Castello Estense

A moated four-towered castle (lit at night), this proud fortress began as a bricklayer's dream near the end of the 14th century, although its face has been lifted and wrenched about for centuries. It was home to the powerful Estes, where the dukes went about their ho-hum daily chores: trysting with their own lovers, murdering their wives' lovers, beheading or imprisoning potential enemies, whatever. Today it's used for the provincial and prefectural administration offices, and you can view many of its once-lavish rooms -- notably the Salon of Games (Salone dei Giochi), the Salon of Dawn (Salone dell'Aurora), and a Ducal chapel that once belonged to Renata di Francia, daughter of Louis XII. Parisina d'Este, wife of Duke Niccolò d'Este III, was murdered with her lover, Ugolino (the duke's illegitimate son), in the dank prison below the castle, creating the inspiration for Browning's "My Last Duchess."

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