A medieval city that was once completely walled, it remains a bit of a hidden secret to visitors to Bologna and Italy. The lack of tourist rush adds to the appeal but I can’t help but think that this is one of Italy’s hidden secrets.
About
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 44 kilometres (27 miles) northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River. The town has broad streets and numerous palaces dating from the Renaissance, when it hosted the court of the House of Este. For its beauty and cultural importance, it has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The territory of the municipality, entirely part of the Padan plain, is overwhelmingly flat, situated on average just 9 metres (30 ft) above sea-level.
The legislative body of the Italian communes is the City Council (Consiglio Comunale), which, in towns having between 100,000 and 250,000 population, is composed by 32 councillors elected every five years with a proportional system, contextually to the mayoral elections. The executive body is the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), composed by 12 assessors, that is nominated and presided over by a directly elected mayor.
Cityscape
The imposing Este Castle, sited in the very centre of the town, is iconic of Ferrara. A very large manor house featuring four massive bastions and a moat, it was erected in 1385 by architect Bartolino da Novara with the function to protect the town from external threats and to serve as a fortified residence for the Este family.
The Cathedral of Saint George, designed by Wiligelmus and consecrated in 1135, is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. The duomo has been renovated many times through the centuries, thus its resulting eclectic style is a harmonious combination of the Romanesque central structure and portal, the Gothic upper part of the façade and the Renaissance campanile. The sculptures of the main portal are attributed to Nicholaus. The upper part of the main façade, with arcades of pointed arches, dates from the 13th century. The recumbent marble lions guarding the portals are copies of the originals, now in the cathedral’s museum. An elaborated 13th-century relief depicting the Last Judgement is found in the second storey of the porch.
The 15th-century Town Hall
Near the cathedral and the castle also lies the 15th-century city hall, that served as an earlier residence of the Este family, featuring a grandiose marble flight of stairs and two ancient bronze statues of Niccolò III and Borso of Este.
The southern district is the town’s oldest, crossed by a myriad of narrow alleys that date back to the Early Middle Ages. Casa Romei is perhaps the best preserved Medieval building in Ferrara. The house features fresco cycles in the “Sala delle Sibille” (“room of sibyls”), an original terracotta fireplace bearing the coat of arms of Giovanni Romei in the adjoining Saletta dei Profeti (“room of the prophets”), depicting allegories from the Bible, and in other rooms, some of which were commissioned by cardinal Ippolito d’Este, paintings by the school of Camillo and Cesare Filippi (16th century).
Palazzo Schifanoia (“sans souci”) was built in 1385 for Alberto V d’Este. The palazzo includes frescoes depicting the life of Borso d’Este, the signs of the zodiac and allegorical representations of the months.
The Renaissance Palazzo Paradiso, part of the Ferrara University library system, displays part of the manuscript of Orlando furioso and letters by Tasso as well as Ludovico Ariosto’s grave. Its famous alumni include Nicolaus Copernicus and Paracelsus.
Cuisine
Some food items easily found in Ferrara: “coppia” bread, “zia” garlic salami and muskmelon.
The culinary tradition of Ferrara features many typical dishes that can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and that sometimes reveals the influence of its important Jewish community.
The signature dish is cappellacci di zucca, special ravioli with a filling of butternut squash, Parmigiano-Reggiano and flavored with nutmeg. It is served with a sauce of butter and sage or bolognese sauce. Another peculiar dish, that was allegedly cooked by Renaissance chef Cristoforo di Messisbugo, is pasticcio di maccheroni, a domed macaroni pie, consisting of a crust of sweet dough enclosing macaroni in a Béchamel sauce, studded with porcini mushrooms and ragù alla bolognese.
The traditional Christmas first course is cappelletti, large meat and cheese filled ravioli served in chicken broth. It is often followed by salama da sugo, a very big, cured sausage made from a selection of pork meats and spices kneaded with red wine.
Seafood is also an important part of the local tradition, that boast rich fisheries in the Po delta lagoons and Adriatic sea.
Practical Information:
How to get to Ferrara:
By plane: the nearest airport is Bologna (52 km, 32 mi). Other nearby airports include Venice (120 km, 75 mi) and Verona (100 km, 62 mi).
By train: regular trains connect Ferrara to Bologna (25 to 45 min), Venice (1h 30 min), Verona (2h 30 min) and Florence (1h 45)
