Things to Do in Ferrara, Italy - Ferrara Attractions
Things to Do in Ferrara
Check out must-see sights and activities:
Castello Estense, Centro Storico Ferrara, Churches & Cathedrals, Points of Interest & Landmarks. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
Castello Estense, Centro Storico Ferrara, Churches & Cathedrals, Points of Interest & Landmarks. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$298- fromper adult$96
Food & Drinkfromper adult$91
City Toursfromper group (up to 10)$119
Food & Drinkfromper adult (price varies by group size)$6
Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$195
Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$271- fromper adult$164
Food & Drinkfromper adult (price varies by group size)$112
Food & Drinkfromper adult$249
Historic Sites
Historic fortress featuring stunning frescoed ceilings, informative bilingual displays, and panoramic views from its tower. Highlights include a preserved moat and dungeons.
This attraction description was created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for this description. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in this AI-generated description is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Art Galleries
Historic Walking Areas
Churches & Cathedrals
Architectural Buildings
Other Top Attractions around Ferrara
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What travelers are saying
- Panos HNicosia, Cyprus522 contributionsA great castle in the middle of the city. Have to say difficult to find parking but worth the effort. Very interesting history to follow helped by all the informative billboards and route map signs. Need 1-2 hours depending on what detail you want to be involved. Great idea to have an April at the square afterwards.Written May 11, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Wendy KMarina del Rey, CA73 contributionsFerrara is everything I'd hoped it would be. Interesting old architecture, not too many tourists, some vibrant immigrant areas, some stately old areas, strong evidence of the architectural decisions of the Catholic church, evidence of great opulence at one point. Quaint side streets, chic shops, out-of-the-way restaurants. It's an interesting, lively place.Written September 13, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Uday TLondon, UK1,926 contributionsA building with a studded facade - hence the diamond reference. it is quite a sight. Unfortunately we were not able to go into the building with its famous art work as it was being renovatedWritten August 31, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- keithpI29YFFlorence, Italy19 contributionsUnforgettable snippet of history Not to be missed. Off the beaten track. Make it part of visit to bologna or Padua.Written January 27, 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- JHNew York City, NY2 contributionsThis museum is now open again and well worth the visit. Interesting history nicely presented. There is also a very pleasant garden cafe where you can get refreshments and rest your feet.Written May 8, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Paul SSan Diego, California540 contributionsThe defensive walls around the old city center are today used as a walkway / bike way and parks. Makes for a pleasant walk with several of the old masonry gates still remaining.Written August 29, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Just_Tina_CThe Alps1,128 contributionsThe main part of the church is open to the public. To visit the private part used by the nuns where there are the beautiful frescoes you have to respect the opening times (available also on the visit ferrara terra e acqua website where there are all the opening times of the attractions in Ferrara). When we visited in October the afternoon slot was between 15.15 and 16.45. You have to ring the bell and wait. There's a nun who shows you the frescoes and gives a brief explanation in Italian, but if you like that sort of thing you'll understand the religious scenes. The frescoes are of the school of Giotto Storie dell'infanzia di Gesù e della Vita della Vergine (1315 -1320), Storie della Passione, Annunciazione etc and also a ceiling with 16th-century grotesques. The nun who met us was very elderly and we felt a bit guilty for disturbing her, but there were some other people too. The visit lasts about 15/20 minutes and afterwards you have the opportunity to buy something from the gift shop or make an offer. The nuns sing at 5pm on festivities and special days. If you like frescoes I recommend seeing this church.Written October 19, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Wendy KMarina del Rey, CA73 contributionsThe Etruscan artifacts are fascinating and plentiful. The museum entry fee is just six euros, cash only. Luckily, I had seven euros on me! It's a long walk from the centro storico, but many beautiful, interesting historic buildings along the pathway. The museum is housed in a once-fabulous old palazzo that was taken over by the city/province/something. You can tell it was very grand long ago. I loved the ceilings and the main marble staircase - how many people had to have walked down it for it to be worn down right where one steps? Fascinating! The highlight to me, though, was the fabulous gardens. It was drizzling a little, but the pergola was magical, and the ornate well cover is truly a piece of art! My favorite Etruscan artworks were the canoes; one krater where the master had actually carved out the spaces between the curls on the handles - no other krater had that feature; and in that same case, there was an ancient bronze strainer, perfectly usable today. It touched me to think that some woman used that all those years ago to cook for her family (probably). I found the two marble caskets that the archaeologist allege held (only) cremated remains unlikely to be accurate. I suspect that like in other sites of this era, the pomegranate one actually held the remains of a child. Human remains, even by simple fire, don't take up that much space. It was a fascinating tour, and other than a loud trio with whom I crossed paths twice, I mostly had the place to myself, which allowed me to linger on objects that fascinated me. Please, by all means, stop for the entire film about the excavation. It was fascinating and the old photos so very, very interesting and worthwhile.Written September 13, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Brun066Florence, Italy13,364 contributionsCasa Romei is an outstanding example of a private residence in Ferrara - albeit of an extraordinary private man - and the only example of this kind that has come down to us from the 15th century city.
