Ferrara

Ferrara is a city in Italy. Together with the nearby delta of the Po river, Ferrara has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Although it certainly has a thriving tourism industry, Ferrara is not on the typical foreign tourist's itinerary, which makes it perfect for those tourists who want to get off the beaten path of Venice-Florence-Rome and soak in some authentic northern Italian culture. It's characterized by twisting medieval cobblestoned streets, a Duomo (cathedral) with a looming Gothic façade, and—best of all—a castle straight out of storybooks, complete with towers, moat, and drawbridges (that you can cross during the day).

Thanks to the d'Este family of astute art patrons, Ferrara contains many beautiful objects de arte, but the genuine masterpiece is the city itself. Half medieval, half Renaissance, the dual cityscape was the vision of oligarch Ercole d'Este, who hired architect Biagio Rossetti to seamlessly meld the newer section to the old. This careful planning earned Ferrara the title of Italy's first "modern city." Today, its captivating, anachronistic ambience is best explored on foot or by bicycle.

Touring the sites will occupy a day, but after that the best way to experience Ferrara is to relax at one (or several) of its cafes and enjoy la vita italiana going on around you.

• IAT Ferrara, Largo Castello 1 (Viale Cavour), +39 0532 209370. 09:30-17:30.

IAT Ferrara, Largo Castello 1 (Viale Cavour), +39 0532 209370. 09:30-17:30.

Ferrara is one of a few provincial centres in Italy (along with Lucca, Bergamo and Grosseto) where city walls were remained mostly intact. The most of the attractions of the city are inside its almost 9 km city walls.

• Castello Estense. Oct-Feb: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30; Mar-May Sep: 09:30-17:30; Jun: 09:30-13:30 15:00-19:00; Jul-Aug: Tu-Su 09:30-13:30 15:00-19:00. The castle, built in 1385, is the main attraction of the city. It is one of a few moated medieval castles remained in Europe. See painted ceilings, the Golden Room, the duchesses' Camerino, don't miss its medieval dungeon. €8.
• Palazzo municipale, Piazza Municipale, 2, +39 0532 419770. M-F 09:00-13:00. Free guided tours.
• Cattedrale di San Giorgio Martire, Piazza della Cattedrale. M-Sa 07:30-12:00 15:30-18:30; Su 07:30-12:30 15:30-19:00. Its construction begun in the 12th century, so the lower part of the building has characteristic Romanesque appearance.
• Palazzo Costabili, Via XX settembre, 124, +39 0532 66299. Tu-Su 09:30-17:00. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum) is here. The collection of the museum mostly consists of various artifacts excavated from Greek and Etruscan tombs. €5.
• Palazzo dei Diamanti, 21 Corso Ercole d'Este, +39 0532 205844. Tu W F-Su 09:00-14:00, Th 09:00-19:00. On the 1st floor it hosts Pinacoteca Nazionale (National Gallery). The ground floor is dedicated for temporary exhibitions. €4.
• Palazzo Schifanoia, Via Scandiana, 23, +39 0532 244949. Closed for restorations. It was the only summer residence of Este family inside the city walls. Today the main attraction of the palace is Salone dei Mesi ("Hall of the Months") decorated by pagan cycle frescos representing the months of a year. Unfortunately for a few centuries the frescos were plastered, so only some of them survived. €3.
• Monastero di Sant'Antonio in Polesine, Vicolo del Gambone. The convent church is open to the public. There are some 17th-century ceiling frescos by Andrea Ferreri, also in the side chapels there are some frescoes of the school of Giotto.
• Casa Romei, Via Savonarola, 28-30, +39 0532 234130. Su-W 08:30-14:00, Th-Sa 14:00-19:30. It is one of the best-preserved Renaissance building in Ferrara. €3.
• Palazzina di Marfisa d'Este, Corso Giovecca 170, +39 0532 244949. Tu-Su 09:30-13:00, 15:00-18:00. It's an example of Renaissance-style villa. €4.
• Chiesa di San Cristoforo alla Certosa, Piazza Borso, 50. This Renaissance church was a part of a Carthusian monastery, which is now a cemetery site.
• Basilica di San Giorgio fuori le mura. A former cathedral of the town.
• Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, Corso Martiri della Libertà, 5. An opera house, built between 1786 and 1797.
• Museo Ebraico, Via Mazzini, 95. Closed for restorations. The Jewish Museum and the Synagogue are in the former ghetto (along the street used to be called Via Sabbioni).

Castello Estense. Oct-Feb: Tu-Su 09:30-17:30; Mar-May Sep: 09:30-17:30; Jun: 09:30-13:30 15:00-19:00; Jul-Aug: Tu-Su 09:30-13:30 15:00-19:00. The castle, built in 1385, is the main attraction of the city. It is one of a few moated medieval castles remained in Europe. See painted ceilings, the Golden Room, the duchesses' Camerino, don't miss its medieval dungeon. €8.

