Editing Ferrara

{{About|the city in Italy}}
{{Distinguish|Ferraria|Ferrera}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Ferrara
| official_name       = ''Comune di Ferrara''
| native_name         = {{native name|egl|Fràra}}
| image_skyline       = {{multiple image
 |perrow             = 2/2/2/2
 |border             = Infobox
 |total_width        = 300
 | align = center
|image1              = Castello esterno.jpg
|image2              = Via Giuseppe Mazzini. Ferrara, Italy.jpg
|image3              = Palazzo Braghini-Rossetti (Ferrara) 01.jpg
|image4              = Cattedrale di San Giorgio di Ferrara.jpg
|image5              = Ballons vista aerea.jpg
|image6              = View from Ferrara 30.JPG
|image7              = Girolamo Savonarola, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy - panoramio.jpg
}}
| image_caption       = From top left: The [[Castello Estense]], Via Giuseppe Mazzini, Braghini-Rossetti Palace, San Giorgio di Ferrara Cathedral, aerial view of the city during its balloon festival, statue to Nicolò III d'Este in Palazzo Municipale, statue to Girolamo Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola. 
| image_flag          = Flag of Ferrara.svg
| image_shield        = CoA Città di Ferrara.svg
| shield_alt          =
| image_map           = 
| map_alt       =
| map_caption         = Location in the Province of Ferrara
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt     =
| coordinates         = {{coord|44|50|N|11|37|E|type:city_region:IT|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| region              = [[Emilia-Romagna]]
| province            = [[Province of Ferrara|Ferrara]] (FE)
| frazioni            = <small>Aguscello, Albarea, Baura, Boara, Borgo Scoline, Bova, Casaglia, Cassana, Castel Trivellino, Chiesuol del Fosso, Cocomaro di Cona, Cocomaro di Focomorto, Codrea, Cona, Contrapò, Corlo, Correggio, Denore, Focomorto, Francolino, Gaibana, Gaibanella, Sant'Egidio, Malborghetto di Boara, Malborghetto di Correggio, Marrara, Mezzavia, Monestirolo, Montalbano, Parasacco, Pescara, Pontegradella, Pontelagoscuro, Ponte Travagli, Porotto, Porporana, Quartesana, Ravalle, Sabbioni, San Bartolomeo in Bosco, San Martino, Spinazzino, Torre della Fossa, Uccellino, Viconovo, Villanova</small>
| mayor_party         = [[Lega Nord|LN]]
| mayor               = [[Alan Fabbri]]
| area_footnotes      =
| area_total_km2      = 404.36
| population_footnotes =
| population_total    = 132009
| population_as_of    = 31 December 2016
| pop_density_footnotes =
| population_demonyms  = Ferraresi, Estensi
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 9
| twin1               =
| twin1_country       =
|istat=| saint               = [[St. George]]
| day                 = April 23
| postal_code         = 44121 to 44124
| area_code           = 0532
| website             = {{URL|http://www.comune.ferrara.it/}}
| footnotes           =
}}

'''Ferrara''' ({{IPAc-en|f|ə|ˈ|r|ɑːr|ə}}; {{IPA|it|ferˈraːra|lang|It-Ferrara.ogg}}; {{langx|egl|Fràra}} {{IPA|egl|ˈfraːra|}}) is a city and ''[[comune]]'' (municipality) in [[Emilia-Romagna]], [[Northern Italy]], capital of the [[province of Ferrara]]. {{As of|2016|post=,}} it had 132,009 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Popolazione 2016|language=it|url=http://servizi.comune.fe.it/8242/popolazione-2016|publisher=Municipality of Ferrara|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> It is situated {{convert|44|km|0|abbr=off}} northeast of [[Bologna]], on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the [[Po (river)|Po River]], located {{convert|5|km|0|abbr=in}} north. The town has broad streets and numerous palaces dating from the [[Renaissance]], when it hosted the court of the [[House of Este]].<ref name=EB1911/> For its beauty and cultural importance, it has been designated by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]].

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Antiquity and Middle Ages===
[[File:Ornamento in oro, 410-300 ac. ca. 01.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Etruscan jewellery is displayed at the [[wmit:Museo archeologico nazionale di Ferrara|National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara]].]]
The first documented settlements in the area of the present-day Province of Ferrara date from the 6th century BC.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Graham|first1=Alexander John|title=Colony and mother city in ancient Greece|date=1999|publisher=Manchester University Press|location=Manchester|isbn=0719057396|page=6|edition=Special}}</ref> The ruins of the [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] town of [[Spina]], established along the [[lagoon]]s at the ancient mouth of [[Po river]], were lost until modern times, when drainage schemes in the [[Valli di Comacchio]] marshes in 1922 first officially revealed a necropolis with over 4,000 tombs, evidence of a population centre that in Antiquity must have played a major role.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-link=Jean MacIntosh Turfa|editor-last1=Turfa|editor-first1=Jean MacIntosh|title=The Etruscan world|date=2013|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-0415673082|page=295}}</ref>

There is uncertainty among scholars about the proposed [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] origin of the settlement in its current location ([[Tacitus]] and [[Boccaccio]] refer to a "Forum Alieni"<ref name="Frizzi">{{cite book |last1=Frizzi |first1=Antonio |title=Memorie Per La Storia Di Ferrara |volume= 1 |date=2012 |publisher=Nabu Press |location=Florence |isbn=9781274747815 |page=181 |orig-year=1791}}</ref>), for little is known of this period,<ref name="Domenico">{{cite book |last1=Domenico |first1=Roy Palmer |title=The regions of Italy : a reference guide to history and culture |date=2002 |publisher=Greenwood |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=978-0313307331 |page=85 |edition=1st}}</ref> but some archeologic evidence points to the hypothesis that Ferrara could have been originated from two small [[Byzantine]] settlements: a cluster of facilities around the Cathedral of St. George, on the right bank of the main branch of the Po, which then ran much closer to the city than today, and a [[castra|castrum]], a fortified complex built on the left bank of the river to defend against the Lombards.<ref name="TCI">{{cite book|title=Ferrara and its province|date=2005|publisher=[[Touring Club Italiano|Touring Club of Italy]]|location=Milan|isbn=9788836534401}}</ref>

Ferrara appears first in a document of the [[Lombards|Lombard]] king [[Desiderius]] of 753 AD, when he captured the town from the [[Exarchate of Ravenna]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ferrara, Italy |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ferrara-Italy |website=www.britannica.com |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]|access-date=13 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Later the [[Franks]], after routing the Lombards, presented Ferrara to the [[Papacy]] in 754 or 756.<ref name="Domenico"/> In 988 Ferrara was ceded by the Church to the [[House of Canossa]], but at the death of [[Matilda of Tuscany]] in 1115 it became a [[Medieval commune|free commune]].<ref name="TCI"/> During the 12th century the history of the town was marked by the wrestling for power between two preeminent families, the [[Guelphs|Guelph]] Adelardi and the [[Ghibelline]] Salinguerra. The powerful Imperial [[House of Este]] threw their decisive weight behind the Salinguerra and eventually reaped the benefits of victory for themselves.<ref name="TCI"/> Thus, in 1264 [[Obizzo II d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara|Obizzo II d'Este]] was proclaimed lifelong ruler of Ferrara, taking the additional titles of Lord of [[Modena]] in 1288 and of [[Reggio Nell Emilia|Reggio]] in 1289. His rule marked the end of the communal period in Ferrara and the beginning of the Este rule, which lasted until 1598.

===Early modern===
{{main|Duchy of Ferrara}}
In 1452 [[Borso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara|Borso d'Este]] was created duke of [[Duchy of Modena|Modena]] and [[Duchy of Reggio|Reggio]] by [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Frederick III]] and in 1471 duke of Ferrara by [[Pope Paul II]].<ref name="Tuohy">{{cite book |last1=Tuohy |first1=Thomas |title=Herculean Ferrara : Ercole d'Este, 1471–1505, and the invention of a Ducal capital |date=2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press, with the assistance of the Istituto di Studi Rinascimentali, Ferrara |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0521522632 |page=211 |edition=1st}}</ref> [[Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara|Lionello]] and, especially, [[Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara|Ercole I]] were among the most important [[patrons of the arts]] in late 15th- and early 16th-century Italy. During this time, Ferrara grew into an international cultural centre, renowned for its architecture, music, literature and visual arts.<ref name="Rosenberg">{{cite book|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Charles M.|title=The court cities of northern Italy : Milan, Parma, Piacenza, Mantua, Ferrara, Bologna, Urbino, Pesaro, and Rimini|date=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0521792486|page=198}}</ref>

The architecture of Ferrara greatly benefited from the genius of [[Biagio Rossetti]], who was requested in 1484 by Ercole I to draft a masterplan for the expansion of the town. The resulting "[[Addizione Erculea|Erculean Addition]]" is considered one of the most important examples of Renaissance [[urban planning]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pade |display-authors=etal |first1=Marianne|title=The court of Ferrara & its Patronage|date=1990|publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press|location=Copenhagen|isbn=978-8772890500|pages=151–176}}</ref> and contributed to the selection of Ferrara as a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].
[[File:1520 Veneto Idealbildnis einer Kurtisane als Flora anagoria.JPG|thumb|left|upright|''Flora'', a Roman goddess, by [[Bartolomeo Veneto]]  has been assumed to represent Lucrezia Borgia.]]
In spite of having entered its golden age, Ferrara was severely hit by a [[War of Ferrara (1482–1484)|war]] against [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] fought and lost in 1482–84. [[Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara|Alfonso I]] succeeded to the throne in 1505 and married the notorious [[Lucrezia Borgia]]. He again fought Venice in the [[Italian Wars]] after joining the [[League of Cambrai]]. In 1509 he was [[excommunication|excommunicated]] by [[Pope Julius II]], but was able to overcome the Papal and Spanish armies in 1512 at the [[Battle of Ravenna (1512)|Battle of Ravenna]]. These successes were based on Ferrara's artillery, produced in his own foundry which was the best of its time.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Murrin|first1=Michael|title=History and warfare in Renaissance epic|date=1994|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0226554037|pages=124–125}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mallett |first1=Michael |last2=Shaw |first2=Christine |title=The Italian Wars, 1494-1559 : War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe |date=2005 |publisher=Pearson |location=Harlow |isbn=978-0582057586 |page=107 |edition=1st}}</ref>

Upon his death in 1534, Alfonso I was succeeded by his son [[Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara|Ercole II]], whose marriage in 1528 to the second daughter of [[Louis XII]], [[Renée of France]], brought great prestige to the court of Ferrara. Under his reign, the Duchy remained an affluent country and a cultural powerhouse. However, an [[1570 Ferrara earthquake|earthquake]] struck the town in 1570, causing the economy to collapse, and when Ercole II's son [[Alfonso II d'Este|Alfonso II]] died without heirs in 1597, the House of Este lost Ferrara to the [[Papal States]].

===Late modern and contemporary===
Ferrara, a university city second only to Bologna, remained a part of the [[Papal States]] for almost 300 years, an era marked by a steady decline; in 1792 the population of the town was only 27,000, less than in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hearder|first1=Harry|title=Italy in the Age of the Risorgimento: 1790–1870|date=1994|publisher=Longman |location=London|isbn=978-0582491465|page=96|edition=7th}}</ref> In 1805–1814 it was briefly part of the [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy]], a [[client-state]] of the [[First French Empire|French Empire]]. After the 1815 [[Congress of Vienna]], Ferrara was given back to the Pope, now guaranteed by the [[Empire of Austria]]. A [[bastion fort]] was erected in the 1600s by [[Pope Paul V]] on the site the [[Castel Tedaldo]], an old castle at the south-west angle of the town, this was occupied by an [[Empire of Austria|Austrian]] garrison from 1832 until 1859. The fortress was completely dismantled following the [[birth of the Kingdom of Italy]] and the bricks were used for new constructions throughout the town.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Boone|first1=Marc|last2=Stabel|first2=Peter|trans-title=Shaping Urban Identity in Late Medieval Europe |title=L'apparition d'une identité urbaine dans l'Europe du bas moyen age |date=2000 |publisher=Garant |location=Leuven |isbn=978-9044110920 |page=169}}</ref>
[[File:Piazza cattedrale monumento Vittorio Emanuele II Ferrara inizio 1900.jpg|thumb|Downtown Ferrara around 1900]]
During the last decades of the 1800s and the early 1900s, Ferrara remained a modest trade centre for its large rural hinterland that relied on commercial crops such as [[sugar beet]] and [[industrial hemp]]. Large [[land reclamation]] works were carried out for decades with the aim to expand the available [[arable land]] and eradicate [[malaria]] from the wetlands along the Po delta.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Foot|first1=John|title=Modern Italy|date=2014|isbn=978-0230360334|page=151|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |edition=Second}}</ref> Mass industrialisation came to Ferrara only at the end of the 1930s with the set-up of a chemical plant by the Fascist regime that should have supplied the regime with [[synthetic rubber]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zamagni|first1=Vera|title=The Economic History of Italy, 1860–1990: From the Periphery to the Centre|date=1993|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0198287735|page=280|edition=Reprint}}</ref> During the [[Second World War]] Ferrara was repeatedly bombed by Allied warplanes that targeted and destroyed railway links and industrial facilities. After the war, the industrial area in [[Pontelagoscuro]] was expanded to become a giant petrochemical compound operated by [[Edison (company)|Montecatini]] and other companies, that at its peak employed 7,000 workers and produced 20% of [[plastics]] in Italy.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ferrara e il suo Petrolchimico il Lavoro e il Territorio Storia, Cultura e Proposta (in Italian)|date=2006|publisher=Cds Edizioni|location=Ferrara|isbn=978-88-95014-00-5}}</ref> In recent decades, as part of a general trend in Italy and Europe, Ferrara has come to rely more on tertiary and tourism, while the heavy industry, still present in the town, has been largely phased out.

After almost 450 years, [[2012 Northern Italy earthquakes|another earthquake]] struck Ferrara in May 2012 causing only limited damage to the historic buildings of the town and no victims.

==Geography==
The town of Ferrara lies on the southern shores of the [[Po river]], about {{convert|44|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-east of the regional capital, [[Bologna]], and {{convert|87|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Venice]]. The territory of the municipality, entirely part of the [[Padan plain]], is overwhelmingly flat, situated on average just {{convert|9|m|ft}} above sea-level.<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Ferrara |volume=10 |page=283|access-date=|inline=1}}</ref> The proximity to the largest Italian river has been a constant concern in the history of Ferrara, that has been affected by recurrent, disastrous floods, the latest occurring as recently as 1951.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nemec |first1=J. |last2=Nigg |first2=J.M. |last3=Siccardi |first3=F. |title=Prediction and perception of natural hazards : proceedings symposium, 22–26 October 1990, Perugia, Italy |date=1993 |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |isbn=978-0792323556 |page=6}}</ref> The [[Idrovia Ferrarese]] links the river Po from Ferrara to the Adriatic at Porto Garibaldi.

===Climate===
The climate of the Po valley is classified as [[Humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] (Cfa) under the [[Köppen climate classification]], a type of climate commonly referred to as "warm temperate" that features mild winters and hot summers, heavy rains in spring and autumn but there is also a lot of rain even in the driest month of January for Ferrara.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Duggan|first1=Christopher|title=A concise history of Italy|url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00dugg|url-access=registration|date=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge [England]|isbn=978-0521408486|page=[https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00dugg/page/16 16]}}</ref>

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location = Ferrara (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1879–present)
|Jan record high C = 18.8
|Feb record high C = 21.7
|Mar record high C = 27.9
|Apr record high C = 30.7
|May record high C = 34.5
|Jun record high C = 37.5
|Jul record high C = 38.6
|Aug record high C = 39.7
|Sep record high C = 35.0
|Oct record high C = 30.6
|Nov record high C = 23.2
|Dec record high C = 19.0
|Jan record low C = -18.5
|Feb record low C = -17.6
|Mar record low C = -5.7
|Apr record low C = -1.6
|May record low C = 1.3
|Jun record low C = 8.4
|Jul record low C = 9.9
|Aug record low C = 10.4
|Sep record low C = 6.1
|Oct record low C = -1.5
|Nov record low C = -4.6
|Dec record low C = -13.6
|Jan high C = 7.1
|Feb high C = 10.3
|Mar high C = 15.5
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 24.7
|Jun high C = 28.8
|Jul high C = 31.9
|Aug high C = 31.7
|Sep high C = 26.8
|Oct high C = 19.9
|Nov high C = 12.9
|Dec high C = 7.1
| year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 3.7
|Feb mean C = 5.8
|Mar mean C = 10.0
|Apr mean C = 14.2
|May mean C = 19.0
|Jun mean C = 23.0
|Jul mean C = 25.8
|Aug mean C = 25.5
|Sep mean C = 21.0
|Oct mean C = 15.2
|Nov mean C = 9.6
|Dec mean C = 4.1
| year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 0.3
|Feb low C = 1.2
|Mar low C = 4.4
|Apr low C = 8.4
|May low C = 13.3
|Jun low C = 17.2
|Jul low C = 19.7
|Aug low C = 19.4
|Sep low C = 15.1
|Oct low C = 10.4
|Nov low C = 6.3
|Dec low C = 1.1
| year low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 46
|Feb precipitation mm = 44
|Mar precipitation mm = 52
|Apr precipitation mm = 60
|May precipitation mm = 51
|Jun precipitation mm = 55
|Jul precipitation mm = 45
|Aug precipitation mm = 59
|Sep precipitation mm = 56
|Oct precipitation mm = 52
|Nov precipitation mm = 75
|Dec precipitation mm = 52
|year precipitation mm = 648
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 5
| Feb precipitation days = 6
| Mar precipitation days = 5
| Apr precipitation days = 7
| May precipitation days = 7
| Jun precipitation days = 6
| Jul precipitation days = 4
| Aug precipitation days = 4
| Sep precipitation days = 6
| Oct precipitation days = 7
| Nov precipitation days = 9
| Dec precipitation days = 6
| year precipitation days =
| source 1 = Climi e viaggi<ref name=Clim>{{cite web
| url = https://www.climieviaggi.it/clima/italia/ferrara
| title = Clima - Ferrara (Emilia Romagna)
| publisher= Climi e viaggi
| access-date = 8 December 2024}}</ref>
| source 2 = Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (precipitation 1951–1980)<ref name=ISPRA>{{cite web
| url = https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/files/pubblicazioni/SA_55_14_Valori_climatici_normali.pdf
| title = Valori climatici normali di temperatura e precipitazione in Italia
| publisher= Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
| access-date = 8 December 2024}}</ref> Temperature estreme in Toscana (extremes)<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-storiche/ferrara-osservatorio-meteorologico/
|language = it
|title=Ferrara Osservatorio Meteorologico
| publisher = Temperature estreme in Toscana
| access-date = 8 December 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Ferrara}}
The legislative body of the [[Italian communes]] is the [[City Council of Milan|City Council]] (''Consiglio Comunale''), which, in towns having between 100,000 and 250,000 population, is composed by 32 councillors elected every five years with a proportional system, contextually to the mayoral elections. The executive body is the City Committee (''Giunta Comunale''), composed by 12 [[Assessor (Italy)|assessors]], that is nominated and presided over by a directly elected mayor. The current mayor of Ferrara is [[Alan Fabbri]] of the {{Lang|it|[[Lega Nord]]|italic=no}}. The urban organisation is governed by the [[Italian Constitution]] (art. 114), the Municipal Statute<ref>{{cite web|title=The Municipal Statute of Ferrara (in Italian)|url=http://www.comune.fe.it/335/statuto|publisher=Municipality of Ferrara|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> and several laws, notably the Legislative Decree 267/2000 or Unified Text on Local Administration (''Testo Unico degli Enti Locali'').<ref>{{cite web|title=Local self-government authority system under the Italian legislation|url=http://www1.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/en/themes/state-local_authority_relations/Local_self-government_authority_system.html|publisher=Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs|access-date=18 October 2012|archive-date=18 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218095839/http://www1.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/en/themes/state-local_authority_relations/Local_self-government_authority_system.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The current division of the seats in the city council, after the 2019 local election, is the following:

* {{Lang|it|[[Lega Nord]]|italic=no}} – 14
* [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]] – 8
* Ferrara Change (centre-right) – 3
* {{Lang|it|[[Forza Italia (2013)|Forza Italia]]|italic=no}} – 2
* [[Brothers of Italy|Fratelli d'Italia]] – 1
* Gente a Modo (centre-left) – 1

==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.

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations|1861|64204|1871|67306|1881|70442|1901|81301|1911|95721|1921|106768|1931|115628|1936|119265|1951|133949|1961|152654|1971|154066|1981|149453|1991|138015|2001|130992|2011|132545|2021|129872|type=|align=right|widths=50px|heights=50px|footnote=Source: [[Istituto Nazionale di Statistica|ISTAT]]}}In 2007, there were 135,369 people residing in Ferrara, of whom 46.8% were male and 53.2% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 12.28% of the population compared to pensioners who number 26.41%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of Ferrara residents is 49, compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Ferrara grew by 2.28%, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.85%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demo.istat.it/bil2007/index.html |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT |publisher=Demo.istat.it |access-date=2009-05-05}}</ref> The current birth rate of Ferrara is 7.02 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births. Ferrara is known as the oldest Italian city with a population over 100,000, as well the city with lowest birth rate.

{{As of|2006}}, 95.59% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The largest immigrant group was other European nations with [[Ukraine]] and [[Albania]]: 2.59% followed by North Africa: 0.51%, and [[East Asia]]: 0.39%. The city is predominantly [[Roman Catholic]], with small [[Orthodoxy#Christianity|Orthodox Christian]] adherents. The historical [[Jewish]] community is still surviving.

==Culture==

===Jewish community===

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 210
| image1            = Ferrara, sinagoga, 01.jpg|
| caption1          = The town's [[Ferrara Synagogue|Synagogue]], established in 1485<ref>{{cite book|last1=Krinsky|first1=Carol Herselle|title=Synagogues of Europe : architecture, history, meaning|date=1985|publisher=Architectural History Foundation|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=978-0262610483|page=43}}</ref>
| image2            = Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6348741.jpg|
| caption2          = Graves in the [[Jewish cemetery]]
}}

The Jewish community of Ferrara is the only one in Emilia Romagna with a continuous presence from the Middle Ages to the present day. It played an important role when Ferrara enjoyed its greatest splendor in the 15th and 16th century, with the duke [[Ercole I d'Este]]. The situation of the Jews deteriorated in 1598, when the Este dynasty moved to Modena and the city came under papal control. The Jewish settlement, located in three streets forming a triangle near the cathedral, became a [[ghetto]] in 1627. Apart from a few years under [[Napoleon]] and during the 1848 revolution, the ghetto lasted until [[Italian unification]] in 1859.

In 1799, the Jewish community saved the city from sacking by troops of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. During the spring of 1799, the city had fallen into the hands of the [[Republic of France]], which established a small garrison there. On 15&nbsp;April, Lieutenant Field Marshal [[Johann von Klenau]] approached the fortress with a modest mixed force of Austrian cavalry, artillery and infantry augmented by Italian peasant rebels, commanded by Count Antonio Bardaniand and demanded its capitulation. The commander refused. Klenau blockaded the city, leaving a small group of artillery and troops to continue the siege.<ref>Colonel Danilo Oreskovich and 1,300&nbsp;Croatians of the 2nd Banat battalion, 4,000&nbsp;Ferrarese auxiliary troops commanded by Count Antonio Gardani, and several hundred local peasants commanded by Major Angelo Pietro Poli. Acerbi. [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1799/c_1799z4.html ''The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Klenau and Ott Vanguards and the Coalition’s Left Wing April – June 1799''].</ref> For the next three days, Klenau patrolled the countryside, capturing the surrounding strategic points of [[Lagoscuro]], [[Borgoforte]] and the [[Mirandola]] fortress. The besieged garrison made several sorties from the Saint Paul's Gate, which were repulsed by the insurgent peasants. The French attempted two rescues of the beleaguered fortress: the first, on 24&nbsp;April, when a force of 400&nbsp;Modenese was repulsed at Mirandola and the second, General [[Montrichard]] tried to raise the city-blockade by advancing with a force of 4,000. Finally, at the end of the month, a column led by [[Pierre-Augustin Hulin]] reached and relieved the fortress.<ref>Acerbi, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1799/c_1799z4.html ''The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Klenau and Ott Vanguards and the Coalition’s Left Wing April – June 1799''].</ref>

Klenau took possession of the town on 21&nbsp;May, and garrisoned it with a light battalion. The Jewish residents of Ferrara paid 30,000&nbsp;[[ducat]]s to prevent the pillage of the city by Klenau's forces; this was used to pay the wages of Gardani's troops.<ref>Accerbi reports that wages were the equivalent of a daily intake of 21&nbsp;"[[Baiocchi]]" in cash and four in bread. Acerbi, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1799/c_1799z4.html ''The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Klenau and Ott Vanguards and the Coalition’s Left Wing April – June 1799''].</ref> Although Klenau held the town, the French still possessed the town's fortress. After making the standard request for surrender at 08:00, which was refused, Klenau ordered a barrage from his mortars and howitzers. After two [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] caught fire, the commandant was summoned again to surrender; there was some delay, but a flag of truce was sent at 21:00, and the capitulation was concluded at 01:00 the next day. Upon taking possession of the fortress, Klenau found 75&nbsp;new artillery pieces, plus ammunition and six months worth of provisions.<ref>Acerbi, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1799/c_1799z4.html ''The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Klenau and Ott Vanguards and the Coalition’s Left Wing April – June 1799'']; Klenau's force included a battalion of light infantry, a couple battalions of border infantry, a squadron of the ''Nauendorf'' Hussars (8th Hussars), and approximately 4,000&nbsp;armed peasants. For details on Austrian force, see Smith, ''Ferrara'', ''Data Book'', p. 156. Klenau's force also captured 75&nbsp;guns from the fortress.</ref>

In 1938, Mussolini's fascist government instituted racial laws reintroducing segregation of Jews which lasted until the end of the German occupation. During the Second World War, 96 of Ferrara's 300 Jews were deported to German concentration and death camps; five survived. The Italian Jewish writer, [[Giorgio Bassani]], was from Ferrara. His celebrated book, ''[[The Garden of the Finzi-Continis]]'', was published in Italian as Giardino dei Finzi-Contini, 1962, by Giulio Einaudi editore s.p.a. It was made into a film by [[Vittorio de Sica]] in 1970.

During WWII, the Este Castle, adjacent to the Corso Roma, now known as the Corso Martiri della Libertà, was the site of an infamous massacre in 1943.

On December 13, 2017, the first day of [[Hanukkah]], Italy's [[Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah]] opened on the site of a restored two-story brick prison built in 1912 that counted Jews among its detainees during the [[Italian Fascism|Fascist]] period. This is the initial phase of a project—known as MEIS, after its initials in Italian—to be completed in 2021, with additional buildings that will create a major Jewish cultural hub and add exhibits focusing on the Jews in the [[Italian Renaissance]] and the Shoah.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/253969/ferrara-italy-jewish-museum|title=Once It Imprisoned Jews, Now It's a Museum of Their History in Italy|work=Tablet Magazine|access-date=2018-01-29|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/travel/jewish-history-museum-ferrara-italy.html|title=A New Museum Explores 2,000 Years of Jewish Life in Italy|last=Wall|first=Harry D.|date=2019-04-24|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-06|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Visual art===
[[File:Aprile, francesco del cossa, 11.jpg|thumb|left|Francesco del Cossa's "May" from the "Salone dei Mesi" ("Great hall of the months") in Palazzo Schifanoia, circa 1470]]
During the Renaissance the Este family, well known for its patronage of the arts, welcomed a great number of artists, especially painters, that formed the so-called [[School of Ferrara (painting)|School of Ferrara]]. The astounding list of painters and artists includes the names of [[Andrea Mantegna]], [[Vicino da Ferrara]], [[Giovanni Bellini]], [[Leon Battista Alberti]], [[Pisanello]], [[Piero della Francesca]], [[Battista Dossi]], [[Dosso Dossi]], [[Cosmé Tura]], [[Francesco del Cossa]] and [[Titian]]. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Ferrara again hosted and inspired numerous painters who grew fond of its eerie atmosphere. Among them [[Giovanni Boldini]], [[Filippo de Pisis]] and [[Giorgio de Chirico]]. A large collection of paintings is displayed in the National Gallery of [[Palazzo dei Diamanti]].

{{clear}}

===Literature===
[[File:OrlandoFurioso1634.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Title page of John Harington's translation of ''Orlando Furioso'', 1634]]
The Renaissance literary men and poets [[Torquato Tasso]] (author of ''[[Jerusalem Delivered]]''), [[Ludovico Ariosto]] (author of the romantic epic poem ''[[Orlando Furioso]]'') and [[Matteo Maria Boiardo]] (author of the grandiose poem of chivalry and romance ''[[Orlando Innamorato]]'') lived and worked at the court of Ferrara during the 15th and 16th century.

The ''[[Ferrara Bible]]'' was a 1553 publication of the [[Ladino language|Ladino]] version of the [[Tanakh]] used by [[Sephardi Jews]]. It was paid for and made by Yom-Tob ben Levi Athias (the [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Marrano]] ''Jerónimo de Vargas'', as typographer) and [[Abraham Usque|Abraham ben Salomon Usque]] (the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Jew]] ''Duarte Pinhel'', as translator), and was dedicated to [[Ercole II d'Este]]. In the 20th century, Ferrara was the home and workplace of writer [[Giorgio Bassani]], well known for his novels that were often adapted for cinema (''[[The Garden of the Finzi-Continis]]'', ''[[Long Night in 1943]]''). In historical fiction, British author [[Sarah Dunant]] set her 2009 novel ''Sacred Hearts'' in a convent in Ferrara.

===Religion===
[[File:Taddeo crivelli, bibbia di borso d'este 23.jpg|thumb|left|A page from [[Borso d'Este Bible]]]]
Ferrara gave birth to [[Girolamo Savonarola]], the famous medieval [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest and leader of [[Florence]] from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for his [[book burning]], destruction of what he considered immoral art, and hostility to the [[Renaissance]]. He vehemently preached against the moral corruption of much of the clergy at the time, and his main opponent was [[Pope Alexander VI]] (Rodrigo Borgia).

During the time that [[Renée of France]] was Duchess of Ferrara, her court attracted Protestant thinkers such as [[John Calvin]] and [[Olympia Fulvia Morata]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Robin|first1=Diana Maury|title=Encyclopedia of women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England|last2=Larsen|first2=Anne R|last3=Levin|first3=Carole|publisher=ABC-CLIO, Inc.|year=2007|isbn=|location=|pages=269}}</ref> The court became hostile to Protestant sympathizers after the marriage of Renée's daughter Anna d'Este to the fervently Catholic Duke of Guise.

===Music===
The Ferrarese musician [[Girolamo Frescobaldi]] was one of the most important [[composer]]s of [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]] music in the late [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]] and early [[Baroque music|Baroque]] periods. His masterpiece ''[[Fiori musicali]]'' (''Musical Flowers'') is a collection of [[Catholic liturgy|liturgical]] [[Pipe organ|organ]] music first published in 1635. It became the most famous of Frescobaldi's works and was studied centuries after his death by numerous composers, including [[Johann Sebastian Bach]].<ref>Paul Badura-Skoda. "Interpreting Bach at the Keyboard", p. 259. Translated by Alfred Clayton. Oxford University Press, 1995. {{ISBN|0-19-816576-5}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Butt |editor-first=John |title=The Cambridge Companion to Bach |publisher=Cambridge University Press |series=[[Cambridge Companions to Music]]}}, p. 139., 1997. {{ISBN|0-521-58780-8}}</ref> [[Maurizio Moro]] (15??–16??) an Italian poet of the 16th century best known for madrigals is thought to have been born in Ferrara.

===Cinema===
Ferrara is the birthplace of Italian [[film director]]s [[Michelangelo Antonioni]] and [[Florestano Vancini]]. The latter shot in Ferrara his 1960 film ''[[Long Night in 1943]]''. The town was also the setting of the famous 1970 movie ''[[The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (film)|The Garden of the Finzi-Continis]]'' by [[Vittorio De Sica]], that tells the vicissitudes of a rich Jewish family during the dictatorship of [[Benito Mussolini]] and [[World War II]]. Furthermore, [[Wim Wenders]] and [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]'s ''[[Beyond the Clouds (1995 film)|Beyond the Clouds]]'' in (1995) and [[Ermanno Olmi]]'s ''[[The Profession of Arms (2001 film)|The Profession of Arms]]'' in (2001), a film about the last days of [[Giovanni dalle Bande Nere]], were also shot in Ferrara.

In the third season of ''[[Medici (TV Series)]]'', [[Girolamo Riario]]'s men seize Ferrara, 100 miles from Florence and takes their salt. Based on the actions by Riario, [[Pope Sixtus IV]] condemns Riario and accepts Lorenzo's invitation to a peace conference in Bagnolo.<ref>{{Citation |title=Innocents |date=2020-05-01 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8910904/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |series=Medici |others=Daniel Sharman, Francesco Montanari, Sarah Parish}}</ref> The attack by Riario’s men on Ferrara was filmed at [[Castello di Oliveto|Castle of Oliveto]] in [[Castelfiorentino]], once the residence of the noble [[Pucci family]] of Florence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/works-and-artists/i-medici-3-ten-locations-where-the-series-about-lorenzo-the-magnificent-was-filmed|title=Medici 3: ten locations where the series about Lorenzo the Magnificent was filmed|work=Finestre sull Arte|date=November 23, 2019|author=Redazione|access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref>

===Festivals===
[[File:Kid at Palio of Ferrara.jpg|thumb|A child dressed up for the Palio]]
The [[Palio]] of St. George is a medieval-themed horse race held every last Sunday of May. Established in 1279, it is probably the oldest such competition in the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=PALIO DI FERRARA|url=http://www.emiliaromagnaturismo.com/en/events/ferrara/ferrara/palio-di-ferrara?set_language=en|website=Emiliaromagnaturismo.com|publisher=Official tourist information site of the Emilia-Romagna Region|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Clare|first1=Horatio|title=The Palio of Ferrara|url=https://www.ft.com/content/a133716a-b0fa-11e3-bbd4-00144feab7de |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/a133716a-b0fa-11e3-bbd4-00144feab7de |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription|access-date=28 December 2017|work=[[Financial Times]]|date=28 March 2014}}</ref> The Ferrara [[busking|Buskers]] Festival is a non-competitive parade of street musicians from all over the world. At the 2017 edition, more than 1,000 artists from 35 different nations took part in the festival, including dancers, clowns, equilibrists, jugglers and other original performers.<ref>{{cite web|title=FERRARA BUSKERS FESTIVAL|url=http://www.emiliaromagnaturismo.com/en/events/ferrara/ferrara/ferrara-buskers-festival-1?set_language=en|website=Emiliaromagnaturismo.com|publisher=Official tourist information site of the Emilia-Romagna Region|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> Additionally, the town hosts the yearly [[Ferrara Balloons Festival]], a large hot-air balloon show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ferrara Balloons Festival 2017|url=http://www.ferrarainfo.com/en/ferrara/events/events-and-initiatives/folklore-and-festivals/ferrara-balloons-festival-2017|website=www.ferrarainfo.com|publisher="Ferrara Terra e Acqua", the official website for Ferrara and its province|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref>

===Sport===
The town's football team, [[S.P.A.L.|SPAL]], was established in 1907. In 2017 it was promoted to [[Serie A]], Italy's top-level football league, after a 49-year absence. Its home ground is [[Stadio Paolo Mazza|Paolo Mazza Memorial Stadium]], with a capacity of 16,134.<ref>{{cite news|title=SPAL RECEIVES BOOST TO FURTHER EXPAND STADIUM|url=http://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2017/12/20/spal-receives-boost-expand-stadium/|access-date=28 December 2017|work=TheStadiumBusiness|date=20 December 2017}}</ref>

Ferrara's basketball team [[Kleb Basket Ferrara]] competes in the [[Serie A2 Basket]] and plays its home games at the [[Palasport di Ferrara]].

