duchy · Italy

Duchy of Modena and Reggio

1452 CE – 1859 CE · capital Modena

The Este duchy that became the family's main state after the loss of Ferrara, lasting until Italian unification in 1859.

Origins

In 1452 Emperor Frederick III made Borso d'Este duke of Modena and Reggio, imperial fiefs held alongside the papal Duchy of Ferrara. When Ferrara passed to the papacy in 1598, Cesare d'Este moved his court to Modena, which became the capital.

Rule and society

The Este rebuilt Modena as a capital, with a ducal palace and the Biblioteca Estense, where the scholar Ludovico Antonio Muratori worked as librarian. The duchy added Mirandola, Correggio and Novellara. After French occupation from 1796, when it joined the Cispadane Republic, the restored duchy passed in 1814 to Francis IV of Austria-Este, who ruled harshly and executed the revolutionary Ciro Menotti in 1831.

Decline and legacy

Francis V fled after the Austrian defeat in 1859. The duchy joined the United Provinces of Central Italy and was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860.

Lineage

Duchy of Mirandola 1311 CE – 1710 CELordship of Carpi 1319 CE – 1527 CECounty of Novellara 1371 CE – 1737 CEPrincipality of Correggio 1452 CE – 1635 CEDuchy of Massa and Carrara 1473 CE – 1829 CEDuchy of Modena and ReggioCispadane Republic 1796 CE – 1797 CEUnited Provinces of Central Italy 1859 CE – 1860 CE

Connections (3)

  • Duchy of Ferrara in personal union with Duchy of Modena and Reggio1452 CE – 1598 CE
  • Duchy of Modena and Reggio was part of Holy Roman Empire1452 CE – 1796 CE
  • Duchy of Modena and Reggio was a protectorate of Austrian Empire1814 CE – 1859 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Modena and Reggio. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-modena-and-reggio
MLA
“Duchy of Modena and Reggio.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-modena-and-reggio. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Modena and Reggio.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-modena-and-reggio.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Modena and Reggio’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-modena-and-reggio (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