What to see in Ferrara, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the Basilica of San Giorgio, Palazzo dei Diamanti and Castello Estense.
Tourist information
City of Emilia-Romagna, Ferrara has a city structure dating back to the fourteenth century, that is, to the times of the Este domination.
Ferrara is currently one of the four Italian provincial capitals, together with Bergamo, Lucca and Grosseto, which still has a historic center that has remained virtually intact in its original appearance and completely surrounded by walls.
It is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Its first inhabited center is not very ancient, since it dates back only to the mid-seventh century, the time when the episcopal see of Voghenza was moved to Borgo San Giorgio, past the Po di Volano, a place located south of Porta Romana, where a sixth-century Byzantine castrum was already present.
The city was Lombard, before becoming a fief of Tedaldo di Canossa.
In 1135 the episcopal see was moved to the current Cathedral of Ferrara, located in the city center.
In the same period the Municipality operated in complete autonomy and the territory was taking on more precise contours.
It was the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines that marked the beginning of the Lordship of the Este, who, despite various conflicts and riots, in 1322 obtained the investiture from Rome to govern the city.
The history of Ferrara is closely linked to this family which, through its work, allowed the city to have a strong economic development, combined with a great artistic splendor, which lasted continuously for about three centuries.
The second half of the fifteenth century was also a very important period as regards the urban growth of Ferrara.
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In fact, thanks to the project of the architect Biagio Rossetti, the city area was enlarged according to a scheme called Addizione Erculea, which constituted one of the first urban projects in Europe.
In 1598 Ferrara became part of the State of the Church, while in 1859 it passed to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Under the power of Alfonso I d'Este the city reached its maximum splendor, thanks to the attendance of the ducal court by illustrious figures, including Piero della Francesca, Pisanello, Leon Battista Alberti, Andrea Mantegna and Rogier van der Weyden, with the contemporary development of a local painting school led by Ercole de 'Roberti, Cosmè Tura and Francesco del Cossa.
Famous artists lived in Ferrara in the sixteenth century, including Dosso Dossi, Tiziano, Giovanni Bellini and many writers, including Ariosto and Torquato Tasso.
Guarino Veronese, Giambattista Giraldi Cinzio, Celio Calcagnini and Giovan Battista Pigna also worked at the Ferrarese studio.
What see
The Basilica of San Giorgio, located in Borgo San Giorgio, was the first cathedral in the city, until the construction of the current Cathedral.
In Romanesque and Gothic style, the new Cathedral of San Giorgio, built by Guglielmo degli Adelardi, was consecrated in 1135.
The bell tower in Renaissance style, probably designed by Leon Battista Alberti, remained unfinished.
Near the Cathedral, in the center of the city, there is the Estense Castle.
The imposing fortress was built in 1385 by Nicolò II d’Este, on a project by the architect Bartolino da Novara.
The construction was carried out by incorporating the old Torre dei Leoni and adding the defensive walls and three towers.
Until 1450 the Castle had been conceived as a military fortress, then it was gradually transformed into a noble residence.
In fact, the Este family left the old residence of the Palazzo Municipale and moved there.
The construction of the Town Hall was started in 1245 and completed in 1481.
The neo-Gothic facade is a remake of 1927.
At the center of the Quadrivio degli Angeli, the two main arteries of the Addizione Erculea, is the most significant Renaissance building in the city, the Palazzo dei Diamanti.
It was built by Sigismondo d’Este on a project by architect Biagio Rossetti, starting in 1493.
The building takes its name from the covering of the over 8,500 diamond-tipped marble blocks that make up its rustication.
It houses the Civic Gallery of Modern Art.
In Ferrara there is also the house of Ludovico Ariosto, a building from the end of the fifteenth century or the beginning of the sixteenth century, where the poet, writer and playwright lived the last years of his life dedicating himself to the definitive drafting of the famous work by Orlando Furioso.
Among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, together with the city of Ferrara and the Po Delta Park, there are also the Este Delights, a set of residences and hunting lodges built by the Este family as places for recreation and summer retreats , between the end of 1300 and the middle of 1500.
Many of these buildings were connected to Ferrara through canals and waterways.
The most popular residences are Palazzo Schifanoia and Belriguardo.
Palazzo Schifanoia, which literally means "avoid boredom", was built by Alberto d'Este in 1385, later enlarged and transformed first on a project by Pietro Benvenuti degli Orders and then on a project by Biagio Rossetti, to arrive at the current form in the 1493.
Inside the Palace, the frescoes of the Salone dei Months are famous.
In the countryside of Voghiera there is the Delizia di Belriguardo, built by the marquis Niccolo III d’Este in 1435.
Enlarged and transformed over the years, following a design by important Renaissance architects, it was a very sumptuous residence used as a representative villa and summer residence for the entire court of the Este family, who used to host its prestigious guests in that place.
From 1598 the decay of the complex began, with the consequent gradual dismemberment into many small properties, until the acquisition by the municipal administration of Voghiera which had various restoration works carried out.
Since 2006, Ferrara has been home to the Hermitage Museum, thanks to its significant historical importance, and represents one of the few cities linked to the famous Russian museum.
