Emilia–Romagna
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Emilia–Romagna - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Castello Estense
The former seat of Este power, this massive castle dominates the center of town, a suitable symbol for the ruling family: cold and menacing on the outside, lavishly decorated within. The public rooms are grand, but deep in the bowels of the castle are dungeons where enemies of the state were held in wretched conditions. The prisons of Don Giulio, Ugo, and Parisina have some fascinating features, like 15th-century graffiti. Lovers Ugo and Parisina (stepmother and stepson) were beheaded in 1425 because Ugo's father, Niccolò III, didn't like the fact that his son was cavorting with his stepmother. The castle was established as a fortress in 1385, but work on its luxurious ducal quarters continued into the 16th century. Representative of Este grandeur are the Sala dei Giochi, painted with athletic scenes, and the Sala dell'Aurora, decorated to show the times of the day. The terraces of the castle and the hanging garden have fine views of the town and countryside. You can traverse the castle's drawbridge and wander through many of its arcaded passages whenever the castle gates are open.
Piazza Castello, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-419180Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12, Closed Tues. -
2. Palazzo Schifanoia
The oldest, most characteristic area of Ferrara is south of the Duomo, stretching between the Corso Giovecca and the city's ramparts. Here various members of the Este family built pleasure palaces, the best known of which is the Palazzo Schifanoia (schifanoia means "carefree" or, literally, "fleeing boredom"). Begun in the late 14th century, the palace was remodeled between 1464 and 1469. Inside is Museo Schifanoia, with its lavish interior—particularly the Salone dei Mesi, which contains an extravagant series of frescoes showing the months of the year and their mythological attributes.
Via Scandiana 23, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-244949Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12, Closed Mon. -
3. Casa Romei
Built by the wealthy banker Giovanni Romei (1402–83), this vast structure with a graceful courtyard ranks among Ferrara's loveliest Renaissance palaces. Mid-15th-century frescoes adorn rooms on the ground floor; the piano nobile contains detached frescoes from local churches as well as lesser-known Renaissance sculptures. The Sala delle Sibille has a very large 15th-century fireplace and beautiful coffered wood ceilings.
Via Savonarola 30, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-234130Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 -
4. Duomo
The magnificent Gothic cathedral, a few steps from the Castello Estense, has a three-tier facade of slender arches and beautiful sculptures over the central door. Work began in 1135 and took more than 100 years to complete. The interior was completely remodeled in the 17th century. At the time of writing, the Duomo is undergoing major restoration after the 2012 earthquake: the interior is only partially open with a multimedia display outlining the works.
Piazza della Cattedrale, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44100, Italy0532-207449 -
5. Museo della Cattedrale
Some of the original decorations of the town's main church, the former church, and the cloister of San Romano reside in the Museo della Cattedrale, across the piazza from the Duomo. Inside you'll find 22 codices commissioned between 1477 and 1535; early-13th-century sculptures by the Maestro dei Mesi; a mammoth oil on canvas by Cosmè Tura from 1469; and an exquisite Jacopo della Quercia, the Madonna della Melagrana. Although this last work dates from 1403 to 1408, the playful expression on the Christ child seems very 21st century.
Via San Romano 1, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-761299Sight Details
Rate Includes: €6, Closed Mon. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah
The collection of ornate religious objects and multimedia installations at this museum (commonly known as MEIS) bears witness to the long history of the city's Jewish community. This history had its high points—1492, for example, when Ercole I invited the Jews to come over from Spain—and its lows, notably 1627, when Jews were enclosed within the ghetto, where they were forced to live until the advent of a united Italy in 1860. The triangular warren of narrow cobbled streets that made up the ghetto originally extended as far as Corso Giovecca (originally Corso Giudecca, or Ghetto Street). When it was enclosed, the neighborhood was restricted to the area between Via Scienze, Via Contrari, and Via di San Romano. The museum is located about a 15-minute walk from the former Jewish ghetto. Guided tours may be booked in advance by emailing or calling the museum.
Via Piangipane 81, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-769137Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, Closed Mon. -
7. Palazzo dei Diamanti
Named for the 8,500 small pink-and-white marble pyramids (or "diamonds") that stud its facade, this building was designed to be viewed in perspective—both faces at once—from diagonally across the street. Work began in the 1490s and finished around 1504. Inside the palazzo is the Pinacoteca Nazionale which houses 13th- to 17th-century Ferrarese painting, plus temporary shows.
Corso Ercole I d'Este 21, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, 44121, Italy0532-244949Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15, Closed Mon. -
8. Via delle Volte
One of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe, the Via delle Volte clearly evokes Ferrara's past. The series of ancient volte (arches) along the narrow cobblestone alley once joined the merchants' houses on the south side of the street to their warehouses on the north side. The street ran parallel to the banks of the Po River, which was home to Ferrara's busy port.
Via delle Volte, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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