Editing Modena (section)

===Late modern and contemporary (Renaissance)===
{{Main|Duchy of Modena and Reggio}}
Enlarged and fortified by [[Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara|Ercole II]], it was made the primary ducal residence when [[Ferrara]], the main Este seat, fell to the Pope in 1598. [[Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena]] (1629–1658) built the citadel and began the palace, which was largely embellished by [[Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena|Francesco II]]. In the 18th century, [[Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena|Rinaldo d'Este]] was twice driven from his city by French invasions, and [[Francesco III d'Este|Francesco III]] built many of Modena's public buildings, but the Este pictures were sold and many of them wound up in [[Dresden]]. [[Ercole III d'Este|Ercole III]] died in exile at [[Treviso]], having refused Napoleonic offers of compensation when Modena was made part of the Napoleonic [[Cispadane Republic]]. His only daughter, [[Maria Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Massa|Maria Beatrice d'Este]], married [[Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria-Este]], son of Empress [[Maria Theresa of Austria]]; and in 1814 their eldest son, [[Francis IV, Duke of Modena|Francis IV]], received back the estates of the Este. Quickly, in 1816, he dismantled the fortifications and began Modena's years under Austrian rule.

His son [[Francis V, Duke of Modena|Francis V]] was considered a just ruler, and famously tended the victims of war and [[cholera]] with his own hands. However, he too had to face yet more foreign-inspired revolutions and was temporarily expelled from Modena in the [[Revolutions of 1848]]. He was restored, amidst wide popular acclaim, by Austrian troops. Ten years later, on 20 August 1859, the revolutionaries again invaded (this time the Piedmontese), annexing Modena to the revolutionary Savoyard [[Unification of Italy|Kingdom of Italy]].