===Cuisine===
[[File:Ferrarese snack.jpg|thumb|Some food items easily found in Ferrara: "coppia" bread,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ferrara's bread – IGP |url=http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/flavours/typical-products/ferraras-bread-igp |website=Ferrara Terra e Acqua |access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref> "zia" [[garlic]] salami<ref>{{cite web |title=The Zia ferrarese Salami |url=http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/flavours/typical-products/the-zia-ferrarese-salami?set_language=en |website=Ferrara Terra e Acqua |access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref> and [[Cucumis melo|muskmelon]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Typical Melon from Emilia |url=http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/flavours/typical-products/typical-melon-from-emilia |website=Ferrara Terra e Acqua |access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref>]]

The culinary tradition of Ferrara features many typical dishes that can be traced back to the [[Middle Ages]], and that sometimes reveals the influence of its important Jewish community.

The signature dish is ''cappellacci di zucca'', special [[ravioli]] with a filling of [[butternut squash]], [[Parmesan]] and flavored with [[nutmeg]]. It is served with a sauce of [[butter]] and [[Salvia officinalis|sage]] or [[bolognese sauce]]. Another peculiar dish, that was allegedly cooked by Renaissance chef [[Cristoforo di Messisbugo]], is ''pasticcio di maccheroni'', a domed [[macaroni]] pie, consisting of a crust of sweet dough enclosing macaroni in a [[Béchamel sauce]], studded with [[Boletus edulis|porcini]] mushrooms and ''[[Bolognese sauce|ragù alla bolognese]]''.

The traditional [[Christmas]] first course is ''[[Cappelletti (pasta)|cappelletti]]'', large meat filled ravioli served in chicken broth. It is often followed by ''[[salama da sugo]]'', a very big, cured [[sausage]] made from a selection of pork meats and spices kneaded with red wine.

Seafood is also an important part of the local tradition, that boast rich fisheries in the Po delta lagoons and Adriatic sea. Pasta with [[clam]]s and grilled or stewed [[eel]] dishes are especially well-known. Popular food items include also ''zia'' garlic salami and the traditional ''[[Coppia ferrarese|coppia]]'' bread, protected by the IGP ([[Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union|protected geographical status]]) label.<ref name=zhou>{{cite book | last1=Zhou | first1=Weibiao | last2=Hui | first2=Y. H. | title=Bakery Products Science and Technology | location=Oxford | publisher=Wiley-Blackwell | year=2014 | page=701 | isbn=978-1-11879-193-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bF7BAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA701 | access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref> Not unusual is the typical [[Kashrut|kosher]] salami made of goose meat stuffed in goose neck skin.

Local patisserie include spicy ''[[Panpepato|pampepato]]'' chocolate pie, ''tenerina'', a dark chocolate and butter cake, and ''[[zuppa inglese]]'', a chocolate and custard pudding on a bed of [[sponge cake]] soaked in [[Alchermes]]. The [[clay]] [[terroir]] of the area, an [[alluvial plain]] created by the river Po, is not ideal for wine; a notable exception is Bosco Eliceo ([[Denominazione di origine controllata|DOC]]) wine, made from grapes cultivated on the sandy coast line.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bosco Eliceo DOC|url=https://www.enotecaemiliaromagna.it/en/our-wines/doc-and-docg-wines/a/bosco-eliceo|publisher=Enoteca Regionale Emilia-Romagna|access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref>

==International relations==

===Twin towns – sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Ferrara is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Gemellaggi e patti d'amicizia|url=https://www.comune.fe.it/2975/gemellaggi-e-patti-d-amicizia|publisher=Ferrara|language=it|access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Broni]], Italy
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Formia]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Giessen]], Germany
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Highland Park, Illinois|Highland Park]], United States
*{{flagicon|GRC}} [[Kallithea]], Greece
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Kaufbeuren]], Germany
*{{flagicon|SVN}} [[Koper]], Slovenia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Krasnodar]], Russia
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Lleida]], Spain
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Prague 1]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Étienne]], France
*{{flagicon|BIH}} [[Sarajevo]], Bosnia and Herzegovina
*{{flagicon|WAL}} [[Swansea]], Wales, United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Szombathely]], Hungary
<!--rest - other forms of cooperation-->
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Italy|European Union|Cities}}
* [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio]]

==Notes==
<!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php -->
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* Acerbi, Enrico. [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1799/c_1799z4.html "The 1799 Campaign in Italy: Klenau and Ott Vanguards and the Coalition’s Left Wing April – June 1799"]. Napoleon Series, Robert Burnham, editor in chief. March 2008. Accessed 30&nbsp;October 2009.

==Further reading==
{{See also|Timeline of Ferrara#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Ferrara}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Ferrara rara: Perché Ferrara è bella|author=Carlo Bassi|author-link=Carlo Bassi|publisher=Archivio Cattaneo editore in Cernobbio|location=Cernobbio|year=2015|isbn=978-88-98086-23-8}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Breve ma veridica storia di Ferrara|author=Carlo Bassi|author-link=Carlo Bassi|publisher=2G Libri|location=Ferrara|year=2015|isbn=978-88-89248-06-5}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Nuova guida di Ferrara. Vita e spazio nell'architettura di una città emblematica|author=Carlo Bassi|author-link=Carlo Bassi|publisher=Italo Bovolenta editore (originario nel 1981) 2G editrice (ristampa anastatica del 2012)|location=Ferrara|year=2012|isbn= 978-88-89248-14-0}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Nomenclatura ed etimologia delle piazze e strade di Ferrara e Ampliamenti|author=Gerolamo Melchiorri|editor=Carlo Bassi|editor-link=Carlo Bassi|publisher= 2G Editrice|location=Ferrara|year=2009|isbn=978-88-89248-21-8}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Le mura di Ferrara: immagini e storia|editor=Paolo Ravenna|editor-link=Paolo Ravenna|publisher= Panini|location= Modena |year=1985|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\VEA\0042366}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Saper vedere la città. Ferrara di Biagio Rossetti, "la prima città moderna europea"|author=Bruno Zevi|author-link=Bruno Zevi|publisher=Biblioteca Einaudi |location=Turin|year=2006|isbn=88-06-18259-5}}
* {{Treccani|ferrara_res-5a6b494c-8b74-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/|FERRARA|author=Yoseph COLOMBO |data = 1938|volume = I appendice|cid =Treccani38}}
* {{Treccani|ferrara_res-c612d476-87e7-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/|FERRARA|author=Mario ORTOLANI|data =1961|volume= III appendice|cid =Treccani61}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Historia almi Ferrariae Gymnasii|volume = 2|author=Ferrante Borsetti, Ferranti Bolani|publisher= Forni|location=Bologna|year= 1970|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\MIL\0064484}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=I grandi alberi della Provincia di Ferrara|volume = 2|author=AAVV|editor= Servizio protezione flora e fauna oasi e zone protette della Provincia di Ferrara|publisher=Provincia di Ferrara|location= Ferrara|year= 2008|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\UFE\0838673}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Atlante cartografico dell'artigianato tipico italiano|author=AAVV |publisher= ACI, Automobile club d'Italia|location= Rome|year= 1998|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\CAG\1325138}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Guida del pellegrino in terra ferrarese|editor= Comitato diocesano per il grande giubileo|publisher=Banca Popolare di Milano – Arcidiocesi di FerraraComacchio|location=Milano e Ferrara|year=2000|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\FER\0180423}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Il podestà ebreo. La storia di Renzo Ravenna tra fascismo e leggi razziali|author=Ilaria Pavan|publisher=Laterza|location=Roma-Bari|year=2006|isbn=88-420-7899-9}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=L'invisibile ovunque|author= Wu Ming|author-link= Wu Ming|publisher=Einaudi|location=Torino|year=2015|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\PAR\1233731}}
* {{cite book|language=it|author=Antonella Guarnieri|title=Il fascismo ferrarese. Dodici articoli per raccontarlo. Con un saggio inedito su Edmondo Rossoni|publisher=Casa Editrice Tresogni |location=Ferrara|year=2011|isbn=978-88-97320-03-6}}
* {{Cite book|author1=Antonella Guarnieri|author2=Delfina Tromboni|author3=Davide Guarnieri|publisher=Comune di Ferrara|title=Lo squadrismo: come lo raccontarono i fascisti, come lo vissero gli antifascisti|location=Ferrara|year=2014|url=http://www.comune.fe.it/attach/superuser/docs/lo_squadrismo.pdf|isbn=978-88-98786-06-0|access-date=2018-10-25|archive-date=2020-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122235440/https://www.comune.fe.it/attach/superuser/docs/lo_squadrismo.pdf|url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite book|title=Ferrara città europea: storia politica e civile dalle origini ai giorni nostri|author=Alessandro Roveri|publisher=Este edition|location=Ferrara|year=2000|isbn=9788828323723|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HN5aDwAAQBAJ&q=ferrara+novecento+ricostruzione+postbellica&pg=PT265|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\FER\0181191|access-date=2018-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818115357/https://books.google.it/books?id=HN5aDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT265&lpg=PT265&dq=ferrara+novecento+ricostruzione+postbellica&source=bl&ots=dqrIjarxvP&sig=hD_1H5_gFCnUUZ4K-FuEslAZlZg&hl=it&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX45DlgPbcAhVRvxoKHU7GBtoQ6AEwDnoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&q=ferrara%20novecento%20ricostruzione%20postbellica&f=false|archive-date=2018-08-18|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Arte e bottega|author=Giulia Aguzzoni e Angela Ghinato|contribution=prefazione di Anna Maria Quarzi, introduzione di Giuseppe Vancini|publisher=Este edition |location=Ferrara|year=2013|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\UFE\0979179}}
* {{cite book|title=Developing adaptation policy and practice in Europe: multi-level governance of climate change |editor=E. Carina H. Keskitalo|publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht|year=2010|isbn=9789048193257|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H78uqYbtXSoC&q=Climate+Alliance+ferrara&pg=PA259|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\PUV\1423725}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Eurofrut '69: 21-28 settembre 1969: catalogo ufficiale/4. biennale ortofrutticola internazionale|author=Biennale ortofrutticola internazionale Ferrara |publisher= Ente Manifestazioni Ortofrutticole|location=Ferrara|year=1969|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\FER\0190433}}
* {{cite book|language=it|title=Presenza ebraica a Ferrara. Testimonianze archivistiche fino al 1492|author=Adriano Franceschini|author-link=Adriano Franceschini|editor=Paolo Ravenna|editor-link=Paolo Ravenna|publisher=Carife |location=Ferrara|year=2007|isbn=978-88-222-5741-3}}
* {{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of kitchen history|author=Mary Ellen Snodgrass|language=en|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn |location=London|year=2004|isbn=1135455716|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IYeOAgAAQBAJ&q=Ferrara+Lucrezia+Borgia++Alfonso+I++Messisbugo+tagliatelle&pg=PT132|id=[[Servizio bibliotecario nazionale|SBN]] IT\ICCU\BVE\0266908}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Ferrara}}
*[http://www.ferrarainfo.com/ Official Tourism Office Site – in six languages]
*{{Official website|http://www.comune.fe.it/}}
*[http://www.ferraraok.it/ Search engine and index of websites related to Ferrara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206204915/http://www.ferraraok.it/ |date=2005-02-06 }}
*[http://www.teatrocomunaleferrara.it/ The Comunale Theatre]
*[http://ferrarasottolestelle.it/ Ferrara Under the Stars – The most important Italian summer music festival]
*[http://www.ferrarabuskers.com/ Ferrara Buskers' Festival]
*[http://www.palazzodiamanti.it/ Palazzo dei Diamanti – Ferrara National Museum of Art]
*[http://www.unife.it/ The University of Ferrara]
*[http://www.estense.com/ Local Newspaper]

{{Province of Ferrara}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Italy}}
{{Cities in Italy}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ferrara| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Italy]]
[[Category:Jewish communities in Italy]]
[[Category:Papal States]]
[[Category:Planned communities in Italy]]