ITINERARY

L'Addizione Rinascimentale

THE RENAISSANCE ADDITION

During the Middle Ages and most of the 15th century, the north city boundary was along the current Viale Cavour - Corso Giovecca axis. However, to the north of this boundary there were numerous buildings, including prestigious ones, some of which were ducal property. In 1492, Ercole I commissioned Biagio Rossetti to incorporate this vast area into the urban centre and the great architect and town planner conceived a plan that, due to its originality and rationality, made Ferrara the 'first modern city in Europe'. In honour of the duke who wanted its construction, this large district was called 'Addizione Erculea'.

1) Palazzo di Giulio d’Este 

Built in the early years of the great construction site of the Addizione Erculea, the palace belonged for a few years to Giulio, the natural son of Duke Ercole I, famous for his participation, together with his brother Ferrante, in the 1506 conspiracy against Alfonso I and Cardinal Ippolito, his arch-enemy. Afterwards, the building belonged for centuries to the former lords of Carpi, the princes Pio di Savoia. The attribution to Biagio Rossetti rests on several elements, such as the marble portal, the use of terracotta in the archivolts of the windows, and the presence of a small marble balcony that appears to be located halfway between the ground and first floors. The palace is the seat of the Prefecture of Ferrara.

2) Palazzo dei Diamanti 

Commissioned by Ercole I d'Este around 1493, it is certainly Biagio Rossetti's masterpiece. It takes its name from the 8,500 'diamonds' that make up the marble ashlar of the original cladding. Located at the intersection of the two main arteries of the Addizione, the building symbolises the prestige and glory of the House of Este. 

3) Palazzo Prosperi Sacrati

This is the house where Ludovico Ariosto (1474 - 1533), spent the last years of his life devoting himself to the third and final edition of Orlando Furioso, that of 1532. The house was probably designed by Girolamo da Carpi. Interior: the first floor houses a small museum dedicated to the great poet. 

4) Casa di Ludovico Ariosto 

Construction began in 1493. The building has a corner decoration, like the other palazzi of the Quadrivio, but is most notable for its grandiose marble portal, which is the most significant example of monumental sculpture in Ferrara.

5) Palazzina degli Angeli

This house stands in the area of the vegetable gardens of the former church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the burial place of many members of the ducal family, and was built in 1913-1916 to a design by architect Adamo Boari.nta Maria degli Angeli, luogo di sepoltura di molti membri della famiglia ducale, e fu costruita nel 1913-1916 su progetto dell’architetto Adamo Boari.

6) Tempio di San Cristoforo alla Certosa 

The history of the Charterhouse of Ferrara began in 1452 with the foundation of the Carthusian monks' convent at the behest of Borso d'Este. Its location was outside the city walls, as required by the Carthusian Order rule. The area was included in the Renaissance addition and towards the end of the 15th century the temple consecrated to St Christopher was built. But it was not until the 19th century that the Carthusian complex was transformed and acquired the cemetery function it retains to this day. The interior offers an immense heritage of works of art, including paintings, wooden choirs, the ciborium, altarpieces and other liturgical furnishings.

7) Piazza Ariostea

This square was destined to become the fulcrum of the Addizione di Ercole I d'Este and was named Piazza Nuova, precisely to contrast it with the ancient market square on the southern side of the Cathedral. It never gained importance for trade, however, but remained a large area free of buildings, serving as a public park. In the centre is a column on which a statue of Ludovico Ariosto has stood since 1883. In this square, on the last Sunday of May each year, the Palio di San Giorgio is held, a very ancient event that includes, in addition to a large historical procession, four races: the Putti race, the Putte race, the donkey race and the horse race.

8) Palazzo Massari 

Built at the end of the 16th century on a commission from Count Onofrio Bevilacqua, it later underwent numerous additions and remodelling, the most important of which was the construction of an annexe adjacent to the main palazzo, known as the 'Palazzina dei Cavalieri di Malta', as it belonged to the Knights during the period (1826-34) in which they were based in Ferrara.In the garden of Palazzo Massari is the Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, a prestigious exhibition space dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The palace is embellished by the park of the same name, the largest of the public gardens within the city walls. Opposite the Massari Park is the Botanical Garden. A scientific institution linked to the University, it houses numerous plants outdoors and in large greenhouses.

9) Chiesa del Gesù 

Overlooking Piazzetta T. Tasso, it was built in 1570 to a design by Alberto Schiatti, and later enlarged with the addition of chapels. The façade is austere, entirely in terracotta and brick. The interior, with a single nave, preserves some paintings of considerable interest. To the left of the entrance is an important 15th-century sculptural group in polychrome terracotta: the Lamentation over Christ by Guido Mazzoni. Tradition has it that the weeping figures around the body of Jesus represent members of the court and, more specifically, the two statues on the far right would represent Hercules I and his wife Eleanor of Aragon. Behind the high altar is the sepulchral monument of Duchess Barbara of Austria, wife of Duke Alfonso II d'Este.

10) Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 

The first museum in Emilia Romagna to be developed in line with the eco-museum system model, integrating exhibition areas and teaching and documentation centers. The itinerary offers visitors a wide range of Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Birds, Invertebrates and Insects, covering branches of Natural Sciences such as Zoology and Entomology. Also important are the collections of fossils, minerals and rocks, in the sections dedicated to Earth Sciences: Palaeontology, Geology and Mineralogy. Of particular interest is the Earth Environment exhibition section. Other services for the public are the Specialized Library, the Reading Room and the Educational Section. The museum also develops important initiatives in both scientific research and popularization.

11) Piazzetta Sant’Anna

It was the courtyard of the former Arcispedale Sant'Anna, dating back to the 15th century and active until the early years of our century. The hospital incorporated pre-existing buildings, including the Armenian monastery of San Basilio, whose picturesque portico is still visible. In one room of the complex, the poet Torquato Tasso was imprisoned for many years.

12) Palazzo Roverella Corso 

Built in 1508 to a design by Biagio Rossetti for Gaetano Magnani, secretary to Duke Alfonso I. It passed to the Roverella family in the 18th century. The façade features a rich decoration in terracotta arranged in such a way as to obtain a true geometric partition of the surface.

13) Chiesa dei Teatini

Built in the first half of the 17th century to a design by Luca Danesi. The façade, unfinished, has been prepared for marble cladding. Inside is an elegant decorative apparatus, including the Purification of the Virgin altarpiece, painted by Guercino in 1634.

14) Chiesa di San Carlo 

Built between 1612 and 1623 on the site of a destroyed oratory, designed by Giovan Battista Aleotti. It is the only example in Ferrara of truly Baroque architecture. The façade is marked by two double columns, niches with statues and a portal with a broken tympanum and angels. The chiaroscuro effect gives the whole an imposing appearance, despite its small size. The interior has an elliptical plan with two large rectangular chapels and a semicircular apse. On the ceiling is an elegant fresco from 1674 by painter Giuseppe Avanzi.

17) Teatro Comunale 

The building was built between 1790 and 1797 and the construction was directed by Antonio Foschini and Cosimo Morelli. The two elevations of the building, devoid of heavy decorations, harmonise perfectly with the city context and the two exits of the elliptical widening, which originally served the function of allowing carriages to get in and out, frame two important buildings: the Estense Castle to the west and the Church of San Carlo to the north. Inside one can admire the Foyer, richly decorated in predominantly Empire style, and above all the great Hall, a typical example of an 'Italian theatre', elegantly decorated in stucco and fresco by Francesco Migliari in 1850. Currently, the Teatro Comunale plays a central role in the city and national cultural life, being the venue for several seasons of drama, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as the prestigious shows organised by Ferrara Musica. 

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