An Emilian Power?

During the Renaissance up to Napoleon, Italy's various regions would revolve around one main city-state who would be considered the main power within. The south was dominated by Naples; Lazio, Umbria, and Marche by Rome; Milan held most of Lombardy; Liguria was dominated by Genoa; Tuscany was Florence-centric after the fall of Siena; Venice had Venetia and Friuli; Piedmont was centered on Turin, the functional Savoyard capital. The exception to the rule is Emilia. Emilia had Ferrara dominating Modena and Reggio, but it was seized by the Pope after the last Este died with no heir. Parma was held by Milan during the Renaissance, only being freed after a period of Papal domination. The other big city in the area, Bologna, was under Papal control the whole time.

With a PoD of after 1200, which of these cities had the best chance of uniting the Emilia region? What troubles would it face in unification? How might this impact the history of neighboring city-states?
 
With a POD early enough, you could probably see a surviving Exarchate of Ravenna develop. There's an argument to be made that after Venice, Ravenna occupies the most defensible position in Italy, and it would be interesting to see a Byzantine styled state, possibly in communion with Constantinople, emerge...
 
With a POD early enough, you could probably see a surviving Exarchate of Ravenna develop. There's an argument to be made that after Venice, Ravenna occupies the most defensible position in Italy, and it would be interesting to see a Byzantine styled state, possibly in communion with Constantinople, emerge...
Under the strictest definition of my prompt, Ravenna would not count as it is Romagnol, not Emilian (the reason why the region is called Romagna in the first place is because is because of the exarchate being the last Eastern Roman stronghold in the north). Since the dialects are mutually intelligible enough, I suppose I can expand it to Ravenna and the rest of Romagna too.

Hmm, I imagine it being like the Eastern Catholic Churches who have Eastern rites but are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church; a Western Orthodox Church, possibly centered in Ravenna or Aquilea if they get to hold on to it, that has Western rites but is in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Not quite. It rebelled under the Bentivoglio in the early 1500s. Julius II had to subdue it.

Otherwise, is it just me or does this sound like a Cesare Borgia idea?

Hmm, that still mostly implies that the Pope would be the biggest enemy to an independent Bologna. Supposing they are able to stay independent, how would they be able to obtain the other Emilian lands under Este control? Or would they instead opt to take the Papal lands of Imola, Ravenna, and maybe further on to Romagna?
 
Otherwise, is it just me or does this sound like a Cesare Borgia idea?
Pretty much but its still tricky as, and I fully admit we are getting into speculations here, Cesare saw Romagna as only the first step and had wider ambition then that. I don't THINK he ever whent as far as thinking himself a possible unificator of Italy, as Machieveli seemed to see him, but he definitely had some designs on Tuscany and bits and pieces of the Latium.

A Cesare-wank would left him with most of Central Italy under him. To get him and his descendants to rule a truly Emilian power you need him to do better then OTL but not too well. He has to face enough obstacles to be blocked from expanding further but be strong enough to ensure continuous Borgia rule in Romagna.
 
Pretty unlikely who the Este will ever be able to get the power for conquering the neighbors...
A Cesare Borgia who take Bologna is likely the best option for having what you want
If Alfonso II has legitimate children and/or his father/grandfather play their ards right. They did have family members who were cardinals. Change a papal conclave or two....
 
If Alfonso II has legitimate children and/or his father/grandfather play their ards right. They did have family members who were cardinals. Change a papal conclave or two....
Still pretty difficult as this operation of conquest became more difficult with time...
Cesare Borgia was likely our best bet as he was ruthless enough to do it (you can always marry Luisa to an ATL eldest son of Alfonso I and Lucrezia born in 1503)
 
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