Editing Ferrara (section)

==Cityscape==

===Architecture===
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site 
|WHS = Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta
|Image = Ferrara-1600.jpg
|Caption = Ferrara as it appeared in 1600
|Criteria = Cultural: ii, iii, iv, v, vi
|ID = 733
|Year = 1995
}}
[[File:Saint Micheal Estense's Castle during winter.JPG|thumb|left|Este Castle covered in snow]]
The imposing [[Castello Estense|Este Castle]], sited in the very centre of the town, is iconic of Ferrara. A very large [[manor house]] featuring four massive bastions and a moat, it was erected in 1385 by architect [[Bartolino da Novara]] with the function to protect the town from external threats and to serve as a fortified residence for the Este family.<ref name="Princely Palaces in the Italian Quattrocento">{{cite book|last1=Beltramo|first1=Silvia|last2=Cantatore|first2=Flavia|last3=Folin|first3=Marco|title=A Renaissance Architecture of Power: Princely Palaces in the Italian Quattrocento|date=2016|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|location=[[London]]|isbn=978-9004243613|pages=189–215}}</ref> It was extensively renovated in the 15th and 16th centuries.<ref name="Princely Palaces in the Italian Quattrocento"/>
[[File:Ferrara Cathedral 01.jpg|thumb|left|The Gothic façade of the Cathedral]]
The [[Ferrara Cathedral|Cathedral of Saint George]], designed by [[Wiligelmus]] and consecrated in 1135, is one of the finest examples of [[Romanesque architecture]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kleinhenz |first1=Christopher |title=Medieval Italy: an encyclopedia |date=2002 |publisher=Garland |location=New York |isbn=978-0824047894|page=336}}</ref> The duomo has been renovated many times through the centuries, thus its resulting [[eclectic style]] is a harmonious combination of the Romanesque central structure and portal, the Gothic upper part of the façade and the Renaissance [[campanile]].<ref name="TCI"/> The sculptures of the main portal are attributed to {{ill|Nicholaus (sculptor)|it|Niccolò (scultore)|lt=Nicholaus}}. The upper part of the main façade, with arcades of pointed arches, dates from the 13th century. The recumbent marble lions guarding the portals are copies of the originals, now in the cathedral's museum. An elaborated 13th-century relief depicting the [[Last Judgement]] is found in the second storey of the porch. The interior was restored in [[baroque]] style in 1712.<ref name=EB1911/> The marble [[campanile]] attributed to [[Leon Battista Alberti]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Benevolo|first1=Leonardo|title=The architecture of the Renaissance|date=2002|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0415267090|pages=187–188|edition=1st}}</ref> was initiated in 1412 but is still incomplete, missing one projected additional storey and a dome, as it can be observed from numerous historical prints and paintings on the subject.<ref name="Frizzi"/>
[[File:Ferrara - Palazzo del Municipio 2.jpg|thumb|right|The 15th-century Town Hall]]
Near the cathedral and the castle also lies the [[Palazzo Municipale of Ferrara|15th-century city hall]], that served as an earlier residence of the [[House of Este|Este]] family, featuring a grandiose marble flight of stairs and two ancient bronze statues of Niccolò III and Borso of Este.<ref name="TCI"/>
The southern district is the town's oldest, crossed by a myriad of narrow alleys that date back to the [[Early Middle Ages]]. {{ill|Casa Romei|it}} is perhaps the best-preserved medieval building in Ferrara. It was the private residence of merchant Giovanni Romei, related by marriage to the Este family, and likely the work of the court architect Pietrobono Brasavola.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Varese|first1=Ranieri|chapter=BRASAVOLA, Pietrobono|title=Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani|date=1972|volume=14|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pietrobono-brasavola_(Dizionario-Biografico)/|access-date=29 December 2017|language=it}}</ref> Thanks to the [[nuns]] of the Corpus Domini order, much of the original decorations in the inner rooms have been saved. The house features fresco cycles in the "Sala delle Sibille" ("room of sibyls"), an original ''terracotta'' fireplace bearing the coat of arms of Giovanni Romei in the adjoining Saletta dei Profeti ("room of the prophets"), depicting allegories from the Bible, and in other rooms, some of which were commissioned by cardinal [[Ippolito d'Este]], paintings by the school of [[Camillo Filippi|Camillo]] and [[Cesare Filippi]] (16th century).<ref name="TCI"/>

[[Palazzo Schifanoia]] was built in 1385 for [[Alberto V d'Este]]. The palazzo includes frescoes depicting the life of [[Borso d'Este]], the signs of the [[zodiac]] and [[allegory|allegorical]] representations of the months. The [[Vestibule (Architecture)|vestibule]] was decorated with ''[[stucco]]'' mouldings by {{ill|Domenico di Paris|it}}. The building also contains fine choir-books with miniatures and a collection of coins and Renaissance medals.<ref name=EB1911/> The Renaissance [[Palazzo Paradiso]], part of the [[Ferrara University]] library system, displays part of the manuscript of ''[[Orlando furioso]]'' and letters by [[Torquato Tasso|Tasso]] as well as [[Ludovico Ariosto]]'s grave. Its famous alumni include [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] and [[Paracelsus]].
[[File:01 Palazzo dei Diamanti - Ferrara.jpg|thumb|right|Palazzo dei Diamanti, seat of the National Gallery]]
The northern quarter, which was added by Ercole I in 1492–1505 thanks to the master plan of [[Biagio Rossetti]], and hence called the ''[[Addizione Erculea]]'', features a number of Renaissance ''[[Palazzo|palazzi]]''. Among the finest is [[Palazzo dei Diamanti]] ("Diamond Palace"), named after the [[diamond]] points into which the façade's stone blocks are cut. The ''palazzo'' houses the National Picture Gallery, with a large collection of the school of Ferrara, which first rose to prominence in the latter half of the 15th century, with [[Cosimo Tura]], [[Francesco Cossa]] and [[Ercole dei Roberti]]. Noted masters of the 16th-century [[School of Ferrara (Painting)|School of Ferrara]] include [[Lorenzo Costa]] and [[Dosso Dossi]], the most eminent of all,<ref name=EB1911/> [[Girolamo da Carpi]] and [[Benvenuto Tisi|Benvenuto Tisi (il Garofalo)]].<ref name="TCI"/> The district is also home to [[University of Ferrara Botanic Garden]].

===Parks and gardens===
[[File:Ferrara walls bastion.jpg|thumb|right|A section of the Renaissance walls]]
The town is still almost totally encircled by {{convert|9|km|0|abbr=off}} of ancient [[Defensive wall|brick walls]], mostly built between 1492 and 1520.<ref name="TCI"/> Today the walls, after a careful restoration, make up a large urban park around the town and are a popular destination for joggers and cyclists.