All Squares in Ferrara

Piazza Trento e Trieste, formerly known as Piazza delle Erbe for the market held there in the past, is the main square of Ferrara.   SHORT HISTORY The medieval square appeared at the same time with the Cathedral of San Giorgio, in the 12th century, and since its inception it became the fulcrum of the political, economic and religious powers of the city.   ARCHITECTURE The square, rectangular in shape, is crossed by a sidewalk 120 meters long and 12 meters wide, called listone. Around the square, you can still admire various ancient buildings, some of them in their original appearance, while others have undergone various renovations and transformations over time. In the northern part of the square, there is the Cathedral of San Giorgio, the Cathedral of Ferrara, built starting with 1235 and completed in 1177. Behind the Cathedral, there is the bell-tower, an unfinished work of Leon Battista Alberti. On the southern side of the Cathedral, runs Loggia dei Merciai, which since the beginning was dedicated to the merchants and to their various shops. The structure still retains its function today, hosting modern shops and commercial activities. The ancient seat of the Shoemakers’ Guild, Palazzo di San Crispino, Read more [...]

Piazza del Municipio is one of the main squares of Ferrara, delimited by the wings of the Municipal Palace (Palazzo Municipale), located in the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY The current square housed once the Ducal Courtyard of the Municipal Palace, which was the first residence of the Este family. Subsequently, after the ducal family moved to the Este Castle, the palace was remodeled several times, until its current form. The square is famous for the imposing white marble staircase, built in 1481 to a design by Pietro Benvenuto degli Ordini, characterized by a vaulted roof with a central dome and arches in Renaissance style, with a marble balustrade decorated by medieval Gothic elements. Piazza del Municipio is often chosen as the venue for events such as the flag-wavers’ trials during the days preceding the Palio of Ferrara, and the farmer’s market with typical fresh products from the province of Ferrara.   ARCHITECTURE Piazza del Municipio can be accessed from Piazza Trento e Trieste through the main entrance of the Municipal Palace, called Volto del Cavallo (Vault of the Horse), consisting of a portico adorned on one side by the bronze statue of Borso d’Este, and on Read more [...]

Piazza Ariostea, formerly known as Piazza Nuova and, for a brief period, Piazza Napoleone, is one of the main squares of Ferrara, located in the northern part of the historical center of the city. On the last Sunday of May, the square hosts the Palio of Ferrara, established in 1279, resumed in the 1930s, and regularly held after the end of the Second World War. Palio di Ferrara is considered among the oldest in the world.   SHORT HISTORY Until 1496, the area was occupied by a farm owned by a certain Bartolomeo Zermio. Then, the land was purchased by Ercole I d’Este, the second duke of Ferrara, and transformed into a square, called Piazza Nuova. In the early 16th century, Duke Ercole I commissioned Ercole Grandi to design two columns for his own equestrian monument. On the way to Ferrara, one of the columns was lost in the Po River. The other one, which reached the town, was not immediately raised. The column was placed in the square only in 1675 to house the statue of Pope Alexander VII. In 1796, the French replaced the papal statue with a plaster statue depicting Liberty, which was demolished in 1799. In Read more [...]