Palazzo dei Diamanti
The facade of the Este’s most remarkable residence comprises 8,500 spiky, diamond-shaped, white marble blocks, creating an architectural spectacle that shimmers in the light and seems to be constantly in movement. The palazzo stands at the intersection of two monumental avenues that were the main thoroughfares of the Addizione that Ercole d’Este laid out in the late 15th century, doubling the size of Ferrara and making the city into a Renaissance showplace. The Pinacoteca Nazionale occupies the ground floor of the palazzo and provides a handy overview of the School of Ferrara, especially the trio of old masters who flourished under the Estes—Cosmé Tura, Francesco del Cossa, and Ercole Roberti. Pride of place belongs to Tura’s “Martyrdom of St. Maurelius,” in which the subject, an early bishop of Ferrara, calmly kneels as his executioner swings a sword above his neck and some decidedly cheerful-looking putti look on from a cloud.
The facade of the Este’s most remarkable residence comprises 8,500 spiky, diamond-shaped, white marble blocks, creating an architectural spectacle that shimmers in the light and seems to be constantly in movement. The palazzo stands at the intersection of two monumental avenues that were the main thoroughfares of the Addizione that Ercole d’Este laid out in the late 15th century, doubling the size of Ferrara and making the city into a Renaissance showplace. The Pinacoteca Nazionale occupies the ground floor of the palazzo and provides a handy overview of the School of Ferrara, especially the trio of old masters who flourished under the Estes—Cosmé Tura, Francesco del Cossa, and Ercole Roberti. Pride of place belongs to Tura’s “Martyrdom of St. Maurelius,” in which the subject, an early bishop of Ferrara, calmly kneels as his executioner swings a sword above his neck and some decidedly cheerful-looking putti look on from a cloud.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
