The House of Este is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries.
The House of Welf is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Moselle area was closely related to the imperial family of the Carolingians.
Emperor Frederick III conferred Borso d'Este, Lord of Ferrara, with the Duchy of Modena and Reggio in 1452, while Pope Paul II formally elevated him in 1471 as Duke of Ferrara, over which the family had in fact long presided. This latter territory was lost to the Papal States in 1597, while the House of Este continued to rule the Duchy of Modena and Reggio in the Emilia region until 1796, when it became part of Napoleon Bonaparte's Cispadane Republic. In 1814, the duchy was restored under the Habsburg grandson of the last Este duke, continuing until it was annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia in 1859.
Welf I was Duke of Bavaria from 1070 to 1077 and from 1096 to his death. He was the first member of the Welf branch of the House of Este. In the genealogy of the Elder House of Welf, he is counted as Welf IV.
Alberto Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, and Liguria, Count of Gavello, Padua, Rovigo, Lunigiana, Monselice, and Montagnana, was a powerful nobleman in the Holy Roman Empire. He is considered the founder of Casa d'Este, having been head of the first family to be master of Este, a town of Padua.
Zwettl is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.
Parisina is an opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after Byron's 1816 poem Parisina.
Weitra is a small town in the district of Gmünd in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.
Azzo VI, also known as Azzolino, was an Italian nobleman and condottiero. He held the title of Marquis of Este from the death of his father, Azzo V (1190) until his death.
The Conti di Marsi, the Counts of Marsi, were a lineage of Frankish origin who figured among the main feudal lords of Abruzzo, part of the Duchy of Spoleto in southern Italy, during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Agnes of Kuenring, was an Austrian noble, courtier of Queen Margaret of Austria and mistress of her spouse, King Ottokar II of Bohemia. She was the first historically documented mistress of a Bohemian sovereign.
Aggstein Castle is a ruined castle on the right bank of the Danube in Wachau, Austria. The castle dates to the 12th century. Aggstein Castle is 480 metres (1,570 ft) above sea level.
Dürnstein Castle is the ruin of a medieval rock castle in Austria. It is located in Dürnstein, in the Lower Austrian Wachau region on the Danube river, at 312 metres (1,024 ft) above sea level.
The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans" for its high-quality wines. It is 36 kilometres (22 mi) in length and was already settled in prehistoric times. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard I of England was held captive by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. The architectural elegance of its ancient monasteries, castles and ruins combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and the cultivation of vines as an important agricultural produce are the dominant features of the valley.
Stephen the Posthumous was the posthumous son of King Andrew II of Hungary by his third wife, Beatrice d'Este. He was regarded as bastard son of infidelity by his much older half-brothers, including King Béla IV of Hungary, and was not allowed to receive ducal revenues from Hungary to which he would have been entitled as son of a Hungarian king.
Albero III of Kuenring, born 1115/18 and died 15 August 1182, was a ministerialis from the noble house of Kuenring in Austria. He was the first-born son of Albero I of Kuenring, who died around 1118.
Nizzo of Krems-Gars was a scion of the house of Kuenring. Not much is known about this mysterious individual. What little is known is that he died before 1114 and married a woman named Truta. His father was the legendary Azzo of Gobatsburg.
Union Kuenring, mostly known as Union Kuenring Flames or ukFlames, is a women's basketball club based in Vienna, Austria.
Alagia Fieschi, also known as Alagia di Nicolò Fieschi and Alagia di Fieschi, was the daughter of Count Nicolò Fieschi and niece of Pope Adrian V. Alagia married Moroello Malaspina in the 1280s and they had five children. In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, Alagia is remembered by Adrian V at the end of his conversation with Dante as the only virtuous woman in his family whom he wishes to pray on his behalf. Alagia’s mention as the only virtuous person in her family reflects Dante’s view about Alagia's family's actions involving the Malaspina family. In addition, Alagia is celebrated by Dante through his portrayal of her as a virtuous woman whose prayer can contribute to Adrian V's journey of salvation.
Beatrice d’Este was an Italian noblewoman, now primarily known for Dante Alighieri's allusion to her in Purgatorio, the second canticle of the Divine Comedy. Through her first marriage to Nino Visconti, she was judge (giudichessa) of Gallura, and through her second marriage to Galeazzo I Visconti, following Nino’s death, lady of Milan.
