The title Duchess of Ferrara was used by the wives of of the reigning dukes of Ferrara and by the dowager duchesses.
The first of the Estensi, who became duke of Ferrara and duke of Modena and Reggio, was Borso (1413–1471). Borso d'Este received the title of duke for the imperial fiefs of Modena and Reggio from Emperor Frederick III in 1452. In 1471 Borso, just before dying, was made duke of Ferrara by Pope Paul II. On Borso's death, the titles passed to his half-brother, the fully legitimate Ercole I d'Este (1431-1505), whose wife Eleonora d'Aragona (1450-1493), daughter of king Ferdinand I of Naples, became the first duchess of Ferrara in 1473. The last duchess of Ferrara was Margherita Gonzaga (1564-1618), daughter of duke Guglielmo I of Mantua, the third wife of Alfonso II d'Este (1533-1597).
(Italiano) Si possono definire duchesse di Ferrara solo le consorti dei duchi di Ferrara, che furono in tutto 5: Borso d'Este, Ercole I d'Este, Alfonso I d'Este, Ercole II d'Este e Alfonso II d'Este. Tutte le altre nobili consorti in periodi precedenti ebbero un titolo nobiliare diverso (marchesato) mentre quelle che vennero dopo il 1597 non furono più legate a Ferrara ma a Modena o ad altri luoghi, pur rimenendo della casata estense.
Subcategories
This category has the following 8 subcategories, out of 8 total.
