The first thing I saw when I exited the train was my mother’s maiden name: Ferrara.
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Her ancestors, or at least the ones I know of, were from southern Italy, not here from Emilia-Romagna, so our visit to Ferrara was not a search for ancestral connections. With a bit of research, we knew to purchase a two-day pass that would give us entry to most of the important sites.
Ferrara is very flat, so walking or biking are the preferred modes of transportation. We logged over 16 miles on foot in 48 hours.
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About 30 miles north of Bologna, Ferrara is situated on the Po di Volano, a channel of the Po River, and has a population of about 135,000.
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It is a colorful city with wide streets that support modern commerce as well as 14th and 15th century palaces from the House of Este.
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©Blogginginitaly.com
©Blogginginitaly.com
It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The typical bread, called coppia ferrarese, has been awarded IGP status, but for me, (sorry), it’s more pretty than tasty.
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Among the most important sites we saw were:
Palazzo Dei Diamonte, a Renaissance palace which houses the National Painting Gallery of Art. The exterior of the building consists of some 8500 white blocks carved to look like diamonds, hence the name.
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Museo Archeologico Nazionale, also known as Palazzo Ludovico il Moro. The museum houses a large collection of archaeological history from the province, and in particular, from Spina, an Etruscan port that flourished between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC.
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Museo del Risorgimento e della Resistenza. The museum houses uniforms, weapons, newspaper articles, posters, photos, letters, etc., from the time Italy began its quest for independence (Risorgimento) to the end of WWII.
Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire. The Romanesque Cathedral of Ferrara, consecrated in 1135 and 118 meters in length (387 feet), is #20 among the world’s biggest churches per Sacred Floor. St. Peter’s Basilica in Roma is #1 at 610 feet; the Duomo of Firenze is #3 at 518 feet; and St. Patrick’s in NY is #26 at 360 feet.
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©Blogginginitaly.com
And our favorite site…
Castello Estense. By order of Marquis Nicolo II D’Este, the enormous castello was begun in 1385 as a fortress, complete with stables, armories, workshops, accommodations for military troops, and prisons.
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©Blogginginitaly.com
The entire fortress is surrounded by a wide moat with drawbridges.
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©Blogginginitaly.com
At the end of the 15th century, the fortress slowly began a transformation into an elaborate residence for dukes and duchesses. Some of the greatest artists of the time were commissioned for works inside and out.
Today, the castle is a museum that provides history about the building, the powers that used it, and the city of Ferrara. A visit to one of the three prisons is eerie,
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while a stroll though art filled rooms is pretty incredible.
Chapel Ceiling©Blogginginitaly.com
Unfortunately, the 2012 earthquake did considerable damage, so washi paper has been applied to seal numerous cracks in ceiling and wall frescoes. Damage repair is progress.
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Interestingly, there are several “pleasure palaces” that were built by the Este Family in Ferrara to “avoid or escape boredom.” One such place is Palazzo Schifanoia, the name thought to have come from schivar la noia, or literally to escape boredom.
Palazzo Schifanoia, therefore, was a place for the court to relax and enjoy art and music away from but in close proximity to Castello Estense. The walls of the grand room are decorated with allegorical frescoes depicting the months of the year.
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Upon reflection, I think my paternal grandmother belonged to a ladies club in Chicago called Schifanoia. I grew up hearing the name but never thought to ask what it meant. So even when I’m not looking for ancestral information, I guess it’s waiting to be uncovered everywhere my Italian travels take me.
And as for escaping boredom from the castello, one merely needed to gaze out a window at the sun-painted reflections dancing on the moat. A great artist indeed!
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Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 
Pleasure palaces. I love the name whatever they did in there 🙂
In such a lovely place how could you ever get bored?
We love your photos.
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Thanks, Jean. Agree, I love the name too, no matter…!
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Beautiful – a great visit !! oxox
Florence C. Connelly faclarsen@aol.com
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Grazie – you’d like it! xo
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Beautiful pictures. I know you didn’t see this, but last night on Hawaii Five-O one of the characters was in Chicago and couldn’t wait to have Ferrara connoli. How cool is that!
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Thanks, I hope Nella heard it!
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Great article. I remember Grandma Lena talking about the club Schifanoia. I will ask my mother.
Sent from my iPhone
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I’m so glad you remember too. Those ladies were always so busy! Please ask your Mom and let me know.
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Nice photos
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Grazie!
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Btw is Ferrari the plural of Ferrara? 😉
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Hmmmmm.
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Very nice armchair visit – I don’t ride them, but love seeing all the bicycles.
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We opted against them as well – so many of them!
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Ferrara is wonderful everyday of the year
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Yes, it seems so!
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Great photography!
This was completely new
Information
The connection with your
Grandmother’s club is
Unique and noteworthy
The opportunity for exercise
Was another bonus
Please keep up the good
Work for the sake of the
Less fortunate not living
In Italy
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Thanks, Royce, it was our first time and all new to us as well. And learning about Schifanoia was really interesting. Wish I could have talked to Aunt Marion about it!
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Ciao Judy. Complimenti per le fotografie molto belle. I love Ferrara and I love attending Palazzo dei Diamanti (always lovely art exhibitions there) 🙂
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Ciao Simona, The art collection is beautiful as is the city. Graze!
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