Emilia Romagna Castles

Where it is

Situated on the great plain of Emilia, Ferrara stands a few kilometres south of the Po River, and about 50km from the sea.

Why visit it

Ferrara is a splendid city of art, to be enjoyed by walking its streets, its character - this magnificent Renaissance capital - revealed on every corner. Through its glorious past, you can understand the roots of its present.

The Este family governed here for three centuries and gave the city the appearance it has today: a uniquely planned city, harmoniously fusing Mediaeval and Renaissance architecture, Europe's first modern city. It is precisely these characteristics that secured its UNESCO World Heritage status.

It's a peaceful city to wander on foot or by bike, every step re-living the magical atmospheres of the past.

When to go and what to see

The best times to visit are in spring and autumn. May, in particular, is a month of celebrations linked to the famous Palio of St George; in March and September there are prestigious exhibitions in the Palazzo Diamanti, a jewel of Ferrara's Renaissance; during the last week of August street musicians from around the world come together for the Ferrara Buskers Festival, filling the late summer evenings with music.

Visit the many museums. Far from being simple repositories for works of art, Ferrara's collections stand out because of the way they cross-reference with the reality outside, whether that be legacies of the past or reminders of the present.
Finds from the legendary city of Spina, vestiges of the Greek and Etruscan worlds, are displayed in the rooms of Palazzo Costabili. Great paintings of the 15th & 16th Centuries are in Palazzo dei Diamanti, and in Palazzo Massari there is the art of Boldini, de Pisis, and their contemporaries. (Palazzo Massari is temporarily closed).

Sights include Palazzo Schifanoia with its splendid Hall of the Months, frescoed in the 15th Century by the painters of the Ferrarese School; the Estense Castle, former residence of the Este dukes; the harmonious Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral (The Cathedral is closed for restoration) and its museum with precious artworks, including an organ screen showing the Annunciation and Saint George killing the dragon by Cosmè Tura (1469), the master of the Ferrarese school. On the left side of the cathedral as you face the piazza, the Loggia dei Merciai has held shops since the mediaeval period.

Going deeper into the mediaeval part of town you can discover jewels of religious art like the Monastery of Sant’Antonio in Polesine with its Giotto-esque frescoes, or the Church of Santa Maria in Vado, a pilgrimage site since a Eucharistic Miracle that took place in the 12th Century.

Don't miss

You shouldn't leave without having walked around the enchanting mediaeval streets and taken a bike ride round its Renaissance city walls, which remain nearly complete.

On the table

The "coppia", Ferrara's famous elaborately shaped and tasty bread (it boasts PGI certification of origin); “cappellacci”, pasta filled with pumpkin and parmesan cheese are very popular, as is the “pasticcio di maccheroni”, a true culmination of the court traditions; the “salama da sugo” is an unusual mixture of pork products. Finally, there's “pampepato”, a spicy cake covered in a layer of chocolate.

Having fun

At sunset, in the medieval streets around the Cathedral, young people meet for happy hour: in one of these alleys there is also the oldest tavern in the world, remembered by Ludovico Ariosto and included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Keeping fit

The city walls are the locals' preferred 'park' for jogging: you can run along an almost uninterrupted 9 km of earthwork between the green of the lime and plane trees and the red brick of the wall.

For those who prefer cycling, the best is the circuit around the bottom of the walls, and this can be extended onto the “Destra Po” cycle track by crossing the Urban Park to the north of the city.

Significant appointments

The Palio di San Giorgio (the oldest in the world) on the last Sunday of May: more than a thousand participants in Renaissance costumes parade to Piazza Ariostea, where they compete in various games between eight contrade - teams representing parts of the city. Ferrara Buskers Festival in the last week of August is a rendezvous for street artists who fill the streets with music and colour. 

In the surroundings

Most of all it's worth visiting the network of Estense Delizie (country retreats), scattered all around their former territory.

For those who love the sea, there are the Comacchio Lidi, seven beach towns that boast wide beaches and a huge choice of entertainment.

A paradise for naturalists, biologists, scientists and birdwatchers, the Po Delta Park, one of the most important wetland areas in Europe, a vast green area surrounded by ancient woodland, pinewoods and reserves, studded with architectural gems inherited from the golden age of the Este family.

Castles in the territory

Monuments in the territory

image from Palazzo Schifanoia

Palazzo Schifanoia

image from Civico Lapidario

Civico Lapidario

image from Palazzina Marfisa d'Este

Palazzina Marfisa d'Este

image from Palazzo dei Diamanti

Palazzo dei Diamanti

image from Museo della Cattedrale

Museo della Cattedrale

image from Casa di Ludovico Ariosto

Casa di Ludovico Ariosto

image from Palazzo Bonacossi

Palazzo Bonacossi

image from Museo di Storia Naturale

Museo di Storia Naturale

image from Teatro Comunale

Teatro Comunale

image from Palazzo Paradiso

Palazzo Paradiso

image from Palazzo Costabili detto di Ludovico il Moro - Museo Archeologico Nazionale

