HISTORICAL SITES
Palazzo and Piazza Municipale - Town Hall
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Piazza Municipale - Town Hall Square
Hidden within the walls of the buildings that surround it, Piazza Municipale reveals itself only to those who cross one of the three accessible faces. Now the seat of the Municipality of Ferrara, the square stands in the area that formerly housed the courtyard of the Ducal Palace.
The most characteristic element of the complex is the "Scalone", built between 1472 and 1481. Some of the first stage performances of the Renaissance took place here, which counted among the audience even a young Ariosto!
Palazzo Municipale - Town Hall
The Palazzo Ducale Estense was built in the 13th century, at the same time of the new Cathedral. Over time, the original core of the building underwent several transformations until it reached its current layout under Duke Ercole I. Earthquakes and wars made other interventions necessary over the centuries. The Palace was imagined and structured around the courtyard, today's Piazza Municipale, and the Duchesses' Garden behind it, an exclusive green rectangle, embellished with evocative loggias and frequented by duke and court. The palace remained the residence of the Este family until 1598, when Ferrara became part of the Papal State.
Prepare to be left speechless as you enter. You will find some of the most impressive rooms you can visit in the city. The Sala dell'Arengo - frescoed by Achille Funi - the Stanza Dorata, the Camerino delle Duchesse, and other precious rooms.
In the 1920s, the Victory Tower was erected, dedicated to the memory of the fallen of the Great War, still housing the bronze statue "Victory of Piave" by Arrigo Minerbi. A Court Chapel was also annexed to the palace, right where the Sala Estense, one of the city's theatres, stands today.
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ROOM WITH A VIEW ..ON HISTORY. The wing of the palace that runs along the Scalone is adorned with a series of marble windows overlooking the courtyard from what was once the duchess’s apartments. It that apartment also died Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino and famous military commander.
A PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. Surprisingly perhaps, the aforementioned city theatre overlooking the Piazza, the Sala Estense, was formerly the Court Chapel: here, the bodies of members of the ducal household were displayed upon their deaths. The somewhat “exhibitionist” vocation of the area has found a following in the Sala Estense, but also in the Piazza Municipale itself; thanks to its particular shape, the Piazza is the perfect place in which to hold events such as wine tastings, book presentations, conferences and small concerts, as well as competitions between Contrade (medieval neighbourhoods) that are part of the city's Palio schedule.