After a night flight from Boston with a stopover in Madrid, I arrived in Bologna around noon, rushed to pick up my luggage, and then dashed out of the airport and got on the bus to the central rail station. There I bought a ticket from a vending machine for the first RV train to Ferrara and pushed my way through the crowd to Track 9, where my train was about to depart. During the half-hour journey, I stared entranced out the window at the poplars and vineyards — so typical of the Italian landscape. In Ferrara, my niece was waiting; she lives near the town center, which is walking distance from the train station. I was famished, so after we reached her apartment and I set my bags down, lunch of “pasta e fagioli” was the first priority. Then we all set out for my first sight-seeing tour of the city.
Ferrara is an old city, the time of its founding barely decipherable from archaeological records. A document dating to either 753 or 757 CE testifies to its judicial status as a “civitas,” which means that by this date, it had achieved enough importance to be written about. Ferrara is a city rich in art and history, and within its walls, distinct Byzantine, Medieval, and Renaissance sections are preserved. Since the Middle Ages, the city center has been a magnet for both residents and visitors. The main thoroughfare, Viale Cavour and Corso Giovecca, leads one to the Castello Estense, the Palazzo Municipale, and the Cattedrale.
This is the cathedral bell tower, possibly designed by the famed architect Leon Battista Alberti; it faces the Piazza Trento e Trieste, for centuries the location of the main town market.
Cathedral Bell Tower, Ferrara
Built in 1135, the Cattedrale is a magnificent blend of Romanesque and Gothic.
Cattedrale, Ferrara
The University of Ferrara (Università degli Studi di Ferrara), where my niece is studying, was founded in in 1391 by Alberto V, Marquis of Este. My niece showed me many of the school buildings, but most offices and libraries were closed, due to a mini-strike. World-famous alumni of the University include Ariosto, Paracelsus, and the Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus. This plaque commemorates his residence in the city.
Plaque honoring Copernicus, Ferrara
Ferrara is also known for its well-preserved city walls. Stretching for nine kilometers, the walls surround the entire city and for centuries served as defensive military fortifications. Here we are walking on a path on top of the walls.
City Wall, Ferrara
By then, it was late in the afternoon, and it had begun to rain, so we turned homeward. About a block from my niece’s apartment, we stopped at the bakery and butcher shop to purchase bread and cheese for supper.
This post is so much better than my highlight reel! Good times.
I do have a few clarifications:
Saying that the city was first mentioned in a document of 753 CE is a little misleading. (Also, not all historians agree on a date; some cite 757 CE.) Actually, we know that the city existed – from before Byzantine times – because of archaeological findings. What the written document tells us is (a) people were writing, and (b) Ferrara was important enough at that time to write about. In fact, the document is not notable because it mentions Ferrara; it is notable because it mentions Ferrara as a ‘civitas’ and its territory as a ‘ducatus ferrariae.’ Therefore, it is not the city’s existence that is testified, but rather its judicial status when it was occupied by the Longobardi.
In addition to the medieval and renaissance sections, the city also has a distinct zone that is still recognizable as a Byzantine castrum. However, unless you’re counting ‘Renaissance’ as ‘modern’ there really is no modern section within the walls.