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The Ducal Palace of Modena is a
The palace occupies the site of the former Este Castle, once at the periphery of the city. Although generally credited to Bartolomeo Avanzini, it has been suggested that advice and guidance in the design process had been sought from
File:Palazzo ducale modena esterno.jpg
File:Marie Jeanne de Savoie, Duchess of Savoy held at the Ducal Palace of Modena.jpg, Portrait of Marie Jeanne of Savoy as a widow held at the Ducal Palace of Modena, unknown Artist, c.1680
File:18th century canvas painting of the Ducal Palace of Modena by an unknown artist.jpg, Ducal Palace of Modena, 18th century, unknown artist
File:Drawing of the Ducal Palace in Modena.jpg, Ducal Palace of Modena, c.1750, unknown artist
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
palace in Modena
Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025.
A town, and seat of an archbis ...
, Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It was the residence of the Este Dukes of Modena between 1452 and 1859. It currently houses a portion of the Italian Military Academy.
History
The palace occupies the site of the former Este Castle, once at the periphery of the city. Although generally credited to Bartolomeo Avanzini, it has been suggested that advice and guidance in the design process had been sought from Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona (; 1 November 1596 or 159716 May 1669) was an Italian Baroque painter and architect. Along with his contemporaries and rivals Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, he was one of the key figures in the emergence of Roman ...
, Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...
and Francesco Borromini
Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Switzerland, Swiss canton of Ticino
.
The Palace has a Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
façade, from which the Honour Court and the Honour Staircase can be accessed.
In 1696, Marcantonio Franceschini was commissioned to create a frescoed ceiling for the central ''Sala d'Onore'' ("Hall of Honour") for the marriage of Rinaldo d'Este to Princess Charlotte Felicity of Brunswick. The ''Salottino d'Oro'' ("Golden Sitting Room"), covered with gilded removable panels, was used by Duke Francis III as his main office.
Modern use
The Palace currently houses the Italian Military Academy, the Military Museum and a library. Military ceremonies are held in the Honour Court.Este births and deaths
Being a residential palace, a significant number of Este family members were born or died at the palace including: * Isabella d'Este (1635–1666) - born at the palace. * Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena (1655–1737) - born and died at the palace. *Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena (; ) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James VII and II. A devout Catholic, Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was t ...
(1658–1718) aka Maria Beatrice Eleonora d'Este, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland--born at the palace
* Duchess Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1671–1710) - died at the palace in childbirth (the child also died).
* Maria Teresa Felicitas d'Este (1726–1754) - born at the palace.
* Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena (1727–1803) - born at the palace.
* Maria Fortunata d'Este (1731–1803)
See also
* List of Baroque residences *Modena
Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025.
A town, and seat of an archbis ...
*House of Este
The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries.
The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...
*Santo Peranda
Sante Peranda (1566–1638) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period.
He was a pupil of the painter Leonardo Corona and later Palma il Giovane. Also known as ''Santo Peranda''. He painted a ''Descent from the cross'' for San Procolo ...
- painted ''The defeat of the Saracens'' for the palace.
Gallery
References
{{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1452 Houses completed in the 15th century Baroque architecture in Modena Este residences Tourist attractions in Emilia-Romagna Buildings and structures in Modena Palaces in Emilia-Romagna Baroque palaces in Italy Royal residences of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio