Piazza del Municipio and Palazzo Ducale: Attraction informations
Piazza del Municipio was, and is still nowadays, the heart of the old Palazzo Ducale of Ferrara. It can be accessed directly from the cathedral, overpassing an imposing arch and passing through the statues representing two members of the Estense family.
The represented subjects are Nicolò III and Borso D’Este, the former on a horse, the latter seated on an episcopal chair while branding the scepter symbol of his power. Borso D’Este is remembered for leaving in heritage a marvelous miniature Bible, now in the hands of the municipality of Modena.
Both statues are copies, as the original ones were destroyed by Napoleon’s troops in 1796. The columns that hold them recount another chapter of the history of Ferrara: they were built with the material taken from the destruction of the gravestones of the Jewish Cemetery, destruction ordered by the Inquisition
Once inside the palazzo, we are greeted by a big courtyard, the beautiful Piazza del Municipio.
The square is characterized by the Scalone d'Onore, a staircase completely covered with white marble, finished in 1481. The design of this project, executed by Pietro Benvenuto, follows the Renaissance style, although the balustrade recalls the older gothic style. The link to the Venetian art is also quite clear.
Inside the Palazzo Ducale
The
Palazzo Ducale is a precious architectonic remain of Pietro Benvenuto’s work. It is, in fact, the only piece of this important architect’s work during the 15th century to have arrived, intact, to our days.
Among his other works we can recall the finishing of the
tower bell of the cathedral, the enlargement of
Palazzo Schifanoia, the new courtyard of the palace, the internal chapel and the
Garden of the Fountain.
From the center of
Piazza Municipio the luxury apartments of the
Estensi are easily seen thanks to the white marble embellishing their windows. Inside the palazzo, we find the
Sala dell'Arengo, with frescos by
Achille Funi (1934-1937) in a cycle dedicated to the city of Ferrara.
One of the most characteristic spaces in the palazzo is the so-called “
Camerino delle Duchesse”, a small room created for Duchess Eleonora and Lucrezia d’Este, with its walls covered by golden wooden layers painted by
Sebastiano e Camillo Filippi (1565).
A theatre faces the great central open space of the building, occupying what used to be the great Estense hall, main chapel of the court where the coffins holding family members were placed for viewing during their funerals.
Going back to the exterior of the palazzi, another two entrances take us to the central courtyard:
Volto della Colombina, towards via Garibaldi, and
Volto del Cavalletto, towards Via Cortevecchia.
Piazza Municipio is currently the stage for several popular events, concerts, conferences, book presentations and of course the
Palio that takes place every year on the last Sunday of May, near Piazza Ariostea.
The Palazzo Ducale that we admire today is a remake in the 14th century style done in
1924. Near the palazzo, the Victory Tower stands. Built in the same years, it still shows at its base a memorial, dedicated to the fallen of all wars, with a bronze statue by
Arrigo Minerbi, 1918.
