Azzo VI, margrave of Este

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- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azzo_VI_of_Este

- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MODENA,%20FERRARA.htm#AzzoVIdied1212

a) AZZO [VI] "Azzolino" d'Este ([1170]-Nov 1212, bur Vangadizza monastery). The testament of "Obizo marchio de Est", dated 1193, bequeathes property to "Gaysedam filiam suam…reliquas…filias…Adeletam, Froam, Tomasinam, et postumam, si qua forte apparuerit…Azzonem nepotem suum et Bonifatium filium suum…comitissa Sophia uxor sua" and appoints "supradictum Azzonem" as guardian of "filio suo Bonifatio et filiabus suis"[96]. In Castillo di Ariano 1195. Podestà di Ferrara 1196, 1205 and 1208. Podestà di Padua 1199. Podestà di Verona 1206/07. The Annales Veronenses Antiqui record "primitus dominus Aço marchio Estensis" as "potestas Verone" in 1206[97]. The Annales S. Iustinæ Patavino record that "Azo marchio Estensis" took control of Verona in 1207 with the consent of "comitis…Sancti Bonifacii et Monticulorum"[98]. A charter dated 28 Aug 1207 records an alliance between the people of Mantua and "domino Azone marchione Estense et comite Bonifacio de Verona" both of whom promised to defend Mantua[99]. Podestà di Mantua 1207/08 and 1210/11. The Annales Mantuani record "domnus Azo marchio Estensis" as potestas of Mantua in 1207, 1208, 1210 and 1211[100]. Created Marchese di Ancona e Conte di Loreto by Emperor Otto IV 20 Jan 1210[101]. Emperor Otto IV issued a judgment in favour of "Bonifatius Estensis marchio filius quondam Opizonis Estensis marchio" against "Azonem…Estensem marchionem filium quondam Azonis, qui fuit filius suprascripti marchionis Opizonis" by charter dated 10 Feb 1212[102]. Created Marchese di Ancona by the Pope 10 May 1212. The Annales Mantuani record the death in Nov 1212 of "Azzo marchio secundus"[103]. The testament of "dominus Azzo Estensis marchio", dated 18 Nov 1212, bequeathes property to "filie sue domine Beatrici…Aldeurandinum et Azzolinum novellum filios", a codicil naming "uxori mee domine Ailisii…filie mee Constantie"[104]. The Annales Veronenses Antiqui record the deaths in 1212 of "Aço marchio et comes Bonifacius"[105].

• m firstly ---, daughter of [Conte ALDOBRANDINO & his wife ---]. The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified. It is possible that her parentage represents an educated guess based on the name of her son. However, the name Aldobrandino persisted in the family among the descendants of Azzo [VII] d´Este, born from Azzo [VI]´s third marriage, which suggests that the name was introduced into the family in an earlier generation, maybe through the wife of Azzo [V].
• m secondly (before 1192) SOPHIE [El%C3%A9onore] de Maurienne, daughter of HUMBERT [III] Comte de Maurienne et de Savoie & his third wife Klementia von Zähringen [Baden] ([1167/72]-3 Dec 1202). An epitaph in the monastery of S. Giovanni Batista di Gemmola, placed there in 1578, records the death "VI Id Mai" in 1226 of (her daughter) "Virgo Beatrix" daughter of "Marchio…Estensis…Azo" and his "coniuge patre…Sabaudia cui comitatur"[106]. The primary source which confirms her name as Sophie has not yet been identified.
• m thirdly (22 Feb 1204) ALIX de Châtillon, daughter of RENAUD de Châtillon-sur-Loing ex-Prince of Antioch & his second wife Stephanie de Milly (-1235 or after). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Aleydem [uxor] marchionis Eystensis in Italia" as third of the three daughters of "Raynaldus de Castellione uxor…relictam principis Raymundi"[107], but it appears chronologically unlikely that Alix could have been the daughter of Renaud by his first wife who died [1163/67]. Pope Innocent III confirmed his protection of "nobili mulieri Aliz, filiæ quondam principis Rainaldi" by charter dated 16 Jun 1198[108]. A charter dated 22 Feb 1204 records the marriage contract for "dominus Azo Estensis marchio" and "domina Aliz filia quondam Rainaldi principis Antiocheni"[109]. The testament of "dominus Azzo Estensis marchio", dated 18 Nov 1212, bequeathes property to "filie sue domine Beatrici…Aldeurandinum et Azzolinum novellum filios", a codicil naming "uxori mee domine Ailisii…filie mee Constantie"[110]. "Domini Azoni Estensis Marchionis" donated property to the monastery of Santa Maria at Carceres, with the consent of "Domina Adelice sua matre", by charter dated 1235[111].

