Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 8.djvu/581

Rh E S T - E 5S T 559 Ferrara. lie died in 1171, and was succeeded by his brother HERCULES I. (1443-1505), who, with the help of the Venetians, seized the sovereignty of Ferrara from Nicholas, the son of Lionel, and afterwards, with the help of Ferdinand king of Naples, retained it against the Venetians and Pope Sixtus IV. The last twenty-five years of his reign were peaceful and prosperous, and his capital becama noted both for its luxury and as the resort of men eminent in literature and art. Count Boiardo the poet was his minister, and Ariosto also obtained his patronage and friendship. To Hercules succeeded ALPHOXSO I. (1486- 1534), who was married to Lucretia Borgia, daughter of Pope Alexander VI. During nearly the whole of his reign Alphonso was engaged in the Italian wars, and in his com plicated and difficult position manifested so much energy and adroitness, and such .skill as a general, that for a lon&amp;lt;^ time he was almost uniformly successful in his enterprises. On the formation in 1508 of the league of Cambray against the republic of Venice he was appointed by Pope Julius II. to the supreme command of the papal troops ; but after the Venetians had sustained a considerable number of reverses they made peace with the pope, and agreed to join him against the French. Alphonso was invited to co-operate with the new alliance, and on his refusal war was declared against him; but although he at first lost Modena and Reggio, he subsequently inflicted a suc cession of defeats on the papal troops. He was, however, desirous of peace, and had gone to Rome with the purpose of making submission to the pope, when the news that orders had been given for his arrest reached him in time only to enable him to make his escape. On the defeat of the French by the combined arms of Charles V. and Pope Leo X., the possessions of Alphonso were confiscated, but after the death of Leo he was reinstated in them by Charles V. He died on the 31st October 1534, and was succeeded by his son HERCULES II. (1508-1559), who married Renee daughter of Louis XII. of France, and, joining the league of Henry II. of France and Pope Paul IV. against Spain, was named lieutenant-general of the French army in Italy, and general of the army of the church. The war was, however, prosecuted with little vigour, and peace was made with Spain in 1558. Hercules and his brother Cardinal Hippolytus the younger, were patrons of literature and art, and the latter built the splendid castle of Este. Hercules II. was succeeded by ALPHOXSO IE., well known on account of his imprisonment of the poet Tasso. Alphonso died in 1597 without issue, and bequeathed his estate to his cousin C.-ESAR (1562-1628), but Pope Clement VIII. laid claim to Ferrara, and by a treaty with Lucretia, sister of Alphonso, it was given up to the see of Rome. Caesar held Modena and Reggio, but with him the splendour of the house of Este began to fade, and from that time it plays only a very subordinate part in Italian history. The subsequent heads of the Este family were AL- PHOXSO III., who retired in 1629 to a monastery in the Tyrol, where he ended his days in 1644; FRANCIS I. (1610-1658), who was general of the French army in Italy; ALPHOXSO IV. (1634-1662), the father of Mary, the queen of James II. of England, who held a position in the French army during the Spanish war, and by whom was founded the gallery of pictures at Modena ; FRANCIS II. (1660-1694), who originated the library of Este and founded the University of Modena; RIXALDO (1665-1737), through whose marriage with Charlotte Felicitas of Bruns wick, the long separated branches of the house of Este were again united; FRANCIS III. (1698-1780), who married the daughter of Philippe of Orleans, was named by the king of Spain generalissimo of the Spanish troops in Italy, had his duchy devastated by the imperial troops, but was re-established in its possession by the treaty of Aix-la- Chapelle, and, having reconciled himself with Maria Theresa, received from her the title of governor-general of Lom- bardy; and, finally, HERCULES RIXALDO (1727-1803), who at the peace of Canjpo Ferrno lost the duchies of Modena and Reggio, and with whom the male branch of the house of Este died out. His only daughter was married to Ferdinand, third son of the emperor Francis I. Ferdinand was created duke of Breisgau, and dying in 1806 was succeeded by Francis IV, who in 1816 was restored to the duchy of Modena and Reggio, and on the death of his mother inherited also the duchy of Massa and Carrara. He died January 26, 1846, and was succeeded in 1846 by his son Francis V., who lost his possessions by the events of 1859. On his death in 1875 the male line of the Austrian branch of the Estensi became extinct, and the title passed to Archduke Francis eldest son of the Arch duke Charles Louis. The children of Lady Murray daughter of the earl of Kintore, by her marriage with August Frederick duke of Sussex, sixth son of George III. of England, assumed the old name Este, and claimed recog nition as members of the royal family; but as the marriage was in violation of an Act regarding royal marriages passed in 1772, it was declared invalid, and their claims were set aside. See JIuratori, Delle antichUd Estensc cd Italianc, Amiali d Italia, and Scrlptorcs Re rum ItaUcarum ; History of tfw House of Este, London, 1681; Leo and Botta, History of Italy ; and Sismoiuli, Histoire des RepiMiqucs Italiennes. ESTELLA, a town of Spain, in the province of Navarre, is beautifully situated on the Ega, 25 miles S.W. of Pamplona. Its streets are wide and well paved, and it possesses several squares. It has six churches, three monasteries, an old castle, and a college which was formerly a university. Its principal industries are the manufacture of woollen and linen fabrics, and brandy making ; and it has also a considerable trade in fruits, wine, and cattle. The surrounding country is very fertile, producing oranges, lemons, and other fruits, which are largely exported to England. Estella commands several defiles on the roads from the Castiles and Aragon, and on that account occupies a position of considerable stratagetic importance. It was long the head quarters of Don Carlos, who was proclaimed king there in 1833. In 1873 it was the chief stronghold of the Carlists, and in 1874, when driven from othe^ places, they succeeded in retiring to Estella. On the 19th Feburary 1875 the Carlists in the town surrendered unconditionally, and with its loss the power of that faction almost immediately collapsed. The population of Estella is about 6000. ESTEPA, the ancient Astepa, a town of Spain, in the pro vince of Seville, is situated on the north side of Mount San Francisco, 60 miles E.S.E. of Seville. Its smaller streets are narrow and steep, but the principal ones are wide, level, and regular. It possesses an old castle and an old Gothic church, the latter said to be of Moorish origin. Its chief industries are the manufacture of oil, and of various kinds of coarse woollen cloth ; and it has also a trade in grain, fruits, and cattle. The population is about 7500. ESTEPONA, a maritime town of Spain, in the province of Malaga, is situated on the Mediterannean, 25 miles E.N.E. of Gibraltar. It contains an ancient castle and a fine parish church. It carries on an active fishing and coasting trade. The manufactures are chiefly linen, leather, earthenware, and bricks. The vicinity is very fertile, pro ducing oranges, lemons, and other fruits, which are largely exported to England. The population of the town is about 9000. ESTERHAZY. See ESZTERHAZY.