Giulio d'Este facts for kids

Giulio d'Este (born in 1478, died in 1561) was the son of Ercole I d'Este, who was the Duke of Ferrara. Giulio is mostly known for his disagreements with his half-brother, Ippolito d'Este. These arguments led to a failed plan against them.

A Life in Ferrara

Giulio's mother was Isabella Arduin. She worked for Ercole's wife. Giulio had six half-siblings from his father's marriage. These included Alfonso I d'Este, who became the next Duke, and Ippolito d'Este, who was a Cardinal. Giulio and Ippolito often had disagreements throughout their lives.

Giulio grew up in the court of Ferrara. Later, he lived in his own palace in Ferrara.

The First Big Disagreement

A problem started between Giulio and Ippolito because of a musician named Don Rainaldo. This musician worked for Giulio. Ippolito wanted Rainaldo for his own music group. In late 1504, Ippolito took Rainaldo and kept him in a fortress.

In May 1505, Giulio found out where Rainaldo was. Giulio, along with his half-brother Ferrante and other armed men, rescued Rainaldo. To show he wasn't afraid of Ippolito, Giulio put the fortress guard in Rainaldo's place. Ippolito was very angry. He was a political advisor to Duke Alfonso. Ippolito complained so much that Duke Alfonso sent Ferrante away to Modena and Giulio to Brescello.

Later, Lucrezia Borgia, who was Alfonso's wife, and Isabella d'Este helped convince Alfonso to forgive Giulio and Ferrante.

The Second Big Disagreement

After this, Giulio and Ippolito both liked a lady at court named Angela Borgia. She seemed to like Giulio more. Cardinal Ippolito was a proud man who thought he could win over any beautiful woman. He felt very upset. When Angela told him that Giulio's eyes were "worth more than the whole of your person," Ippolito became extremely angry.

On November 3, 1505, Giulio was returning from a trip. He was attacked by Ippolito's servants. Ippolito had told them to hurt Giulio and damage his eyes. Giulio was alone. He was badly beaten and his eyes were injured. He lost sight in one eye and could only see blurry in the other. Ippolito quickly sent his version of the story to other courts. This helped him avoid punishment.

In December of that year, Duke Alfonso arranged a formal peace agreement between the brothers.

A Failed Plan and Its Outcome

Even with the peace agreement, Giulio was still angry at Ippolito for hurting his eyes. He was also upset with Alfonso for not punishing Ippolito. In 1506, Giulio, along with Ferrante and other men who disliked the Duke, planned to get rid of Alfonso and Ippolito. However, their plan failed because it was not well organized. They waited at night to attack the Duke, but they missed him twice.

Later, when the Duke was away, Ippolito's spies found out about the plan. Before the news reached Alfonso, Lucrezia and Isabella told Giulio to escape to Mantua. They knew he would be safe there with Francesco Gonzaga. Francesco refused many times to hand Giulio over to Alfonso, even though Alfonso demanded it.

Meanwhile, a trial for the people involved in the plot began. Giulio and Ferrante, along with three others, were found guilty. They were sentenced to death.

Eventually, Francesco Gonzaga gave in to Alfonso's pressure. Alfonso had threatened to use his army to get Giulio back.

While the other people involved in the plot were executed, Giulio and Ferrante's sentences were changed. They were put in prison in the Leoni Tower at Castello Estense. All their property was taken away.

Ferrante died in prison in 1540. He was 63 years old and had been in prison for 34 years. Giulio, however, was in prison for 53 years! He was freed by his grand-nephew, Alfonso II d'Este, when he was 81 years old. People were surprised when he returned to the streets. He still had his charm, stood up straight, and dressed in old-fashioned clothes from 50 years before.

See also

In Spanish: Giulio d'Este para niños