Person

Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena

1562–1628 · 17th century · Also known as Cesare d'Este

Cesare d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1597. As cousin and heir of Duke Alfonso II of Ferrara, he expected to inherit Ferrara too, but Pope Clement VIII refused to recognise him, arguing that his line was illegitimate, and in 1598 Ferrara was annexed to the Papal States. He moved the Este court to Modena, which remained its capital until 1859.

Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena
Image: Frans Pourbus the Younger · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Duchy of FerraraDuchy of Modena and Reggio

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cesare-d-este-duke-of-modena
MLA
“Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cesare-d-este-duke-of-modena. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cesare-d-este-duke-of-modena.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cesare-d-este-duke-of-modena (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