Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena


Francesco III d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1737 until his death.

Biography

He was born in Modena, the son of Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena, and Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
During his reign, the duchy was bankrupted by the Wars of the Spanish, Polish, and Austrian Successions. As a result, Francesco was forced to sell the most precious artworks of the Estense Gallery. He was a careful administrator but most of the duchy's financial policy was in the hands of the Austrian plenipotentiary, Beltrame Cristiani.
Among his measures, the urban renovation of Modena and the construction of the Via Vandelli, connecting the city to Tuscany.
Francesco also was the interim Governor of the Duchy of Milan between 1754 and 1771.
He died in 1780 in his villa at Varese. His son Prince Ercole succeeded him.

Family and children

In 1721, he married Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, a daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon and had ten children.
He acted as proxy groom for his sister Henrietta Maria d'Este in 1728 who was marrying Antonio Farnese, Duke of Parma.
After his first wife's death, he remarried twice more morganatically to Teresa Castelbarco and Renata Teresa d'Harrach. His granddaughter Maria Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Massa was the last of the Este of Modena.

Issue

  1. Alfonso d'Este died in infancy.
  2. Francesco Constantino d'Este died in infancy.
  3. Maria Teresa Felicitas d'Este married Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon and had issue.
  4. Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena married Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa and had issue.
  5. Matilde d'Este died unmarried.
  6. Beatrice d'Este died in infancy.
  7. Beatrice d'Este died in infancy.
  8. Maria Fortunata d'Este married Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, no issue.
  9. Benedetto Filippo d'Este died unmarried.
  10. Maria Elisabetta Ernestina d'Este married Carlo Salomone, Count of Serravalle and had issue. Direct ancestors of Sergio E. M. Salomone Montes de Oca, current Count of Serravalle, Vintebbio and Bornate.

    Ancestry