• About

    Palazzo Municipale (Municipal Palace) is a palace in Ferrara, located in Piazza del Municipio, adjacent to Piazza Trento e Trieste, in the historical center of the city.

    The palace was the residence of the Este family until the 16th century, when the court moved to the nearby Castello Estense. Today, Palazzo Municipale is the seat of the Municipality of Ferrara.

     

    SHORT HISTORY

    The original nucleus of the palace was begun in 1245 along Via Cortevecchia, and was completed between 1472 and 1481.

    On June 2, 1451, the equestrian statue of Marquis Niccolò III d’Este was placed on the right side of the entrance to the palace, on a support inspired by the Roman triumphal arches. The construction of the monument was entrusted to the Florentine sculptors Antonio di Cristoforo, Nicolò Baroncelli, and Meo di Checco. The statue of Borso d’Este, also finished in 1453 by Baroncelli, was placed on the left side of the entrance.

    The palace changed significantly over the centuries. Between 1924 and 1928, the facade overlooking Piazza Trento e Trieste was rebuilt by Carlo Savonuzzi in a Neo-Gothic style, while the remaining part along the current Corso Martiri della Libertà had already been remodeled in 1738.

     

    ART AND ARCHITECTURE

    The main entrance, located in front of the Cathedral of San Giorgio, called Volto del Cavallo (Vault of the Horse), is flanked by the equestrian statue of the Marquis Niccolò III and that of his son, Duke Borso d’Este.

    Through Volto del Cavallo, you enter the Ducal Courtyard, now Piazza del Municipio, where you can see the marble windows of the Este apartments, the grand staircase built in 1481 on a project by Pietro Benvenuto degli Ordini, and the former Court Chapel, now Sala Estense.

    The interior has numerous prestigious halls, such as Sala dell’Arengo, decorated with frescoes by Achille Funi, the Golden Room (Stanza Dorata), characterized by a wooden coffered ceiling with gilded roses from the 15th century, the Hall of the Tombstones (Sala delle Lapidi), so called for the present tombstones dedicated to the fallen for the homeland, Sala di Giunta, characterized by a ceiling decorated in the 19th century, and Sala degli Arazzi (Hall of the Tapestries), in which two Flemish tapestries stand out.

    Other interesting rooms are Salone del Plebiscito, which takes its name from the referendum that took place there in 1860 to decide the annexation of Emilia to the Kingdom of Italy, and Camerino delle Duchesse (Cabinet of the Duchesses), a small room covered by fully decorated wooden panels between 1555 and 1560.

    On the north side of the building, there is the so-called Via Coperta, a protected walkway with five arches that connects the palace to the Este Castle.

     

    HOW TO GET THERE

    Palazzo Municipale is located about 1.4 kilometers away from the Ferrara railway station. The closest bus stop is in Corso Porta Reno, a few meters away, on the bus Lines 4 and 11.

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