- Francesco III d'Este
Francesco III d'Este (
2 July 1698 -22 February 1780 ) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1737 until his death. He was the son ofRinaldo III, Duke of Modena , and Charlotte Felicity of Brunswick-Lüneburg.Francesco was born in
Modena . During is reign, the duchy exhausted by the Wars of Spanish, Polish and Austria Successions, Francesco was forced to sell the most precious works of theEstense Gallery . He was a careful administrator, although much of the 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 toTuscany .He died in 1780 in his villa at
Varese . His sonErcole III d'Este succeeded him.Family and children
In 1721, he married
Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans (1700–1761), a daughter ofPhilippe II, Duke of Orléans , and had nine children;*Alphonso (1723-1725)
*Francesco Costantino (1724-1725)
*Maria Teresa (1726-1754)
**Married to Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon,Duc de Penthièvre (1725-1793), who was the founder of the "House of Bourbon-Penthièvre", and had issue;
*Ercole Rinaldo (1727-1803)
*Mathilde (1729-1803)
*Beatrice (1731-1736)
*Maria Fortunata (1734-1803)
**Married toLouis François II de Bourbon, prince de Conti (1734-1814);
*Benedetto Filippo (1736-1751)
*Maria Elisabetta (1741-1774)After his first wife's death, he remarried twice more morganatically to Teresa Castelberco and Renata Teresa d'Harrach.
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