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Ferrante d'Este (September 19, 1477 - February 1540) was the son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, and Eleanor of Aragon, daughter of King Ferdinand I of Naples. His siblings were Alfonso I d'Este, heir to their father, Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, Isabella d'Este, wife of Francesco II Gonzaga.

At the court of Charles VIII
He was born in Castel Capuano in Naples, where his mother had elected to give birth. The baby (baptized the 7th of October 1477) was given the name of his maternal grandfather, the king Ferdinand, and his godfather was Giuliano della Rovere. He was raised in the court of Aragon in Naples.

In 1493 he was sent by his father to serve near Charles VIII of France in the French court. When Charles invaded Italy, Ferrante decided not to follow the french army to Naples, but to remain in Rome and liberally spend the money his father periodically sent him. In response to his negligence, Ercole sent a letter of reprimand to his son telling him to rejoin the French troops so that he would not to lose the king's favor. Ferrante obeyed and fought at the flank of Charles VIII in the battle of Fornovo. He then returned to Italy in 1497.

Return to Ferrara
In 1498 Ferrante obtained approval from Venice to go to war for Pisa. Together with Marco of Martinengo, Gurlino Tombesi and Filippo Albanese, he defended the Tuscan city against the regiment from Florence until the spring of 1499, when he returned to Ferrara and was dismissed by Venice.

In 1499 he went with his brother Alfonso to Milan to meet Louis XII of France, who had conquered Lombardy. Having accumulated large debts at the French court, Ferrante did not receive favor from the successor of Charles VIIl.

In 1502 he was sent to Ferrara to take possession of Cento and Pieve, which had been transferred to the house of Este by Alexander VI.

Among the brothers Este there was a dispute concerning a musician, Don Rainaldo. He was in the service of Giulio d'Este, the ilegitimate son of Ercole I, but the Cardinal Ippolito d'Este wanted him for his own chapel. Towards the end of 1504, Ippolito, came to Ferrara on account of the illness of his father, and while their took Rainaldo and retained him in the Fortress of Gesso, which belonged to Giovanni Boiardo, Count of Scandiano. In May 1505 Giulio discovered where he was and together with Ferrante and other armed men regained the musician. Ippolito, who was close to Duke Alfonso, complained to him and had Ferrante exiled to Modena and Giulio to Brescello.

Both Lucrezia and Isabella d'Este with her husband, Francesco II Gonzaga, managed to convince Alfonso to forgive both brothers.

The Conspiracy
Subsequently, in 1506, Ferrante with his half brother Giulio organized a direct conspiracy to assassinate Alfonso and take his place. They were joined by other nobles hostile to Alfonso and Ippolito. The plan also included the assassination of Ippolito, however, the conspirators failed to arrange for the good plan and the assassins, waiting for Alfonso whole night on the streets of Ferrara with poisoned daggers, missed the target.

The spies of Ippolito, however, knew of the plan and reported it to Alfonso. An investigation was opened and Giulio and Ferrante, along with three other men, were found guilty. Giulio, who fled to Mantua, was then handed over to Alfonso by Francesco Gonzaga. Ferrante instead was already guided to the Castle a couple of months before the start of the process.

While the death sentence was carried out for the three conspirators, Giulio and Ferrante were pardoned and imprisoned in the Torre dei Leoni (Tower of the Lions). Their possessions were taken by Alfonso and donated to his favorites.

Ferrante spent the rest of his life in prison, where he died at 63, after 34 years of imprisonment and without receiving visits from any of his family. Giulio was instead released by Alfonso II d'Este after 53 years of imprisonment, at the age of 81.