ITINERARY

Discovering the city of Funi

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Ferrara is a city that has inspired great artists, carving out a special place in their hearts.

Achille Funi is one of them, a great interpreter of the 20th century who found in his city many sources of inspiration. On the occasion of the new exhibition at Palazzo Diamanti, we thought we would invite you to discover the city through the eyes of this important Ferrara artist.

Here is an itinerary to discover Funi's places in Ferrara, the places that inspired him and in which he trained, developing technique and passion.

On the trail of Funi - Discovering Ferrara through the eyes of the artist

Palazzo municipale: Sala dell’Arengo

Our first stop is in the historic center, just inside the Palazzo Municipale..

There we find Il Mito di Ferrara (The Myth of Ferrara): inside the impressive Sala dell'Arengo we find this imposing decorative work, considered the masterpiece of Funi frescante. The room, entirely frescoed, offers visitors a true exaltation of Ferrara between myth and legend. Entering the room and proceeding clockwise, the left wall is dedicated to the legend of St. George piercing the dragon. On the opposite wall, on the long side of the hall, are the myth of Phaeton falling from the Chariot of the Sun at the mouth of the Eridano River (ancient name for the Po) and the tragic love story between Ugo d'Este and Parisina Malatesta, which ended with the beheading of the two lovers in 1425 . On the other long side of the room, however, are the literary myths of Ferrara: scenes from Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata and Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso are depicted. In the four corners of the room are depicted Hercules, Mars, Mercury and Apollo, while the ceiling has a first band with allegories of the months, a second with the signs of the zodiac and an imaginary balcony to which figures of spectators face.

The preparatory cartoons will be exhibited at the Palazzo dei Diamanti in a room entirely dedicated to this pictorial cycle.

Ferrara Sala Dell'Arengo Palazzo Municipale

Museo Della Cattedrale

Crossing Piazza Trento e Trieste, we make our way to the Cathedral Museum, which houses a number of works that proved fundamental to Funi's imagination.

The figure of St. George slaying the dragon in the Sala dell'Arengo is undoubtedly linked to Cosmè Tura's organ doors depicting St. George and the princess.

The sculptures of the Master of the Months, from the ancient Porta dei Pellegrini (Pilgrims' Gate) of the Cathedral, also influenced Funi in the creation of the frescoes in the Municipal Palace. On the hall's ceiling, actually, in the outermost band are depictions of the twelve months related to human activities.

Ferrara Museo Della Cattedrale Pala Cosme' Tura

Museo Archeologico Nazionale – Palazzo Costabili

Next we will carry on to one of the city's most emblematic palaces: Palazzo Costabili, now home to the National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara. Here from November 11, 2023 to February 25, 2024, the National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara will host the exhibition Il tempo immaginato, Achille Funi tra archeologia, storia e modernità .

In addition, the figures depicted on the ceiling of the Sala dell'Arengo facing the balustrade are inspired by Garofalo's famous fresco on the ceiling of the Sala del Tesoro in this palace.

Palazzo Costabili Ferrara Affreschi Garofalo Sala del Tesoro

Museo Schifanoia: Salone dei Mesi

From one imposing palace to another: Palazzo Schifanoia is one of the symbols of the Este family's Renaissance splendor. Now home to a beautiful museum, its rooms house one of the most remarkable cycles of frescoes with pagan subjects in the history of art. The Schifanoia Museum's Cycle of the Months evidently played an important role in the decoration of the Sala dell'Arengo, whose ceiling in fact depicts the signs of the zodiac in correspondence with the depiction of each month.

Palazzo Schifanoia Ferrara Salone Dei Mesi

Pinacoteca Nazionale

Palazzo dei Diamanti has always been a venue for art in Ferrara. So much so that in the early 1900s, when Funi was little more than a boy, classes at the Civica scuola "Dosso Dossi" were held inside. This is why from his earliest formative years Funi formed a close relationship with the works of great masters of the 15th and 16th centuries housed within the Pinacoteca and drew inspiration from them throughout his career.

^{ph. sito ufficiale Gallerie Estensi}

Castello Estense

The last leg of our tour takes us back to the centerpiece building of the Este city: a majestic fortification that stands in the middle of the city center. Inside the Estense Castle we will encounter many stories and legends that have, over the years, stimulated the imaginations of curious visitors. The tragic love story between Ugo and Parisina, depicted on the north wall of the Sala dell'Arengo, refers to the prisons of the Estense Castle where the two lovers are said to have been locked up.