Palazzo di San Crispino

Palazzo di San Crispino, also known as the Oratory of the Shoemakers (Oratorio dei Calzolai), is a palace in Ferrara, located in Piazza Trento e Trieste, at the corner of Via Mazzini and Via Contrari.

SHORT HISTORY

According to tradition, the palace was built in 808 at the behest of Charlemagne and dedicated to the art of cobblers as a reward to a shoemaker for the services he offered.

Historically, between 1461 and 1567, the palace was the seat of the Faculty of Literature, part of the University of Ferrara.

In 1567, after it was partially destroyed by a fire, by the decision of the Shoemakers’ Guild, the palace was reduced to an oratory, while the public school was moved to the new headquarters in Palazzo Paradiso. The oratory was dedicated to the Saints Crispin and Crispinian, the patron saints of cobblers, tanners and leather workers.

Starting with 1841, the palace was renovated by the architect Giovanni Tosi, who transformed the ancient loggia, giving it a Neoclassical aspect. The facade was decorated with marble medallions by famous artists from Ferrara.

The frescoed facade of 1675, work of Francesco Ferrari, which represented Charlemagne on the throne flanked by knights on horseback, was lost in the renovation of the 19th century.

In 1970, a restoration project for the palace was proposed by the architects Carlo Bassi and Goffredo Boschetti. The work, which began in 1974, was suspended on several occasions as a result of continuous archaeological finds of historical and artistic value. The renovation works were completed only in 1997, by the architect Paolo Arveda.

From the end of the 20th century, the building houses a library.

HOW TO GET THERE

Palazzo di San Crispino is located about 1.7 kilometers away from the Ferrara railway station. The closest bus stop is in Corso Porta Reno, located about 190 meters away, on the southwestern corner of Piazza Trento e Trieste, on the bus Lines 4 and 11.