How to get there?
Trains are our best friends! The widest choice is from Bologna: both the private railway company Italo and the state-owned Trenitalia operate trains on this route. If you’re lucky and there are no strikes, you can reach Ferrara from the central station in just 30 minutes.
What to see?
What to see?
San Cristoforo alla Certosa
My first impression: very few people. Those I did encounter were mostly young. Since it was Monday, it’s quite possible that everyone had gone off to work in Bologna. First, I headed to the church of San Cristoforo alla Certosa. A quiet place — not surprising, given that the church is located within a cemetery. And I was completely alone there! The church was built in the Early Renaissance style, and the grounds are fairly large. By the way, Giorgio Bassani — the author of The Garden of the Finzi-Continis — is buried in this cemetery.
San Cristoforo alla Certosa
Palazzo dei Diamanti
Moving on to one of the city’s main attractions — Palazzo dei Diamanti. The name literally translates as “The Diamond Palace,” thanks to the pyramid-shaped stone blocks on its facade that make the building stand out so dramatically. The palace was commissioned by Sigismondo d’Este (yes, this surname will come up more than once). The ground floor houses a pinacoteca — a surprisingly good one. I ended up spending about two hours there. If you have time, definitely stop by!
Palazzo dei Diamanti
Castello Estense
The palace is conveniently located on one of the main streets — Corso Ercole d’Este. Walk straight along it, and you’ll end up right at Castello Estense. Who did the castle belong to? Of course, the Este family! Construction began in 1385. Initially built to defend the city, the castle was later transformed into the Este family’s residence.
Corso Ercole d’Este and Castello Estense
You can enter the castle and even climb any of its towers. It’s quite an adventure: first, you have to make your way through a real labyrinth of museum rooms, and then climb a steep staircase up the tower. But the view is worth it — the whole city lies at your feet. Ticket price is around €10.
Cathedral of Ferrara
After safely making my way down, I headed toward the main cathedral. And that’s where disappointment awaited me: it was closed for restoration, and getting inside was impossible! Still, no one forbids admiring this Gothic masterpiece from the outside.
Ferrara Cathedral (or Cattedrale di San Giorgio) dates back to the 12th century and marks the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. Its richly decorated marble facade combines Romanesque and Gothic details, reflecting the city’s medieval prosperity under the House of Este.
Cathedral of Ferrara
After that, I simply wandered wherever my eyes led me. I turned into narrow side streets where, once again, I was completely alone (where did everyone go?). The streets felt entirely mine — pure joy! Ferrara also treated me to lovely weather: sunny and warm for February.
Empty street
Aqueduct
It’s also worth walking to the aqueduct. It’s located a bit farther from the center, closer to the train station, on Piazza XXIV Maggio. What makes it interesting? Its scale: about 30 meters high! By the way, a market is held on the square every week (usually on Thursdays).
Aqueduct
That’s where my acquaintance with Ferrara came to an end. Happy and content, I headed to the station — still unaware of the surprise waiting for me there… my train was canceled! It all started with a small delay: 10 minutes turned into 30, then into 60, and eventually all trains were canceled for the next two hours. Very Italian! Interestingly, no one protested. People just shrugged their shoulders, and attempts to find the capotreno (the train supervisor) were unsuccessful. But those two hours turned out to be quite entertaining for me! At some point, I even started to worry that I wouldn’t make it back to Bologna that evening and regretted not bringing my international driver’s license. A taxi would surely have cost an unreasonable amount. But all’s well that ends well — I did make it back to Bologna after all.
And Ferrara is a truly pleasant and sunny city!
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