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Delizia di Belriguardo
A journey through the history of art from archaeology to the Renaissance up to the 19th century and contemporary art: you can do this in Belriguardo Castle, as part of the Delizie Estensi of Ferrara, a rich and sumptuous palace built in Voghiera by Nicolò III d'Este in 1435-1437, which is included in the list of UNESCO-protected properties.Belriguardo served as the seat of the Estense Court throughout the summer: dukes such as Borso, Ercole or Alfonso intended to amaze their illustrious guests with the large gardens, the fish pond - which still exists - created at the front of the palace, where the lords even organised naval battles from life with warships, spectacles they watched from the terrace of the complex's entrance tower.
The
entire Estense Court, in fact, moved to the palace of Belriguardo for about six months of the year and from here the duchy was officially governed, something completely unheard of for all the Courts of the time, but which was to become customary a couple of centuries later in the rest of Europe.
Inside the Delizia del Belriguardo is the Museo Civico of the same name, divided into three sections.Archaeological: with Etruscan, Roman and Byzantine artefacts, with a good presence of amber artefacts, including a ring with a complex scene of Heroes (Amorini) and Nike, a unique specimen in the world. Also remarkable is an Indian onyx balsamarium, the only intact specimen in the world. Renaissance: housed in the Sala della Vigna, with frescoes dating back to 1537 and some artefacts from the Este period. Modern and Contemporary Art: with some works by local artist Giuseppe Virgili (1884-1968) and, in the rooms next to the tower, the Industrial Archaeology section, with late 19th-early 20th-century objects produced by Ferrara companies, and the Ottorino Bacilieri Art Gallery, with works by local authors.