Palazzo Costabili detto di Ludovico il Moro - Museo Archeologico Nazionale

image from Castello Estense

Castello Estense

image from Caserma Pastrengo

Caserma Pastrengo

image from Museo di Casa Romei

Museo di Casa Romei

image from Pista ciclabile Destra Po - Fe 20

Pista ciclabile Destra Po - Fe 20

image from Palazzo Pendaglia - IPSSAR Orio Vergani

Palazzo Pendaglia - IPSSAR Orio Vergani

image from Complesso Giglioli

Complesso Giglioli

image from Ex comando Provinciale Vigili del Fuoco

Ex comando Provinciale Vigili del Fuoco

image from Palazzo Giulio D'Este - sede della prefettura

Palazzo Giulio D'Este - sede della prefettura

image from Palazzo Municipale

Palazzo Municipale

image from Località Ferrara

Località Ferrara

image from Piazza Ariostea

Piazza Ariostea

image from Chiesa di S. Cristoforo e Certosa

Chiesa di S. Cristoforo e Certosa

image from Cimitero Ebraico

Cimitero Ebraico

image from Sinagoga e Museo Ebraico

Sinagoga e Museo Ebraico

image from Ex Chiesa di S.Caterina o delle Martiri ed ex Monastero (ora sede del Museo di Storia naturale)

Ex Chiesa di S.Caterina o delle Martiri ed ex Monastero (ora sede del Museo di Storia naturale)

image from Palazzo Massari

Palazzo Massari

image from Casa Romei

Casa Romei

image from Basilica Cattedrale di S. Giorgio Martire

Basilica Cattedrale di S. Giorgio Martire

image from Complesso di S. Giorgio (chiesa, ex convento e chiostro)

Complesso di S. Giorgio (chiesa, ex convento e chiostro)

image from Chiesa ed ex Convento di Santa Maria della Consolazione

Chiesa ed ex Convento di Santa Maria della Consolazione

image from Chiesa di S. Domenico

Chiesa di S. Domenico

image from Convento delle Clarisse e Chiesa del Corpus Domini

Convento delle Clarisse e Chiesa del Corpus Domini

image from Giardino Massari

Giardino Massari

image from Palazzo dell'Ospedale di Sant'Anna

Palazzo dell'Ospedale di Sant'Anna

image from Chiesa di S. Antonio e monastero

Chiesa di S. Antonio e monastero

image from Palazzo Arcivescovile

Palazzo Arcivescovile

image from Chiesa di S. Maria in Vado

Chiesa di S. Maria in Vado

image from Palazzo San Crispino

Palazzo San Crispino

image from Edificio isolato detto la Palazzina del Montagnone già  Estense in via Rampari di S. Tommaso, 5

Edificio isolato detto la Palazzina del Montagnone già  Estense in via Rampari di S. Tommaso, 5

image from Delizia di Fossadalbero

Delizia di Fossadalbero

image from Chiesa di Sant'Apollinare o della Morte

Chiesa di Sant'Apollinare o della Morte

image from Palazzo Prosperi Sacrati già Castelli

Palazzo Prosperi Sacrati già Castelli

image from Palazzo del Monte di Pietà e paracarri

Palazzo del Monte di Pietà e paracarri

image from Casa di Biagio Rossetti

Casa di Biagio Rossetti

image from Palazzo Pareschi già Gavassini già Estense

Palazzo Pareschi già Gavassini già Estense

image from Chiesa di S. Girolamo

Chiesa di S. Girolamo

image from Monastero di Santa Chiara delle Cappuccine

Monastero di Santa Chiara delle Cappuccine

image from Palazzo delle Poste e Telegrafi

Palazzo delle Poste e Telegrafi

image from Palazzo Roverella

Palazzo Roverella

image from Scuola primaria Alda Costa

Scuola primaria Alda Costa

image from Porta Paola-ex Barriera Daziaria

Porta Paola-ex Barriera Daziaria

image from Stazione Viaggiatori Scalo ferroviario Porta Reno

Stazione Viaggiatori Scalo ferroviario Porta Reno

image from Prospettiva della Giovecca

Prospettiva della Giovecca

image from Conservatorio di Musica G. Frescobaldi

Conservatorio di Musica G. Frescobaldi

image from Chiesa di S. Francesco

Chiesa di S. Francesco

image from Scuola primaria Poledrelli

Scuola primaria Poledrelli

image from Palazzo dell'Aeronautica

Palazzo dell'Aeronautica

image from Palazzo Rondinelli

Palazzo Rondinelli

image from Palazzo Naselli Crispi

Palazzo Naselli Crispi

image from Chiesa di San Paolo e campanile

Chiesa di San Paolo e campanile

image from AGRITURISMO LAMA DI VALLE ROSA

AGRITURISMO LAMA DI VALLE ROSA

image from PRINCIPESSA PIO

PRINCIPESSA PIO

image from Azienda Agricola Donati - Fondo Ca' de Bartoli

Azienda Agricola Donati - Fondo Ca' de Bartoli

image from Artigiani Pastai Bondi

Artigiani Pastai Bondi

image from Azienda Agricola Molesini

Azienda Agricola Molesini

image from Apistica Riccardo Sarto

Apistica Riccardo Sarto

For More Information

Redazione Ferrara e provincia

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