The aim of this Ferrara city guide is to offer to
the visitors some suggestions for the discovery of the magnificent
city of Ferrara, recently acknowledged as an UNESCO
world
heritage.
Another section of this guide is dedicated to the Ferrara
countryside and surroundings.
Ferrara is a magnificent and very well preserved medieval and
renaissance city, filled with art treasures and will offer you a
lot of important monuments to discover. Ferrara center is only 15.5
miles, 25 km far from Le Occare Guesthouse.
Your guided tour will start with the wonderful Cathedral,
built by Nicolò, who also sculpted the superb bass-relief of
the front. The Ferrara “Duomo” was opened to the cult
in 1135. In the tympanum there is a remarkable bass-relief of the
last judgement, with the damned and the elected. The right side of
the Cathedral is partially occulted by the suggestive
“Loggia dei
Merciai”. The close "Opera del
Duomo" museum in the San Romano church, keeps the magnificent
remains of the ruined "Porta dei Mesi", and aslo paintings of
Cosme Tura and the renowned “Madonna del Melograno” by
Jacopo della Quercia. Than you can visit the near “Volto del
Cavallo” and “Piazza del Municipio”.
From here with a short walking you can reach the
magnificent Castle (Castello Estense), anciently the
luxury residence of the Este court, that was inhabited by the
famous Lucrezia Borgia. It's admirably well preserved, with its
powerful structure and its moat, anciently linked to the Po river
through navigable channels. The building of the Castle was started
in the XIII century. It became the residence of Ercole I d'Este and
his court in 1487. Nowadays it's frequently used for fine art
exhibitions.
With another short walking along the “Corso
Ercole d'Este” you arrive at the “Palazzo
dei Diamanti”,
masterpiece by the Ferrara renaissance architect Biagio Rossetti,
that is the symbolic place of Ferrara. It's the location of the
fine art museum "Pinacoteca Nazionale", with important paintings of
Cosme Tura, Francesco Del Cossa, Ercole de Robertis, Dosso Dossi
and Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo, as well as important exhibitions of
modern art. Also remarkable the close “Palazzo Prosperi
Sacrati”. Very close to the “Palazzo dei
Diamanti” is the “Museo Boldini”, dedicated to
the paintings of the Ferrara 19th century painter Giovanni
Boldini.
Then I suggest you to take a slow walk along the “Corso
Ercole d'Este you will prove the feeling to have entered a time
machine and to be back in the time of two centuries or more.
The Schifanoia palace hosts the precious fresco
cycle of the Renaissance painting school "Officina Ferrarese", the
months cycle, painted by Cosme Tura, Ercole De Robertis e Francesco
del Cossa. Close to it there is also the ancient Lapidario. Another
must is the Marfisa Villa with the magnificent orange's loggia or
Marfisa theatre, built by Aleotti.
A lot of other important masterpieces may be visited in the many
churches of Ferrara and an important cycle of medieval fresco is
visible in the convent of Sant'Antonio in Polesine.
The Spina Archeological Museum is located in the magnificent
Costabili Palace, also named "Ludovico il Moro" Palace.
The superb ancient city
wall, well preserved and recently submitted to a mighty
restoration, is perfect for a walking or a biking tour. The main
theatre, “Teatro Comunale” offers a good selection of
plays and also opera and symphonic music. The conductor Claudio Abbado used to perform here and now the theatre is dedicated to him.
You may also visit the Guide to Ferrara surroundings and
the Guide to Po Delta Park.
Service provided by Le Occare Guesthouse Ferrara - Italy.
