ITINERARY

Ferrara medievale

THE MEDIEVAL CENTER

Through this itinerary we will show you the fulcrum of city life in Ferrara from the Middle Ages to the present day: this is the area around the Cathedral, an area designed to become the organic centre of the city, the place where the main representative buildings are located.
Even today this place is still the favourite meeting point of the people of Ferrara and a place of exchange where markets, street markets, cultural and social events are held on a regular basis.
We invite you to follow us through the liveliest streets of the city and discover how the highlights of the medieval layout have been handed down to the present day.

 

1) Estense Castle

In 1385 a violent protest convinced Niccolò II d'Este of the need to erect a mighty defence for himself and his family: thus the Castle of San Michele was built, a fortress erected against the people. The massive grandeur, moat, drawbridges and towers date back to that distant period. A covered passageway, which still exists and is passable, connected the military building to the palace of the marquises, now the Town Hall. Centuries passed and the dangers of riots ceased. The Castle became the magnificent residence of the court and was enriched by the turrets above the towers, the marble balconies, the 16th century-style courtyard, then completely frescoed, and the sumptuous flats.

2) Piazza Savonarola

At the centre stands the monument to Girolamo Savonarola erected in 1875 in honour of the famous reformer born in Ferrara in 1452. The small square is closed to the south by a 16th-century loggia that forms part of the Palazzo Municipale, to the north by the Castle and to the west by the so-called 'Via Coperta' (Covered Street), a building built on five arches to join the two ducal residences.3) Archbishop's Palace 
Built in the years 1718-1720 by order of Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo, the first Archbishop of Ferrara, it has a long façade divided into three bays, the two side bays of which are covered with flat pseudo ashlar. The windows are framed in marble and the same material is used for the grand central portal, surmounted by a balcony. Inside, which cannot be visited, there is a luxurious double-ramp staircase and sumptuous flats.

3) Palazzo Arcivescovile

Built in the years 1718-1720 by order of Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo, the first Archbishop of Ferrara, it has a long façade divided into three bays, the two side bays of which are covered with flat pseudo ashlar. The windows are framed in marble, and in the same material is made the grand central portal, surmounted by a balcony. Inside, which cannot be visited, are a luxurious double-ramp staircase and sumptuous apartments.

4) Municipal Palace

The Palazzo Municipale (formerly the Ducal Palace) was built starting in 1243 and became the residence of the Estense family until the 16th century, when the court moved to the Castle. Directly opposite the prothyrum of the Cathedral is the Vòlto del Cavallo; on either side of this ancient entrance to the Court Palace are an arch and a column on which stand statues of Marquis Niccolò III on horseback and Duke Borso d'Este enthroned. Through the vòlto we reach the former Ducal Courtyard, now the Municipal Square, where we can admire a beautiful grand staircase erected in 1481 by architect Pietro Benvenuto degli Ordini, next to which is the former Court Chapel, built by Ercole I d'Este and now converted into a theatre hall. Inside you can visit, upon request, the Camerino delle Duchesse, a small room conceived perhaps for Eleonora and Lucrezia d'Este, splendidly decorated in the second half of the 16th century, and the Sala dell'Arengo, frescoed between 1934 and 1938 by Achille Funi.

5) The Cathedral

The Cathedral, built from the 12th century onwards, shows signs of all eras of Ferrara's history. The grandiose façade, with its peculiar three-pinnacle structure, was begun in Romanesque style, still prevailing in the lower part. The upper part is in Gothic style and features a magnificent Last Judgement sculpted by an unknown artist above the central loggia.
Below these sculptures is an elegant Gothic loggia containing a formerly gilded statue of the Virgin and Child, a work from the first half of the 15th century attributed to Michael of Florence. The side facing Piazza Trento e Trieste is decorated by two loggias with sculpted columns. At the bottom runs the Loggia dei Merciai, occupied by shops since medieval times. In the centre of the side are the surviving structures of the ancient Porta dei Mesi, destroyed in the 18th century, the sculptures of which are partly preserved in the Cathedral Museum. The imposing Renaissance bell tower, in white and pink marble, is an unfinished work attributed to Leon Battista Alberti. The brick apse is the work of Ferrara's greatest architect and town planner, Biagio Rossetti.

