Explore a city so lovely that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ferrara is a large city in Northeast Italy. It’s known for its many palaces and urban landscape from the Renaissance. It was that Renaissance city design that got UNESCO so interested in Ferrara. I don’t plan my trips around going to UNESCO sites. However, a place having a UNESCO site does make trip planning a much easier. You rarely can go wrong with one.
Wandering Jana Starting in the main plaza, Piazza della Cattedrale. The Cathedral of Ferrara has one very interesting facade. It’s a mix of Romanesque and Gothic designs. There is a gorgeous Gothic loggia underneath that scaffolding.
Wandering Jana The interior is completely Baroque due to an earlier fire. The cathedral had just reopened to visitors a few days before my visit.
Wandering Jana Very, very Baroque. Not like there’s anything wrong with that.
Wandering Jana The apse is just gorgeous.
Wandering Jana Across from the piazza from the cathedral is the Torre della Vittoria. Love that building.
Wandering Jana Continuing on to the side of the cathedral. This facade is insane.
Wandering Jana I love all these brick buildings.
Wandering Jana Awesome view.
Wandering Jana Moving on. Ferrara was a fun city to just walk around in.
Wandering Jana Look at how cute this street is!
Wandering Jana Santa Maria in Vado. Gorgeous church.
Wandering Jana Temple of the Most Precious Blood. According to legend, a miracle happened here involving the Eucharist. The church became a pilgrimage destination.
Wandering Jana Gorgeous.
Wandering Jana Museo di Casa Romei, a Renaissance palace from the 14th century.
Wandering Jana The courtyard and logge (plural of loggia) were entirely decorated with frescoes.
Wandering Jana The interior was also decorated with frescoes and fancy ceilings. This room was decorated with images of animals. A monkey is on the fireplace.
Wandering Jana One of those fancy ceilings.
Wandering Jana This room on the ground floor had some interesting frescoes depicting Sybils (prophetesses).
Wandering Jana “Room of the Prophets.” According to the exhibit sign, the fresco depicts the haloed heads of the Prophets peeing out from the foliage of trees of different varieties within a garden. I’m confused as to why the Prophets were hanging out in the trees to begin with.
Wandering Jana I love that little fresco at the top of the building.
Wandering Jana Back at the Piazza della Cattedrale from a different direction.
Wandering Jana The archway leads to another piazza, Piazza Cortevecchia.
Wandering Jana Which has this ridiculous staircase.
Wandering Jana Nearby is the Castello Estense di Ferrara.
Wandering Jana This 14th century castle even still has its moat!
Wandering Jana I actually visited the castle last, but let’s go in now.
Wandering Jana Drawbridge!
Wandering Jana It’s a large museum covering local history. It also has a dungeon.
Wandering Jana View from a terrace.
Wandering Jana Some of the rooms are decorated. Most aren’t as fancy as this chapel. (I am so glad I now have a wide angle lens for tight spaces like this.)
Wandering Jana I love this ceiling.
Wandering Jana The tape is helping to hold the frescoes together until they can be restored.
Wandering Jana Back to where I was. Chiesa di San Cristoforo alla Certosa, a former monastery.
Wandering Jana Its cloisters were turned into a pretty cool cemetery.
Wandering Jana Many cemeteries in Italy have cloisters like this. Rich people with family tombs usually end up in this area.
Wandering Jana You can also get a normal mausoleum.
Wandering Jana A very lovely cemetery.
Wandering Jana Italians really liked putting very elaborate sculptures on their tombs.
Wandering Jana Amazing.
Wandering Jana This is probably my favorite from this cemetery.
Wandering Jana Palazzo dei Diamanti, a Renaissance era palace that now serves as a National Picture Gallery.
Ferrara is a great place to spend a couple of days. I went as a day trip from Bologna. I spent an entire day there and only visited two museums. Other museums include the Palazzo Schifanoia, another Renaissance Palace, which was closed the day I visited. Ferrara is a great alternative to larger Norther Italian cities for exploration, except for Bologna because that city is awesome.
Check out my next update where I explore the awesome city of Bologna!
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Start at the beginning of this adventure.
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