Its preservation probably derives from the fact that, after the death in 1483 of the owner, Giovanni Romei, the house was inherited by the nuns of the nearby Corpus Domini monastery,
This monastery is famous because it houses the tombs of the Dukes of Este (the lords of Ferrara until 1598). It was therefore a large and powerful monastery, and the fact that Casa Romei was a dependency of it saved it not only from destruction, but also from upheaval. For a comparison, consider how the nearby ducal palace of Schifanoia has been heavily modified over time.
Of course, the original furniture has not remained; but numerous rooms have preserved the 15th century decoration, as created by the founder. Think for example of the so-called "prophets" room on the ground floor, where, in addition to the heads of the prophets depicted on a tree, a figure of a woman dressed in a green cloak, against the background of the fence of a garden adorned with roses and bushes, appears . Or to the so-called "Sibyl" room, equipped with a monumental fireplace with a polygonal hood, and in which these mythical figures of prophetesses are depicted on the four walls, holding large scrolls, and against the background of a flowering hedge as well. On the first floor, the former study by Giovanni Romei, with its wonderful coffered ceiling, is worth mentioning.
The rooms are gathered around a large two-story terracotta courtyard, with porticoes that on four sides occupy the ground floor and/or first floor, and a large disk with the symbol of San Bernardino of Siena dominates on one of the walls.
When the palace was already owned by the nuns, it was occupied for a long time by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (1509-1572; he is famous above all for having created Villa D'Este in Tivoli, with its marvelous fountains), and of this occupation it bears traces especially on the first floor. The large hall of honor, which bears the cardinal's heraldic symbol, a white eagle, is the greatest achievement of this period (mid-16th century).
Since 1952 the palace has been used as a museum, and therefore it houses epigraphs, sculptures, canvases and frescoes from various buildings in Ferrara which no longer exist today; some are true masterpieces.Written February 8, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - VadimMurmansk, Russia34,571 contributionsFerrara Cathedral is dedicated to St. George. There is another church dedicated to him in the city - the Basilica of St. George outside the walls (San Giorgio fuori le mura). The high density of St. George in Ferrara is explained by the fact that it is the patron saint of the city. The cathedral was built in the XII century in just 42 years, which at that time was almost instantaneous. Ferrara Cathedral is very unusual in architecture. Unlike the Cathedral of Modena, a UNESCO heritage site, it cannot boast of unity of style, because it is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic. And it's on the same facade. I looked at Romanesque architecture, looked up - it was already Gothic. The Gothic loggia above the main entrance was supposed to awe the Christians of Ferrara with scenes of the Last Judgment. The southern facade, facing Piazza Trento and Trieste, resembles the market rows and is called the Loggia dei Mercanti. Entering the cathedral, you can experience cognitive dissonance when comparing the exterior and interior. No Romanesque or Gothic style inside. Only the ponderous Baroque. The Renaissance beauty of the cathedral burned down in a fire of the XVII century, and the interior was created when the most prosperous years of Ferrara had long passed... Of the beauties, it is necessary to note one painting by Guercino on the theme of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, so beloved by Catholics...Written April 19, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- liverpool1023London, UK1,175 contributionsThis museum is well worth a visit. It is set in a church with an atmospheric cloister. Notable are some very well preserved medieval friezes, tapestries and reliquaries.Written December 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Brun066Florence, Italy13,364 contributionsThis park is located in the area of the so-called "Herculean addition", that is, the northern area of the walled city, the result of the "doubling" of the historic center designed and built from the end of the 15th century by the court architect Biagio Rossetti.
In this area the spaces have been rationally governed for 500 years, and they present, in addition to wide and mostly straight streets, buildings rather low and extended on the surface (as it is logical that it's, with so much new space available to the expansion of the city). There are therefore also spaces free from construction and occupied by meadows and trees. But the latter are generally private.
This public park is an exception; which also originates from a private green area, an annex of the nearby building which today is also called "Palazzo Massari". But the area previously belonged to the Bevilacqua marquises, and had a prevalent layout of a garden with geometric shapes (typical of the Italian Renaissance tradition), possibly decorated with fruit trees.
It is precisely to the Massari counts that we owe (starting from the mid-twentieth century) the current appearance of an "English garden" (this in Italy is the way of designating the "landscape garden"): that is, a garden characterized by the presence of huge trees, left free to grow, which recall the power and creativity of nature.
In fact, for the visitor entering from Corso Biagio Rossetti (south side) it's impossible not to notice the two Lebanon's cedars, so large and old that today they need metal prostheses to support the major branches.
But these are just some of the large trees that the park (acquired by the Municipality of Ferrara in 1936, and therefore open to the public) shows. The visitor will be able to discover them for himself, during a (recommended) visit to the park.Written October 25, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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