Francesco II d'Este
Encyclopedia
Francesco II d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1662 to 1694.
He was born in Modena
to Alfonso IV d'Este
, duke of Modena, and Laura Martinozzi
, niece of Cardinal Mazarin. His sister, Mary of Modena
, married the future James II of England
in 1673 and became queen of England in 1685.
He became duke at the age of two. His mother, pious and rigorous, served as his regent until 1674, filling state offices with clerics under the advice of her Jesuit confessor Father Garimberti. When she left to accompany the princess to England, he assumed control at the age of fourteen, and was so transformed in the free and easy company of his cousin principe Cesare Ignazio d'Este, that on her return the dowager duchess withdrew from court.
Francesco's foreign policy was affected by the requirements of Louis XIV
, his sister's patron after 1688, but he resisted French attempts to interfere in the duchies. A franco Modenese alliance was proposed with Francesco and a Princess of the House of Lorraine
named Béatrice Hiéronyme
was the eldest daughter of François Marie de Lorraine, Prince de Lillebonne
The marriage never materialised and instead, he married Margherita Maria Farnese
.
He learned the violin as a boy and the court orchestra was revived for him when he was eleven; one of the musicians employed there was Giovanni Maria Bononcini
. Francesco was a lavish and discerning patron of music, and the composer Arcangelo Corelli
dedicated his Op. 3 trio sonata
s (Rome, 1689) to him. His library has remained substantially complete in the Biblioteca Estense, Modena.
He was born in Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
to Alfonso IV d'Este
Alfonso IV d'Este
Alfonso IV d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1658 until his death. He was the father of Mary of Modena, consort of James II of England.-Biography:...
, duke of Modena, and Laura Martinozzi
Laura Martinozzi
Laura Martinozzi was a Duchess consort of Modena. On the death of her husband, she became the regent of the Duchy in the name of her son, Francesco.-Biography:...
, niece of Cardinal Mazarin. His sister, Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of King James II and VII. A devout Catholic, Mary became, in 1673, the second wife of James, Duke of York, who later succeeded his older brother Charles II as King James II...
, married the future James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in 1673 and became queen of England in 1685.
He became duke at the age of two. His mother, pious and rigorous, served as his regent until 1674, filling state offices with clerics under the advice of her Jesuit confessor Father Garimberti. When she left to accompany the princess to England, he assumed control at the age of fourteen, and was so transformed in the free and easy company of his cousin principe Cesare Ignazio d'Este, that on her return the dowager duchess withdrew from court.
Francesco's foreign policy was affected by the requirements of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, his sister's patron after 1688, but he resisted French attempts to interfere in the duchies. A franco Modenese alliance was proposed with Francesco and a Princess of the House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
named Béatrice Hiéronyme
Béatrice Hiéronyme de Lorraine
Béatrice Hiéronyme de Lorraine was a member of the House of Lorraine and was the Abbess of Remiremont. She was a member of the household of Le Grand Dauphin and was the supposed wife of her cousin the Chevalier de Lorraine...
was the eldest daughter of François Marie de Lorraine, Prince de Lillebonne
The marriage never materialised and instead, he married Margherita Maria Farnese
Margherita Maria Farnese
Margherita Maria Farnese was an Italian noblewoman born into the House of Farnese. She was the Duchess of Modena and Reggio by marriage to her first cousin Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena...
.
He learned the violin as a boy and the court orchestra was revived for him when he was eleven; one of the musicians employed there was Giovanni Maria Bononcini
Giovanni Maria Bononcini
Giovanni Maria Bononcini was an Italian violinist composer, the father of a musical dynasty.In 1671 Bononcini the elder became a court musician at Modena. His treatise, Musico prattico, was published in 1673....
. Francesco was a lavish and discerning patron of music, and the composer Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
dedicated his Op. 3 trio sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s (Rome, 1689) to him. His library has remained substantially complete in the Biblioteca Estense, Modena.