6) Piazza Trento e Trieste

Formerly known as 'Piazza delle Erbe', it was the site of the city's main market for centuries. Today it is characterised as a wide widening south of the Cathedral, whose southern flank, together with the bell tower, occupies one of its major sides. 
Beyond the flank of the former Church of San Romano is the wide-windowed façade of the Teatro Nuovo, the 1923-1925 work of Sesto and Adamo Boari. The square is closed to the east by the neoclassical façade of the former Oratory of St Crispin. The latter building presents a curiosity: on the capitals of the side arcades of the portico (visible, for example, from Via Mazzini) shields with a shoe sole in the centre are clearly visible: this is the coat of arms of the shoemakers' guild, which had its headquarters for centuries in this oratory, dedicated to its patron.

7) Cathedral Museum 

The Museum houses a rich collection of works from the history of the Cathedral between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. On display are the splendid 13th-century panels by the Master of the Months of Ferrara, from the destroyed Porta dei Mesi; the Madonna of the Pomegranate (1406) by Jacopo della Quercia; the organ panels by Cosmè Tura, the spearhead of the Ferrarese School, depicting the Annunciation and St George killing the dragon (1469); tapestries produced in the mid-16th century by the Ferrara ducal manufactory, directed by the Flemish Giovanni Karcher; precious 15th-16th century illuminated antiphonaries; numerous liturgical objects.

8) Jewish Ghetto Area 

The origin of Ferrara's Jewish community is very ancient and the city boasts a tradition of co-existence between religions. Many groups of Jews, driven from their countries of origin, were welcomed by the Este family: Spaniards (1492), Portuguese (1498) and Germans (1530) settled in Ferrara and created a strong and organised community. The ghetto was established in 1627 by the papal government which, after the devolution of 1598, put an end to the previous liberal policy. The area included today's Via Mazzini, Via Vignatagliata and Via Vittoria. On Via Mazzini, at No. 95, the Synagogue still stands. The façade of the building can be distinguished from the other surrounding houses by the commemorative plaques placed next to the entrance. As early as 1485, a rich Roman banker had donated a large house to the Jews of Ferrara so that they could make it the seat of their institutions. 

9) Via delle Volte

In this long and narrow street, whose distinctive appearance has become one of the symbols of Ferrara, took place much of the commercial activity of the medieval city. There still remain many raised passages, known as 'vaults', which joined the merchants' houses (on the south side) with their warehouses (on the north side). According to another interpretation, the 'vaults' served to recover living space in an area of high concentration.

From the outside, you will also be able to enjoy some of the most beautiful churces of the city, still closed after the heartquake of 2012. 

10) Chiesa di San Paolo 

The current building was constructed after the 1570 earthquake by architect Alberto Schiatti. Officiated for centuries by the Carmelites, the church was the object of numerous bequests and donations that made it the sumptuous temple we see today. The former convent, with two elegant cloisters, still stands next to it. Interior: the frescoes and many valuable paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries make this church a museum of Ferrara's late Renaissance artists. Some works by Bastianino are of particular value. In the apse basin, the valuable fresco The Rapture of Elijah by Scarsellino (16th century) is visible.

11) Chiesa di San Domenico 

Built in 1726 on the site of an older church, whose chapel and bell tower still remain, visible on the right of the façade. Inside: paintings by Ferrara painters from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The floor is covered with ancient tombstones, an example of a feature once common to all churches. In the apse: wooden choir from 1384.

12) Chiesa di Santo Stefano

This very ancient temple (11th century) has undergone numerous renovations. The current façade, the result of extensive restoration work carried out in 1825, features an elegant terracotta decoration and a marble portal from another church that was destroyed. The three-nave interior contains interesting works by G. Parolini and Scarsellino (17th century). In front of the church are some remarkable medieval arcaded houses.

13) Chiesa di San Giuliano

This little church was built in 1405 to replace an older temple that was demolished during the construction of the Estense Castle. The lines of the building are Gothic, with decorations in typical Ferrara terracotta. Of particular note are those of the tricuspidate portal, above which is a marble relief depicting St Julian killing his parents. The interior, modified in the 18th century, cannot be visited.

Gallery