Laura Martinozzi

Laura Martinozzi, Duchess of Modena and Reggio, was born on 22 April 1639 in Fano, Italy. She was the second daughter of Count Girolamo Martinozzi and Laura Margherita Mazzarini. During her childhood, she resided in Rome, where her father served as Mayor in the Roman Curia.

In 1653, Laura, her older sister Anna Maria, and their widowed mother moved to Paris to live with her maternal uncle, Jules Cardinal Mazarin, who was the Chief Minister of France. She was one of the group known as the Mazarinettes.

Initially, Cardinal Mazarin considered marrying Laura to Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy. Subsequently, plans shifted towards her marriage to Alfonso d'Este, heir to the Duchy of Modena, with the purpose of strengthening the alliance between France and Modena. The proposed marriage between Charles Emmanuel II and an Italian princess was ultimately not realized due to opposition from Mazarin, who also opposed the marriage between Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena, and Lucrezia Barberini, which occurred in 1654.

In April 1655, an agreement was reached for Laura to marry the Hereditary Prince of Modena. The marriage contract was signed, and the union was formalized by proxy at Château de Compiègne on 30 May 1655, with Prince Eugene Maurice of Savoy representing the groom. Laura traveled from Paris to Modena, arriving on 16 July 1655.

The marriage produced three children: Francesco, born on 8 November 1657 and who died in infancy on 10 April 1658; Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella, born prematurely on 5 October 1658 and later became Queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland through her marriage to King James II; and Francesco, born on 6 March 1660, who succeeded as Duke of Modena and Reggio.

Following the death of her father-in-law, Francesco I d'Este, in October 1659, Laura's husband became Duke of Modena and Reggio, adopting the regnal name Alfonso IV. Her father-in-law's death also made her the owner of the Lordship of Gualtieri.

Duke Alfonso IV died on 16 July 1662, leaving Laura a widow at approximately 23 years old. Subsequently, she was appointed regent for her minor son, Francesco II, who became Duke of Modena and Reggio. As regent from 1662 to 1674, she governed the duchy, appointing capable ministers and undertaking infrastructure projects, including the repair of the ducal palace, the construction of a convent, and reconstruction of churches. In 1671, she permitted the establishment of a Jewish ghetto in Reggio.

Laura sought an independent foreign policy but was compelled to endorse the marriage of her daughter Maria Beatrice to the Duke of York in 1673, at the behest of France and the papacy. Her daughter’s marriage took place in London on 5 October 1673. During her absence, her son, Francesco II, was influenced by Marquess Cesare Ignazio d'Este, who turned the young duke against Laura. After her return in March 1674, Francesco II dismissed her from regency upon his fourteenth birthday.

Laura left Modena at the end of 1674 but returned briefly in 1675. In January 1676, she moved to Rome, remaining there until 1679. She later resided in London alongside her daughter and then spent time in Brussels until 1684. She returned to Rome in 1684.

Her health declined in 1686, and she died in Rome on 19 July 1687. She was initially buried in the convent of the Visitation Sisters in Modena; however, in 1925, her remains were transferred to the Este Chapel in San Vincenzo, Modena. Her will designated stipends for the poor and her religious purchases. Nearly all her Italian properties were inherited by her son, Francesco II, while her daughter Maria Beatrice received her capital in France.

She was the mother of three children:

- Francesco d'Este (8 November 1657 – 10 April 1658)

- Maria Beatrice Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este (1658–1718), who married James II of England

- Francesco II d'Este (1660–1694), Duke of Modena