Casa Romei
This lavish mansion was built between 1440 and 1450 for Giovanni Romei, a once lowly administrator who married into the family of the fleshy Borso d'Este (1413-71), first duke of Ferrara. Its elegant furnishings were carted off by the Este clan in 1598, but many of the wonderfully vibrant frescoes that smothered the chambers remain. The Sala delle Sibille, with its original terra-cotta fireplace, is the best example, richly painted with images of the sibyls (classical Greek prophetesses). Beyond the courtyard, the Lapidario contains a mixed bag of historic artifacts saved from churches in the area (as well as the original house baths), and you can view more frescoes by Sebastiano Filippi (aka Bastianino) in the rooms upstairs.
This lavish mansion was built between 1440 and 1450 for Giovanni Romei, a once lowly administrator who married into the family of the fleshy Borso d'Este (1413-71), first duke of Ferrara. Its elegant furnishings were carted off by the Este clan in 1598, but many of the wonderfully vibrant frescoes that smothered the chambers remain. The Sala delle Sibille, with its original terra-cotta fireplace, is the best example, richly painted with images of the sibyls (classical Greek prophetesses). Beyond the courtyard, the Lapidario contains a mixed bag of historic artifacts saved from churches in the area (as well as the original house baths), and you can view more frescoes by Sebastiano Filippi (aka Bastianino) in the rooms upstairs.
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