Ercole III (1727 - 1803) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1780 to 1796. His action was mainly aimed at continuing the jurisdictional policy initiated by his father Francesco III and at healing the financial distress of the state. The spontaneous dedication of Reggio to the Este family dates back to 1409, when the city, then a free municipality, entrusted itself to Nicolò d’Este on the basis of pacts that guarantee special rights.