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Azzo VI (Italian: Arco; 1170 – November 1212), known as Azzolino, was the Marquis of Este (marchio Eystensis) from the death of his father, Azzo V, in 1190 until his death. He was heavily involved in the Guelph politics of Lombardy in the first decade of the 13th century, serving as podestà of Ferrara (1196, 1205, and 1208), Padua (1199), Verona (1206–1207), and Mantua (1207–1208 and 1210–1211). On 20 January 1210 he was created Marquis of Ancona and Count of Loreto by the Emperor Otto IV. On 10 May 1212 this was reaffirmed by Pope Innocent III.

In his capacity as a leading Guelph condottiero, he fought a prolonged war with Salinguerra Torelli. In 1205 he conquered and razed the castle of Frotta, residence of Salinguerra. His opponent responded by allying with Ezzelino II da Romano and drove Azzo away, but the next year (1206) he had reconquered Frotta and held it until 1209.

Azzo's court was a cultural centre in northern Italy, drawing poets and artists from afar. He played host and patron to the troubadours Aimeric de Peguilhan, Peire Raimon de Tolosa, and Rambertino Buvalelli. Rambertino celebrated Azzo's daughter Beatrice in all of his love songs, an overtly political act in the climate of the times. Azzo's own character is captured in a contemporary vernacular vita of his daughter:

   . . .fue bello de forme quasi più de tuti l’altri homini. Hommo prudente et ardito ualente in facti d’arme et de inzegno perspicace: sapiente et mirabile parladore.

. . .he was beautiful of form, almost more than all other men. A prudent yet daring man, valiant in feats of arms and of perspicacious learning: a wise and marvellous conversationalist.

Azzo's first wife Elisa, a daughter of a count Aldobrandino, was dead by 1192, by which time he had remarried to a daughter of Humbert III of Savoy, named either Sophia or Eleanor (as per the epitaph of their daughter Beatrice). She died on 3 December 1202. On 22 February 1204 Azzo married for the third time to Alice (also called Alix), daughter of Reynald de Châtillon, Prince of Antioch. While Alberic de Trois-Fontaines calls Aleydem marchionis Eystensis in Italia as the third of the three daughters of Raynaldus de Castellione uxor ... relictam principis Raymundi, that is, by Reynald's first wife, the daughter of Raymond of Antioch, it is unlikely that Alice could have been born before 1167, the latest possible date for Reynald's first wife's death. She was more likely the daughter of Reynald's last wife, Stephanie de Milly.

By his first wife, Azzo had a son, Aldobrandino I, who succeeded his father in 1212. By his second wife he had his only daughter, the aforementioned Beatrice, later Abbess of Monte Gemmola. By his third and last wife he left a son, Azzo VII, who eventually succeeded his elder brother and became head of the family.

[edit] Sources

   * Bertoni, Giulio (1915). I Trovatori d'Italia: Biografie, testi, tradizioni, note. Rome: Società Multigrafica Editrice Somu. 

* Cabré, Miriam (1999). "Italian and Catalan troubadours". in Simon B. Gaunt and Sarah Kay. The Troubadours: an Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521574730.
[edit] External links

   * Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Medieval Lands Project — Modena/Ferrara, D. Marchesi d'Este

Preceded by

Folco I Marquis of Este

1209–1212 Succeeded by

Azzo VII

This page was last modified on 28 November 2009 at 20:51.