Azzo VII d'Este
Azzo VII d'Este | |
|---|---|
 Azzo VII depicted in the Genealogia dei principi d'Este (1470s) | |
| Born | 1205 |
| Died | 16 February 1264 (aged 58–59) |
| Title | Marquis of Ferrara |
| Term | 1215–1222 1224–1264 |
| Predecessor | Azzo VI d'Este |
| Successor | Obizzo II d'Este |
| Father | Azzo VI d'Este |
Azzo VII d'Este (also known as Novello; 1205 – 16 February 1264) was Marquis of Ferrara from 1215 to 1222, and again from 1240 until his death.
The son of Azzo VI d'Este and a noblewoman from the Aldobrandeschi family, he married in 1225. He became the leader of the Guelph forces in the March of Ancona and faced the invasion of Duke Rainald of Spoleto during the War of the Keys in 1228–1230. In 1242, after defeating Ezzelino III da Romano, Azzo captured Ferrara and established his family's lordship in the city, which lasted until the late Renaissance.
In 1259, he again defeated Ezzelino and his Ghibelline troops in the Battle of Cassano. He married twice and had one son, Rinaldo (born after 1221), who was captured by Frederick II and died as a prisoner in Apulia in 1251. He also had three daughters: Cubitosa (died in 1275), Constanza (died in 1315), and Beatrice (died in 1262). He was succeeded by his grandson, Obizzo.