Giulio d'Este

Giulio d'Este (13 July 1478 – 24 March 1561) was the illegitimate son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. He is known for the conflicts he had with his half brother, Ippolito d'Este, which culminated in a failed conspiracy.

Biography

In the court of Ferrara Giulio's mother was Isabella Arduin, a lady in the service of Ercole's wife. Giulio had six half siblings, whom Ercole fathered with his wife Eleonora d'Aragon: Alfonso I d'Este (successor to his father), Ippolito d'Este (Cardinal Ippolito), Ferrante d'Este, Isabella d'Este (wife of Francesco II Gonzaga), Beatrice d'Este (wife of Ludovico Sforza), and Sigismondo d'Este.

The first quarrel A dispute arose between Giulio and Ippolito concerning a musician, Don Rainaldo of Sassuolo, in the service of Giulio. Ippolito wanted him for his chapel and, near the end of 1504, coming to Ferrara during the illness of their father, abducted Rainaldo and held him in the Fortress of Gesso (which belonged to Giovanni Boiardo, count of Scadiano). In May 1505 Giulio discovered where Rainaldo was held and, together with Ferrante and other armed men, recovered him, and, in a sign of defiance towards, replaced him in his cell with the warden of the fortress. Ippolito, then a political advisor of Alfonso, protested so strongly that the duke exiled Ferrante to Modena and Giulio to Brescello.

Lucrezia Borgia (wife of Alfonso) and Isabella d'Este with her husband Francesco succeeded in convincing Alfonso to pardon them. Ippolito had hastened to send to the Italian courts his version of the event, which ensured he avoided punishment.

In December of that same year, Alfonso secured a formal truce between the brothers.

Conspiracy against Ippolito and Alfonso and its aftermath

Despite the truce, Giulio held a grudge against both Ippolito, for the beating which had damaged his eyesight and his famous good looks, and Alfonso, for not punishing Ippolito.

Eventually Francesco succumbed to the pressure of Alfonso, who threatened to recover Giulio with his army,