Azzo VII d'Este

Azzo VII d'Este 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, who was captured by Frederick II and died as a prisoner in Apulia in 1251. He also had three daughters: Cubitosa, Constanza, and Beatrice. He was succeeded by his grandson, Obizzo.