him the communal era in the city ended. He had wrested the city from the Ghibelline Salinguerra , but changed sides as necessary. Over the next three centuries, the Estonians built Ferrara into one of the leading economic powers and a center of culture and art. In 1288 he was also appointed Signor in the Ghibelline city of Modena and the following year in Reggio . Even two attacks in 1273 and 1288 could not stop him.

Widowed since 1287, Obizzo married Costanza († 1306) in 1289, a daughter of Alberto I della Scala , Signor of Verona . However, this marriage remained childless. He lost an eye in a tournament. Perhaps he was killed by his son Azzo VIII without a successor having been appointed.

Succession and inheritance

His brothers Aldobrandino and Francesco fought for the succession, but finally agreed to let Azzo rule over Ferrara, Aldobrandino over Modena and Francesco over Reggio. In doing so, they relied on Longobard law, which provided for the division of inheritance.

reception

In his inferno , Dante saw him boiling in the river of blood along with other tyrants .

literature

• Alfonso Lazzari: Il marchese Obizzo II d'Este signore di Ferrara nel poema di Dante e nella storia , in: Giornale Dantesco 39 (1938) 127–150.