Obizzo III, marchese d'Este

-http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/obizzo-d-este_(Dizionario-Biografico)

-https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obizzo_III_d%27Este
Aldobrandino was lord of Ferrara together with his brother Rinaldo and Niccolò, and his cousin Folco II, but in the end reigned as sole ruler. He managed to enlarge the family possessions with the conquests of Modena (1336) and Parma (1344-1346).

Obizzo III was born on 14 July 1294, his father was Aldobrandino II and his mother Alda di Tobia Rangoni. After having participated in 1324 in the Ghibelline League. Against Pope John XX, Obizzo obtained confirmation and the investiture of all the possessions and lands subjected to Estense dominion. In 1334 he was called to Ferrara to take over its government in place of his brother Rinaldo, busy with the siege of Argenta.

After Rinaldo's death, Obizzo had, indeed already taken over the final decision-making, in the government of the Estense household and its dominions. Until the time of his death, on 20 march 1352, after a serious illness, he continued basically with his same old policy: good relations with the Holy See, the Visconti and the Scaligeri families and with Bologna.

Obizzo III was one of the most well-loved princes the house of Este gave to the Ferrarese people, But he was also one of the shrewdest reformers with regard to institutional aspects. In fact, it was he who brought about institutional changes that would have developments of vast importance in the organisation of the future political-administrative structures of the Estense “State”.

The first coins minted by the Este family date back to his dukedom. In fact, he minted the first coin in 1346 with his own wording on it. It was this act which in fact gave Obizzo a princely control over the economic institutions of the city. His first marriage was to Giacoma di Romeo Pepoli and his second to Lippa Ariosti.