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Ferrara Palio | 5 places to visit in the Santa Maria in Vado district

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Ferrara Palio | 5 places to visit in the Santa Maria in Vado district

Continuing the calendar of the Homages to the Duke of Ferrara, a face-to-face event between the different districts, with their sumptuous performances of ancient entertainment, and Duke Borso d'Este and his Court. These weekly appointments bring us closer to the eagerly awaited Palio in May, introducing us one by one to the contrade and their creativity, and letting us slowly enter the historical atmosphere.

At 11 a.m. on 26 March, again in Piazza castello, it will be the turn of the Rione Santa Maria in Vado. It was 25 March, but in 1473, when Lucrezia di Monferrato, the natural daughter of William VIII Palaeologus, entered Ferrara to marry Rinaldo d'Este, the natural son of Marquis Nicolò III. The performance in Santa Maria in Vado will pay homage to the noble woman with dances, flag twirling and sonnets and then accompany her to her future husband in a triumphal procession.

CONTRADA SANTA MARIA IN VADO

The yellow-purple district resides in the oldest area of the city that boasts some of the city's most beautiful architecture. From the even side of Corso Giovecca, which cuts the city in two, to Piazza Travaglio, which with its Porta Paola marks the southern boundary of the city walls, stretching as far as the scenic Piazzale Medaglie d'Oro, Santa Maria in Vado represents a large part of the historic centre

The coat of arms of Santa Maria in Vado is a unicorn lying on a small island dipping its miraculous horn into the water, in the shade of a date palm tree; a coat of arms dear to Borso d'Este as a symbol of the reclamation works commissioned in the Ferrara territory, beyond the city, by the first duke.

The pride and joy of the contrada is the Unicorn Dance Group, founded in 1989, which for years has carried out study and research into ancient dances, handing down the passion from generation to generation.

Prizes won: 23

Let us therefore continue our journey of discovery through the districts of the Palio of Ferrara to get to know their streets and sights in view of the great event at the end of May, set for Saturday 27th.

Let us therefore enter the central district of Santa Maria in Vado and discover the five significant places in the unicorn quarter.

CASA ROMEI

The only manor house still intact in the city, Casa Romei was commissioned by Giovanni Romei, a 15th-century banker and merchant. The complex still retains its original structure and decorations, such as the magnificent loggia overlooking the inner courtyard. Nowadays the house is a museum and, apart from offering some temporary exhibitions, it preserves frescoes, fragments of works, panels, statues and decorations from city buildings and churches that no longer exist.

Ferrara Museo Casa Romei

PALAZZO SCHIFANOIA

Housing the famous Salone dei Mesi, Palazzo Schifanoia is one of the emblems of Renaissance Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The delizia was conceived by Alberto d'Este in the 14th century, but brought to its full splendour by the inimitable taste of the eccentric Duke Borso d'Este. Today, the Schifanoia Museum offers a real Renaissance atmosphere, from container to content: the architecture of the palace highlights the most significant works of the renowned Officina Ferrarese, which boasted members such as Cosmè Tura, Francesco del Cossa, Ercole de' Roberti and Gherardo di Andrea Fiorini da Vicenza.
Ferrara Museo Schifanoia

ARIOSTEA LIBRARY AND PALAZZO PARADISO

Palazzo Paradiso dates back to the late 14th century at the behest of Alberto V d'Este: the frescoed rooms were the setting for his wedding to Giovanna de Roberti. The building became the site of the Studiorum of Ferrara at the end of the 1500s, with architectural intervention by Giovan Battista Aleotti. Today Palazzo Paradiso is the seat of the Ariostea Library, which houses some of the most important Ferrara manuscripts as well as the remains of Ludovico Ariosto, to whom it is dedicated. A short trip through history that is highly recommended.

Biblioteca Ariostea Ferrara

Biblioteca Ariostea Ferrara2

THE CATHEDRAL OF SAN GIORGIO MARTIRE

The city cathedral dedicated to the patron saint of Ferrara is located a few steps away from the Estense Castle, in Piazza Trento Trieste. Since 1135, the building has undergone several interventions, which can be clearly perceived by observing the evolution of Romanesque details into a typically Gothic structure. The design of the bell tower, which remained unfinished, is attributed to the renowned architect Leon Battista Alberti.

Ferrara Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire

PORTA PAOLA AND THE CITY WALL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

An imposing gate in the southern section of the city walls, Porta Paola was a customs barrier with important military functions from its construction in the 13th century. Its current structure dates back to 1612 after restoration designed by architect Giovan Battista Aleotti. Nowadays, the gate is home to the Documentation Centre on the City Walls, a historical archive tracing the evolution of one of the most significant and best-preserved examples of fortified architecture in the world.

Ferrara Porta Paola

You might also be interested in
10 Things you should see in Ferrara
SPRING
Palio of Ferrara
CLOSE UP
The 'new' Palazzo dei Diamanti becomes reality: a huge Renaissance exhibition until 19 June!
CLOSE UP
Discover the Renaissance in Ferrara
FOCUS
Palio di Ferrara | 5 places to visit in the Borgo San Giovanni district
FOCUS
Discovering Ferrara Through water and Renaissance

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