Ferrara

Ferrara is a UNESCO city situated on a branch of the Po River that has existed since the Etruscans. It grew to the height of its power under the Este family, who built the city into an impregnable swamp fortress.

The strange bread popular in Ferrara

Typical Ferrara Cappellacci with ragu and pumpkin

Ferrara Cathedral

Niccolo III d'Este and Borgo d'Este's statues guard the entrance to the Palazzo Municipale

Este Castle was built to better protect the family from rioting citizens.

That great agitator, Savonarola, was born in Ferrara.

The Este Castle moat can be navigated by boat.

Borgo seems to be an affable chap.

Art of a bored prisoner of the Este family

The view from a turret of Este Castle.

Castle staff use parchment paper to repair the castle's 500 year old frescoes.

Ferrara has extensive fortifications that still stand today. The swamp that surrounded it also offered enhance protection, but much of the Po delta has been drained to make farmland today.

The Queen (Regina), an ancient cannon made in 1556 for Ercole II d'Este.

Ferrara has an excellent archeology museum. Here are a collection of vases from Spina, Ferrara's Etruscan predecessor, with names of their Etruscan, Greek, Venetic, and Celt owners inscribed on the base.

Nice horse cup

Quite the lion

Spina was a major trade hub for Greek pottery, and the collection found there is the best example of Greek pottery from 400-500 B.C.

Other goods found at Spina

Gold jewlery

Greeks bought Amber from Spina that made its way to Italy from the Baltic amber route.

Excellent fish dishes

You can touch the ancient vases?!

The museum has an excellent map room

A restored fresco from 1517

The archeology museum is housed in a 15th century nobleman's house.

The art of perspective

A classic grotesque

One of the creepier rooms I've been in.

Ferrara was never conquered under the Este, but passed to the Papal States in 1597 when Alfonso II d'Este died without a heir.