Person

Alfonso II d'Este

1533–1597 · 16th century

Alfonso II d'Este was the last Duke of Ferrara of the Este family, ruling from 1559 to 1597. His court was a centre of music and literature, home to the poet Torquato Tasso, whom he confined for seven years as insane, and to the singers of the concerto delle donne. Despite three marriages he left no legitimate heir, and in 1598 Pope Clement VIII annexed Ferrara to the Papal States.

Alfonso II d'Este
Image: Studio of Cesare Aretusi · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Duchy of Ferrara

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Alfonso II d'Este. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/alfonso-ii-deste
MLA
“Alfonso II d'Este.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/alfonso-ii-deste. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Alfonso II d'Este.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/alfonso-ii-deste.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Alfonso II d'Este’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/alfonso-ii-deste (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