Palazzo municipale, Piazza Municipale, 2, +39 0532 419770. M-F 09:00-13:00. Free guided tours.

Cattedrale di San Giorgio Martire, Piazza della Cattedrale. M-Sa 07:30-12:00 15:30-18:30; Su 07:30-12:30 15:30-19:00. Its construction begun in the 12th century, so the lower part of the building has characteristic Romanesque appearance.

Palazzo Costabili, Via XX settembre, 124, +39 0532 66299. Tu-Su 09:30-17:00. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum) is here. The collection of the museum mostly consists of various artifacts excavated from Greek and Etruscan tombs. €5.

Palazzo dei Diamanti, 21 Corso Ercole d'Este, +39 0532 205844. Tu W F-Su 09:00-14:00, Th 09:00-19:00. On the 1st floor it hosts Pinacoteca Nazionale (National Gallery). The ground floor is dedicated for temporary exhibitions. €4.

Palazzo Schifanoia, Via Scandiana, 23, +39 0532 244949. Closed for restorations. It was the only summer residence of Este family inside the city walls. Today the main attraction of the palace is Salone dei Mesi ("Hall of the Months") decorated by pagan cycle frescos representing the months of a year. Unfortunately for a few centuries the frescos were plastered, so only some of them survived. €3.

Monastero di Sant'Antonio in Polesine, Vicolo del Gambone. The convent church is open to the public. There are some 17th-century ceiling frescos by Andrea Ferreri, also in the side chapels there are some frescoes of the school of Giotto.

Casa Romei, Via Savonarola, 28-30, +39 0532 234130. Su-W 08:30-14:00, Th-Sa 14:00-19:30. It is one of the best-preserved Renaissance building in Ferrara. €3.

Palazzina di Marfisa d'Este, Corso Giovecca 170, +39 0532 244949. Tu-Su 09:30-13:00, 15:00-18:00. It's an example of Renaissance-style villa. €4.

Chiesa di San Cristoforo alla Certosa, Piazza Borso, 50. This Renaissance church was a part of a Carthusian monastery, which is now a cemetery site.

Basilica di San Giorgio fuori le mura. A former cathedral of the town.

Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, Corso Martiri della Libertà, 5. An opera house, built between 1786 and 1797.

Museo Ebraico, Via Mazzini, 95. Closed for restorations. The Jewish Museum and the Synagogue are in the former ghetto (along the street used to be called Via Sabbioni).

Take a stroll or a bike ride around the walls, either on the path that runs on top, or on the sidewalks in the park that runs around nearly the entire circumference. Good access at the end of Corso Ercole d'Este or of Via Quartieri.

• Via delle Volte. It used to be a street with various shops and workshops during heydays of the city.

• Ferrara Buskers Festival, Via Mentessi, 4, +39 0532 249337. Aug. International street musicians festival.

Ferrara Buskers Festival, Via Mentessi, 4, +39 0532 249337. Aug. International street musicians festival.

Via delle Volte. It used to be a street with various shops and workshops during heydays of the city.

• Ferrara is a fairly well-to-do northern Italian city and predictably has a good number of clothing shops, ranging from budget-fashion Zara to small, expensive boutiques. The main shopping districts are Via Mazzini (the street leading from Piazza Trento-Trieste where the campanile and Mel Books is) and Via Garibaldi (the street leading from inside the Palazzo Municipio), as well as the whole center of the city around the Castello.
• Every Saturday morning there is an open-air market set up in Piazza Trento-Trieste with a changing weekly theme—ranging from furniture to antiques to clothes to food and produce. One night a week the same piazza is devoted to an open-air candy market.
• Stop by Ferrara Frutta (the best one is on the very end of Via Garibaldi), a co-op that sells fresh local produce of excellent quality for very low prices.

Panini and Piadine

In Italian, a "piadina" is the type of pressed, flatbread sandwich that is known in the United States as the "panini." Actual "panini" (singular "panino") are merely normal sandwiches.

• Mordicchio La Piadina, Piazza Sacrati, +39 380 767 5585. M-W 12:00-15:00, 18:45-22:00; Th 12:00-15:00; F Sa 12:00-15:00, 18:45-22:00. A little on the costly side, but for a quick bite head down Via Garibaldi to the piadina stand across from the Indian restaurant. Don't forget to try the perfectly cooked French fries.
• Birreria Giori, Piazza Savonarola, 1, +39 0 532209341. It's the bar that looks a little like a greenhouse set up right against the moat with tables outside. With a "make your own panino" option on the menu, friendly waiters, and an ideal location literally in the shadow of the Castello, it makes a perfect lunch stop.

