Ferrara ( / f ə ˈ r ɑːr ə / ; Italian: [ferˈraːra] ; Emilian : Fràra [ˈfraːra] ) is a city and municipality in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Ferrara. As of 2016, the city had 132,009 people. Ferrara is located 44 kilometers (27 miles) northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch of the Po River, 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the main river. The city has wide streets and many palaces from the Renaissance period, when it was the home of the House of Este court. Because of its beauty and cultural importance, Ferrara was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The first known settlements in the area now called the Province of Ferrara date back to the 6th century BC. The ruins of the Etruscan town of Spina, built near the lagoons at the ancient mouth of the Po River, were forgotten for many years. In 1922, drainage projects in the Valli di Comacchio marshes uncovered a burial site with over 4,000 tombs, showing that Spina was once an important center of population in ancient times.

Scholars are unsure about the Roman origin of the settlement in its current location, as little is known about this time. However, some archaeological evidence suggests that Ferrara may have started as two small Byzantine settlements: one near the Cathedral of St. George on the right bank of the Po River, which was much closer to the city in ancient times, and a fortified complex on the left bank to protect against the Lombards.

Ferrara first appears in a document from 753 AD, when Lombard king Desiderius captured the town from the Exarchate of Ravenna. Later, the Franks gave Ferrara to the Papacy in 754 or 756. In 988, the Church gave Ferrara to the House of Canossa, but after Matilda of Tuscany died in 1115, the town became a free commune. During the 12th century, two powerful families, the Guelph Adelardi and the Ghibelline Salinguerra, fought for control of the town. The Imperial House of Este supported the Salinguerra and eventually gained power. In 1264, Obizzo II d'Este was declared ruler of Ferrara for life, later taking titles as Lord of Modena in 1288 and Reggio in 1289. His rule ended the communal period and began the Este rule, which lasted until 1598.

In 1452, Borso d'Este was named duke of Modena and Reggio by Emperor Frederick III, and in 1471, Pope Paul II made him duke of Ferrara. Lionello and Ercole I were important supporters of the arts in late 15th- and early 16th-century Italy. During this time, Ferrara became a major cultural center, known for its architecture, music, literature, and visual arts.

The city’s architecture was greatly influenced by Biagio Rossetti, who was asked in 1484 by Ercole I to create a plan for expanding the town. This plan, called the "Erculean Addition," is considered one of the best examples of Renaissance city planning and helped Ferrara become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Despite its success, Ferrara suffered greatly during a war against Venice in 1482–84. Alfonso I became ruler in 1505 and married Lucrezia Borgia. He fought Venice again in the Italian Wars and joined the League of Cambrai. In 1509, he was excommunicated by Pope Julius II but defeated Papal and Spanish forces at the Battle of Ravenna in 1512. His military success relied on Ferrara’s advanced artillery, made in his own foundry.

After Alfonso I died in 1534, his son Ercole II became ruler. His marriage to Renée of France in 1528 brought prestige to Ferrara. Under his rule, the Duchy remained wealthy and culturally strong. However, an earthquake in 1570 damaged the economy, and when Ercole II’s son Alfonso II died without heirs in 1597, the House of Este lost Ferrara to the Papal States.

Ferrara, a university city second only to Bologna, remained part of the Papal States for nearly 300 years, a time of decline. By 1792, the population had dropped to 27,000, less than in the 17th century. From 1805 to 1814, Ferrara was briefly part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, a dependent state of the French Empire. After the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Ferrara was returned to the Pope, protected by Austria. A fortress was built in the 1600s on the site of the old Castel Tedaldo, occupied by Austrian forces from 1832 to 1859. The fortress was later dismantled, and its bricks were used for new buildings in the town.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ferrara remained a modest trade center for its rural area, which grew crops like sugar beets and industrial hemp. Large land projects were carried out to increase farmland and reduce malaria in the Po delta. Mass industry came to Ferrara in the late 1930s with a chemical plant built by the Fascist regime to produce synthetic rubber. During World War II, Ferrara was bombed by Allied planes, damaging railways and factories. After the war, the industrial area in Pontelagoscuro expanded into a large petrochemical complex operated by Montecatini and others, employing 7,000 workers and producing 20% of Italy’s plastics. In recent years, Ferrara has shifted focus to services and tourism, reducing its heavy industry.

In May 2012, another earthquake struck Ferrara, causing only minor damage to historic buildings and no injuries.

Geography

The town of Ferrara is located on the southern side of the Po River, about 44 kilometers (27 miles) northeast of Bologna, the regional capital, and 87 kilometers (54 miles) south of Venice. The area covered by Ferrara is part of the Padan plain and is mostly flat, with an average elevation of about 9 meters (30 feet) above sea level. Because Ferrara is near the Po River, the town has faced many serious floods throughout its history. The most recent flood happened in 1951. A waterway called the Idrovia Ferrarese connects the Po River from Ferrara to the Adriatic Sea at Porto Garibaldi.

The climate in the Po Valley is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen climate system. This type of climate is often called "warm temperate" and is known for mild winters and hot summers. There is heavy rain during spring and autumn, and even in the driest month, which is January, Ferrara receives a lot of rain.

Government

The legislative group in Italian cities is called the City Council (Consiglio Comunale). In cities with populations between 100,000 and 250,000, the City Council has 32 members. These members are chosen every five years using a system where seats are divided based on the number of votes each group receives. This happens at the same time as the mayor is elected. The executive group is the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), which has 12 members called assessors. These assessors are chosen and led by the mayor, who is directly elected by voters. The current mayor of Ferrara is Alan Fabbri, who is part of the Lega Nord party. The way cities are managed follows the Italian Constitution (Article 114), the Municipal Statute, and other laws, including Legislative Decree 267/2000, also known as the Unified Text on Local Administration (Testo Unico degli Enti Locali).

After the 2019 local elections, the City Council seats are divided as follows:

• Lega Nord – 14
• Democratic Party – 8
• Ferrara Change (center-right) – 3
• Forza Italia – 2
• Fratelli d'Italia – 1
• Gente a Modo (center-left) – 1

Transport

The city does not have its own airport. The closest airports are:

• Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, located 50 km (31 mi) south
• Verona Villafranca Airport, located 112 km (70 mi) northwest
• Venice Marco Polo Airport, located 117 km (73 mi) northeast

Ferrara is served by Ferrara railway station. This station opened in 1862 and is part of the Padua–Bologna railway. It is also the end point of three smaller railways that connect Ferrara to Ravenna, Rimini, Suzzara, and Codigoro.

Cityscape

The impressive Este Castle, located in the center of Ferrara, is a famous landmark. This large manor house has four strong bastions and a moat. It was built in 1385 by architect Bartolino da Novara to protect the town and serve as a home for the Este family. The castle was greatly renovated during the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Cathedral of Saint George, designed by Wiligelmus and completed in 1135, is a top example of Romanesque architecture. The cathedral has been repaired many times over the years, creating a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. The main entrance’s sculptures are believed to be created by Nicholaus. The upper part of the cathedral’s front, with pointed arches, dates to the 13th century. Marble lions near the entrance are copies of the original statues now in the cathedral’s museum. A detailed 13th-century relief showing the Last Judgment is located on the second floor of the cathedral’s entrance. The interior was restored in a baroque style in 1712. The marble bell tower, designed by Leon Battista Alberti, began construction in 1412 but remains incomplete, missing one planned floor and a dome, as seen in historical images.

Near the cathedral and castle is the 15th-century city hall, which once housed the Este family. It features a large marble staircase and two bronze statues of Niccolò III and Borso of Este. The southern part of the town is the oldest area, with many narrow streets from the Early Middle Ages. Casa Romei is one of Ferrara’s best-preserved medieval buildings. It was the home of merchant Giovanni Romei, who was related by marriage to the Este family. The house is likely the work of court architect Pietrobono Brasavola. Thanks to nuns from the Corpus Domini order, many original decorations inside the house were saved. The house includes fresco paintings in the "Sala delle Sibille" ("Room of Sibyls"), an original terracotta fireplace with Giovanni Romei’s family crest in the "Saletta dei Profeti" ("Room of the Prophets"), and other rooms with paintings commissioned by cardinal Ippolito d’Este, created by artists from the school of Camillo and Cesare Filippi in the 16th century.

Palazzo Schifanoia was built in 1385 for Albert V d’Este. The palace has frescoes showing the life of Borso d’Este, the zodiac signs, and symbolic images of the months. The entrance was decorated with stucco designs by Domenico di Paris. The building also holds choir books with small illustrations, as well as coins and Renaissance medals. The Renaissance Palazzo Paradiso, part of Ferrara University’s library system, displays part of the manuscript for Orlando furioso, letters by Tasso, and the grave of Ludovico Ariosto. Notable graduates of the university include Nicolaus Copernicus and Paracelsus.

The northern area of the town, added by Ercole I between 1492 and 1505 under the plan of Biagio Rossetti, is called the Addizione Erculea. This area includes many Renaissance buildings. One of the most notable is the Palazzo dei Diamanti ("Diamond Palace"), named for the diamond-shaped cuts in the stone blocks of its façade. The palace houses the National Picture Gallery, which has a large collection of artworks from the Ferrara school, which became prominent in the second half of the 15th century with artists like Cosimo Tura, Francesco Cossa, and Ercole dei Roberti. Famous 16th-century artists from the Ferrara school include Lorenzo Costa, Dosso Dossi, Girolamo da Carpi, and Benvenuto Tisi (il Garofalo). The district also includes the University of Ferrara Botanic Garden.

The town is still mostly surrounded by 9 kilometers (6 miles) of ancient brick walls, mostly built between 1492 and 1520. After careful restoration, the walls now form a large urban park around the town and are a popular place for jogging and cycling.

Demographics

In 2007, 135,369 people lived in Ferrara. Of these, 46.8% were male and 53.2% were female. Children under 18 years old made up 12.28% of the population, while people who receive pensions made up 26.41%. This compares to the Italian average of 18.06% for children and 19.94% for pensioners. The average age of Ferrara residents was 49, compared to the Italian average of 42. Between 2002 and 2007, Ferrara’s population increased by 2.28%, while Italy’s population grew by 3.85%. Ferrara’s current birth rate is 7.02 births per 1,000 people, compared to Italy’s average of 9.45 births. Ferrara is known as the oldest Italian city with a population over 100,000 and also has the lowest birth rate in Italy.

In 2006, 95.59% of Ferrara’s population was Italian. The largest group of immigrants came from other European countries, including Ukraine and Albania (2.59%). Other groups included North Africa (0.51%) and East Asia (0.39%). Most people in Ferrara are Roman Catholic, with a small number of people being Orthodox Christian. The Jewish community, which has a long history, still exists today.

Culture

The Jewish community in Ferrara is the only one in Emilia Romagna that has lived there since the Middle Ages until today. This group was very important during the 15th and 16th centuries, when Ferrara was a powerful city ruled by Duke Ercole I d'Este. In 1598, the situation for Jews got worse when the Este family moved to Modena, and Ferrara came under control of the Pope. The Jewish neighborhood, which was in three streets near the cathedral, became a ghetto in 1627. This lasted until Italian unification in 1859, except during a few years under Napoleon and during the 1848 revolution.

In 1799, the Jewish people in Ferrara helped save the city from being destroyed by troops of the Holy Roman Empire. At that time, the city was controlled by France, which had a small military group there. On April 15, an Austrian officer named Johann von Klenau arrived with a mixed group of soldiers and demanded the city surrender. The commander refused, and Klenau blocked the city. For three days, Klenau captured nearby areas like Lagoscuro and Mirandola. The French tried to rescue the city twice, but both times failed. Finally, a French group led by Pierre-Augustin Hulin arrived and saved the city.

Klenau took control of Ferrara on May 21 and placed a small military group there. The Jewish people in Ferrara paid 30,000 ducats to stop Klenau's soldiers from destroying the city. This money was used to pay the wages of the French troops. Although Klenau controlled the city, the French still held the fortress. After Klenau demanded the fortress surrender and was refused, he attacked with cannons. After two explosions, the commander finally surrendered. Klenau found 75 new cannons, supplies, and food in the fortress.

In 1938, Mussolini's government passed laws that separated Jews from others, a situation that continued until the end of German control. During World War II, 96 of Ferrara's 300 Jews were sent to German camps; only five survived. Giorgio Bassani, a Jewish writer from Ferrara, wrote a famous book called The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which was made into a movie in 1970.

During World War II, the Este Castle, now called Corso Martiri della Libertà, was the site of a deadly attack in 1943.

On December 13, 2017, the first day of Hanukkah, a museum called the Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah opened in Ferrara. It was built on the site of a prison from 1912 where Jews were held during the Fascist era. This is the first part of a project called MEIS, which will be completed by 2021 and include more buildings focused on Jewish culture and history.

During the Renaissance, the Este family supported many artists, especially painters, who formed the "School of Ferrara." These artists included Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, and Titian. In the 19th and 20th centuries, artists like Giovanni Boldini and Giorgio de Chirico were inspired by Ferrara. Many of their works are displayed in the National Gallery of Palazzo dei Diamanti.

During the Renaissance, writers like Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto, and Matteo Maria Boiardo lived and worked in Ferrara. Their famous works include Jerusalem Delivered and Orlando Furioso.

The Ferrara Bible was a 1553 book in Ladino, a language used by Sephardi Jews. It was created by Yom-Tob ben Levi Athias and Abraham ben Salomon Usque and given to Ercole II d'Este. In the 20th century, Giorgio Bassani lived in Ferrara and wrote novels that were made into movies. British author Sarah Dunant wrote a book set in a convent in Ferrara.

Ferrara is where Girolamo Savonarola, a religious leader, was born. He burned books and destroyed art he considered immoral. He opposed Pope Alexander VI.

When Renée of France was Duchess of Ferrara, her court welcomed Protestants like John Calvin. However, after her daughter married a Catholic noble, the court turned against Protestants.

Girolamo Frescobaldi, a composer from Ferrara, wrote Fiori musicali, a famous collection of organ music. His work influenced later composers like Johann Sebastian Bach.

Ferrara is the birthplace of film directors Michelangelo Antonioni and Florestano Vancini. Antonioni's movie Long Night in 1943 was filmed in Ferrara. The 1970 movie The Garden of the Finzi-Continis was also filmed there. Other movies, like Beyond the Clouds and The Profession of Arms, were also shot in Ferrara.

In the TV series Medici, a scene shows Girolamo Riario's men taking control of Ferrara. This scene was filmed at the Castle of Oliveto in Castelfiorentino.

The Palio of St. George is a horse race held every last Sunday in May. It began in 1279 and is likely the oldest such event in the world.