Things To Do in Ferrara

The Castello Estense is pretty much the center of town, with the Cattedrale San Giorgio Martire and twisting lanes of the medieval town just to the southeast. South of Castello lies the city’s most atmospheric medieval lane, narrow cobblestoned Via delle Volte, darkened with arched, upper-story passageways that once linked merchants’ houses with their riverside warehouses. North from the Castello, Corso Ercole I d’Este, flanked by beautiful palazzi, leads into the Renaissance city and past Palazzo dei Diamanti to the city walls. Turn right onto Corso Porto Mare to pass Renaissance-era Palazzo Massari (Corso Porto Mare 9), with its marvelous collections of 19th-century and contemporary art; sadly, it’s still closed for renovations following the 2012 earthquake. The Palazzo Schifanoia, Via Scandiana 23, with its mesmerizing cycle of frescoes, has also closed for structural renovations with no date set for reopening.

East of the Castello, Via Cavour turns into Corso Giovecca, where you can visit the well-preserved brick villa Palazzina Marfisa d’Este (Corso Giovecca 170, tel. 0532/244-949; 4€; Tues–Sun 9:30am–12:30pm and 3–6pm), whose 16th-century resident Marfisa d’Este was a granddaughter of Lucrezia Borgia. Marfisa allegedly used to ride through these streets on moonlit nights in a carriage pulled by wolves; she is said to have enjoyed entertaining young men in her elegant salons before murdering them.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Not quite as dramatic as its counterpart in Siena, Ferrara's Palio di San Giorgio is a popular event held in the Piazza Ariostea the last Sunday of May. Two-legged creatures run first, in races for young men and young women. They are followed by donkeys and, in the main event, horses ridden bareback by jockeys representing Ferrara's eight traditional districts.

During the summer, the streets of Ferrara seem like one great theater. Some excellent jazz and classical concerts are the main events of Estate a Ferrara, an outdoor festival that begins in early July and runs until late August, when the festivities are augmented by street musicians, mimes, and orators, who partake in the Busker's Festival.