Pizza

In Italy it is customary for each person to order a whole pizza for him or herself. The crusts are thin, so one pizza is almost exactly enough for a filling dinner for one person. Generally cheaper than a full-course meal, perfect for students.

• Il Ciclone, Via Saraceno, 36, +39 0532 210262. Once upstairs in an alley just off Via Mazzini, it has moved 100 meters further. This friendly restaurant offers regular meals but its specialty is pizza.
• Al Frattino, Via Carlo Mayr, 155. A small, unremarkable-looking Sicilian pizzeria which serves without a doubt the best pizza in town. Try the "Diablo" and make sure to chat with the friendly owners, even if it's in sign language.
• Bar Settimo, Via Cortevecchia. Don't be put off by the dingy bar at the front. At the back is one of the friendliest restaurants in Italy, presided over by the splendid Norberto. The food is simple but excellent and not at all expensive. Pizzas and Salama da Sugo con Pure are particularly good. For years it has been the favourite watering hole for performers at the Teatro Communale and Ferrara Musica. After concerts the place is very lively and, unusually for Ferrara, it closes late.

Pasta

Do not leave Ferrara without trying its trademark cappellacci di zucca (round pasta stuffed with squash/pumpkin), either "al burro e salvia" (with butter and sage) or "al ragu" (with meat sauce).

• Ariosteria, Via Palestro, 99, +39 0532 210 583. Trattoria, enoteca.
• L’Oca Giuliva, Via Boccacanale di S. Stefano, 38/40, +39 0532 207628.
• Al Brindisi, Via Adelardi,11, +39 0532471225. Wooden, atmospheric, and crammed with dusty wine bottles, this charming enoteca has not only of being the oldest winebar in Europe but also as having had Copernicus as a tenant while he was a student in Ferrara. Although most come at night to drink, they also serve exclusively Ferrarese fare such as pasticcio and cappellacci di zucca for dinner (the portions are small, so make sure to eat a real Italian meal and order both a primo and a secondo).
• Il Cucco. Located on a backstreet near Via delle Volte, at Via Voltecasotto 3, this charming and inexpensive trattoria offers a variety of local Ferrarese specialties. Garden seating available in warmer weather.
• Hostaria Savonarola, Piazza Savonarola 18. Next to the Savonarola statue, this restaurant offers a good selection of traditional Ferrarese fare.
• Ca' Vecia, Via Ravenna, 588, Fossanova San Marco, +39 0532710062. Located in the countryside is is a typical trattoria serving traditional dishes.

International fare

Chinese restaurants are mediocre, but

• Indian restaurant on Via Garibaldi is in fact quite good, even by non-Italy standards.
• Agapi mou, Via Saraceno, 71, +39 0532 20 79 41. Tu-Su 12:00-14:00 18:30-23:00. A small Greek restaurant with decent Greek food, though a bit pricey for the amount.

Mordicchio La Piadina, Piazza Sacrati, +39 380 767 5585. M-W 12:00-15:00, 18:45-22:00; Th 12:00-15:00; F Sa 12:00-15:00, 18:45-22:00. A little on the costly side, but for a quick bite head down Via Garibaldi to the piadina stand across from the Indian restaurant. Don't forget to try the perfectly cooked French fries.

Birreria Giori, Piazza Savonarola, 1, +39 0 532209341. It's the bar that looks a little like a greenhouse set up right against the moat with tables outside. With a "make your own panino" option on the menu, friendly waiters, and an ideal location literally in the shadow of the Castello, it makes a perfect lunch stop.

Il Ciclone, Via Saraceno, 36, +39 0532 210262. Once upstairs in an alley just off Via Mazzini, it has moved 100 meters further. This friendly restaurant offers regular meals but its specialty is pizza.

Al Frattino, Via Carlo Mayr, 155. A small, unremarkable-looking Sicilian pizzeria which serves without a doubt the best pizza in town. Try the "Diablo" and make sure to chat with the friendly owners, even if it's in sign language.

Bar Settimo, Via Cortevecchia. Don't be put off by the dingy bar at the front. At the back is one of the friendliest restaurants in Italy, presided over by the splendid Norberto. The food is simple but excellent and not at all expensive. Pizzas and Salama da Sugo con Pure are particularly good. For years it has been the favourite watering hole for performers at the Teatro Communale and Ferrara Musica. After concerts the place is very lively and, unusually for Ferrara, it closes late.

Ariosteria, Via Palestro, 99, +39 0532 210 583. Trattoria, enoteca.

L’Oca Giuliva, Via Boccacanale di S. Stefano, 38/40, +39 0532 207628.

