The Dukes of Modena, Este and Habsburg-Este

Alfonso(sorry don't know which one) of Modena...

Thanks Ipflo and crotolo for the wonderful pics.

Here is another pic of Pentetorri del Duca.
Does anybody have any interior pics of Sassuolo or pentetorri?

Thanks

A thousand thanks again, really wonderful pics. One question, the one in black and white where did you get it?

I am asking because I read somewhere that many interiors of palaces in Modena where photographed before the Second World War,and I have been trying to get some from Pentetorri that unfortunately was bombarded and destroyed during the war. Any idea?

This is what was left of Pentetorri

....and these were the good times. Curiously, the central tower, the fifth one, is not shown.

Ercole III

 Charlotte Aglaë d'Orléans, Duchessa di Modena. Daughter of the Regent Philippe d'Orléans et Mmlle de Blois. She divorcedand returned to France. It seems she was not very happy in Rivalta, or maybe too happy.

            Renée de Valois-Angoulème, Renée de France or
Duchessa Renata. Daughter of Louis XII de France and duchess Anne de Bretagne, sister of queen Claude de France and sister in law of François I.

                      Renata di Francia was a particular character. reputed as having a vaste culture and intelligence, she could discuss with philosophers, astronomers, theologicians ... But.... she was the nightmare of her brother in law, the king of France: she was a convinced protestant and flirted whith heterodoxy
which she encouraged in her court. Being widow, she was regent of the duchy. She had been once engaged with Henry VIII. She was very short, not beautiful but charming. Her main charm was in her speech.

      an image of her book of hours.

 

It is really a pity that the villa is destroyed during the WWII.

An old picture of the Modena palace



And now to your question. I have got the B/W picture from a website relating to military academy of Modena: http://www.166corso.it/NumeroUnico/Annuario/sede_accademia.htm

It contains several bw pictures of the Modena palace:

The last reigning duke of Modena Francis V had a daughter who died as an infant.  Francis had a younger brother Ferdinand who had a daughter who married the man who eventually became King Ludwig III of Bavaria (a cousin of the two mad kings of Bavaria).  Their great-grandson is the current Duke Franz of Bavaria (named in honour of his godfather Prince Franz of Bavaria who was named in honour of Duke Francis V of Modena).

The current Duke of Bavaria is unquestionably the heir to the Cybo duchy of Massa.  The case of who is heir to the duchy of Modena is much more complex. Francis V's will is a curious document. It is unclear to me (even after studying it at some length) whether he intends his heir (Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este) to be merely the heir of his property, or also to be heir of the claim to the duchy of Modena.  I think that this lack of clarity is purposeful.  Clearly the Hapsburgs wanted to maintain the Austria-Este branch, even if it wasn't descended from the Estes.

The current head of the House of Austria-Este is Archduke Lorenz who is married to the daughter of the King of the Belgians.  He does not use the title Duke of Modena, although it is sometimes given to him by others.  I have been told (even by a very reputable source) that Lorenz uses the title Duke of Este, but I have not been able to confirm this.

--
Noel S. McFerran

from

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10413a.htm

... Francesco IV, in 1814 received the Duchy of Modena, while Maria Beatrice governed Massa and Carrara until her death. In 1831 occurred the famous conspiracy of Ciro Menotti on the night of the third and fourth of February; it was discovered, and Menotti was imprisoned, taken to Milan by the duke, who had been constrained to flee to that city by the revolt of Bologna, and was hanged on 16 May, after the duke's return to Modena...

and this more complete for those who can read italian

http://www.cronologia.it/storia/biografie/menotti.htm