Este lends its name to the
Este culture, a proto-historic culture of the late Italian
Bronze Age (10th/9th century BC, proto-venetic phase) to the
Roman period (1st century BC) and which was located in the present territory of
Veneto. ,
St Thecla Liberating the City of Este from the Plague, 1758–59, in the church of
Santa Tecla During the
Iron Age Este was a major center of the
Veneti who left a number of inscriptions on funerary and votive objects. During the late 3rd century BC, Este peacefully fell under the sway of Rome and became a
Roman colony under the name of
Ateste. When much of
Northern Italy was granted
Roman citizenship in 49 BC, the citizens of Este were inscribed into the Roman tribe of
Romilia. Following the
Battle of Actium, Emperor
Augustus settled soldiers of the
Legio V Alaudae and
Legio XI Claudia in the territory of Este comprising
Galzignano Terme, Teolo, Lonigo, Noventa Vicentina, Trecenta, Pernumia, Monselice, and Cinto Euganeo. In
Late Antiquity, Este was devastated and reduced to a rural village because of
barbarian invasions, especially that of
Attila. It arose again only after the 10th century, after the
Obertenghi family started ruling on a vast area, including Este, and starting to name themselves House of Este, and when
Azzo II d'Este built a castle there and named himself and his family after it, establishing the
House of Este. The House of Este would hold the city until 1240, when it moved its capital to
Ferrara. Este, meanwhile, was conquered twice by
Ezzelino da Romano III, in 1238 and 1249. It was disputed during the 14th century by the
Scaligeri, the
Carraresi and the
Visconti, until it surrendered spontaneously to
Venice in 1405. Under the
Republic of Venice, Este went through a period of economic growth, interrupted only by the
plague of 1630. After the fall of the Republic in 1797 and the
Napoleonic Wars, the town, with the whole Veneto region, became part of the
Austrian Empire, until it was annexed by the
Kingdom of Italy as a consequence of the
Third Independence War of 1866. == Main sights ==