Al Brindisi, Via Adelardi,11, +39 0532471225. Wooden, atmospheric, and crammed with dusty wine bottles, this charming enoteca has not only of being the oldest winebar in Europe but also as having had Copernicus as a tenant while he was a student in Ferrara. Although most come at night to drink, they also serve exclusively Ferrarese fare such as pasticcio and cappellacci di zucca for dinner (the portions are small, so make sure to eat a real Italian meal and order both a primo and a secondo).

Il Cucco. Located on a backstreet near Via delle Volte, at Via Voltecasotto 3, this charming and inexpensive trattoria offers a variety of local Ferrarese specialties. Garden seating available in warmer weather.

Hostaria Savonarola, Piazza Savonarola 18. Next to the Savonarola statue, this restaurant offers a good selection of traditional Ferrarese fare.

Ca' Vecia, Via Ravenna, 588, Fossanova San Marco, +39 0532710062. Located in the countryside is is a typical trattoria serving traditional dishes.

Indian restaurant on Via Garibaldi is in fact quite good, even by non-Italy standards.

Agapi mou, Via Saraceno, 71, +39 0532 20 79 41. Tu-Su 12:00-14:00 18:30-23:00. A small Greek restaurant with decent Greek food, though a bit pricey for the amount.

• The Piazza - If you're in Ferrara on a fair Wednesday night, do yourself a favor and go out to the main piazza. There you will find every young person in the city (and some older ones too) out socializing at the piazza in front of the looming Duomo façade with beer in hand (acquired at Settimo or Bar del Duomo for €2-4). An experience not to be missed.
• Tsunami, Via Savanarola 2 (just down the street from the University. Very popular with the students, packed most weekend and Wednesday nights, also Tuesday nights which are traditionally "Erasmus Night," dedicated to the many foreign students who spend the semester or year here.
• Il Clandestino, Via Ragno 35/37. If you can find it in the backstreets, this bar has a lively atmosphere, not to mention the board games and the craft beer from the Biren brewery.
• Al Brindisi. The oldest enoteca in Europe that can boast of having had Copernicus as a tenant when he was a student in Ferrara. Located at Via degli Adelardi, the street just to the left of the Duomo.
• Maracaibo. Around the corner from IBS.it Bookstore, this bar is the best place for l'aperitivo in Ferrara, mainly because a single drink will also get you a plateful of fantastic appetizers, out of which cheapskate students know they can make a dinner.
• Il Piccolo Particolare. On Via Boccacanale di Santo Stefano (a cross-street of Via Garibaldi), this intimate cafè/bar offers a good selection of wines, salads, sandwiches, and desserts with friendly service and, at one point in time, free wifi access.
• Pepe Rosa. At Via San Romano 99, this bar offers a generous and delicious buffet at aperitivo hour. Don't forget to order the spritz, a northern Italian apertif cocktail made up of prosecco and Aperol.

The Piazza - If you're in Ferrara on a fair Wednesday night, do yourself a favor and go out to the main piazza. There you will find every young person in the city (and some older ones too) out socializing at the piazza in front of the looming Duomo façade with beer in hand (acquired at Settimo or Bar del Duomo for €2-4). An experience not to be missed.

Tsunami, Via Savanarola 2 (just down the street from the University. Very popular with the students, packed most weekend and Wednesday nights, also Tuesday nights which are traditionally "Erasmus Night," dedicated to the many foreign students who spend the semester or year here.

Il Clandestino, Via Ragno 35/37. If you can find it in the backstreets, this bar has a lively atmosphere, not to mention the board games and the craft beer from the Biren brewery.

Al Brindisi. The oldest enoteca in Europe that can boast of having had Copernicus as a tenant when he was a student in Ferrara. Located at Via degli Adelardi, the street just to the left of the Duomo.

Maracaibo. Around the corner from IBS.it Bookstore, this bar is the best place for l'aperitivo in Ferrara, mainly because a single drink will also get you a plateful of fantastic appetizers, out of which cheapskate students know they can make a dinner.

Il Piccolo Particolare. On Via Boccacanale di Santo Stefano (a cross-street of Via Garibaldi), this intimate cafè/bar offers a good selection of wines, salads, sandwiches, and desserts with friendly service and, at one point in time, free wifi access.

Pepe Rosa. At Via San Romano 99, this bar offers a generous and delicious buffet at aperitivo hour. Don't forget to order the spritz, a northern Italian apertif cocktail made up of prosecco and Aperol.

• Comacchio. A small town SE Ferrara (56 km), often referred to as a litte Venice.
• Abbazia Santa Maria di Pomposa. 7th-century abbey N of the Comacchio, abandoned in the 17th century.

Comacchio. A small town SE Ferrara (56 km), often referred to as a litte Venice.

Abbazia Santa Maria di Pomposa. 7th-century abbey N of the Comacchio, abandoned in the 17th century.