Appianline - Roma

Ferrara is a peaceful city where it is still possible stroll on foot or pedal slowly on a bicycle, at any hour of the day or night, without any fear, reliving the magic atmosphere of the past with each step. It has 132.123 inhabitants and it is one of the most important centers of artistic and cultural interest in Italy, thanks to the Diamond Palace, where prestigious exhibitions take place and to the top quality seasons of its Municipal Theatre.
Ferrara is the seat of historically reminiscent events of great appeal such as the Palio di San Giorgio, the oldest in Italy and the Ferrara Buskers Festival, in which street musicians from all over the world come together in the city in a very special musical happening.

The city was an important medieval center and one of the most opulent courts of the Renaissance. Due to its heritage referred to that period Ferrara has a totally distinctive charm compared with other medieval ancient cities: from the harmonious and inimitable sum of the tangle of shaded and irregular streets in its medieval quarters to the airy, luminous and geometric spaces of the Renaissance age. All this full of splendid palaces, houses, churches, squares, streets, gardens and works of art conserved in its innumerable museums that constitute one of its greatest attractions. The urban framework of Ferrara is so innovative that it may be considered the "First Modern City of Europe". It is still possible to see the southern medieval part and the northern Renaissance part, perfectly welded together by Rossetti between the 15th and 16th centuries. The city is extraordinarily well preserved and still encircled by walls.
That's why Ferrara, as the city of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta has been entered by UNESCO in the World Heritage List.

Ferrara to see

Nine kilometres of almost uninterrupted walls surround the city, making up one of the most impressive ancient defense systems in existence.

The churches of Ferrara either big temples built by the dukes or small oratories for the people 's devolution, are like the precious stones of a necklace stretching round the whole city, just to give a suggestion among the many interesting monuments to visit: the Eucharistic Sanctuary of San Carlo in the city centre with the beautiful painting by Torricelli depicting San Carlo Borromeo; the valuable terracotta of San Sebastiano and the Host of the Holy Sacrament which is always displayed on the altar; Monastery of Sant' Antonio in Polesine founded by Saint Beatrice II d'Este on an island in the centre of the old Po river; the Sanctuary of Santissimo Crocifisso dated back to Longobard period; the Cathedral built in 1135 and decorated in marble towards the end of the 13th century, it represents the perfect blend of the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

The Este Castle situated in the hearth of Ferrara and facing Corso Giovecca; the Certosa (charterhouse), built by Borso d'Este in 1461 and Palazzo dei Diamanti commissioned by Sigismondo d'Este around 1493 is definitely the masterpiece of the court architect and town-planner Biagio Rossetti. It takes its name from the 8,500 "diamonds" which form the marble rustication of the original facing.

Historical gardens and palaces: Garden of Marfisa d'Este, Parco Massari, Parco Pareschi

Museums and Galleries: Museum of Ancient Art - Palazzo Schifanoia, Museum of the Risorgimento and the Resistance, National Archaeological Museum, Pinacoteca Nazionale