Ercole I d'Este
Duke of Ferrara from 1471, Ercole I transformed his small state into one of the Renaissance's foremost cultural centres. He commissioned the 'Addizione Erculea', an urban expansion that nearly doubled Ferrara's size — one of the first planned Renaissance cities. His court attracted poets Matteo Maria Boiardo and Ludovico Ariosto, and composers from across Europe. He was the father of Isabella d'Este and Beatrice d'Este, arguably the two greatest female patrons of the age.
- Nationality: Italian
- Roles: duke, patron of arts, urban patron
