The magnificent capital of the Renaissance - #UNESCO World Heritage Site... #tuttitaly
Ferrara can blend two opposing eras, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Therefore recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site of Humanity precisely for being considered the first modern city in Europe and named the cradle of the Renaissance. An excellent and silent historical center that is worth it to spend a weekend away from chaotic everyday life.
Once you reach the historic center by car, stopping in the nearby car parks, you can comfortably go around on foot or by bicycle; everything you see will appear beautiful. The first thing you cannot help but notice is the wonderful Estense Castle in the center.
One of the curiosities linked to the castle is that it was not built to defend against external threats but to protect the sovereign from the citizens.
Another curiosity about the Estense Castle is that the moat surrounding it is fed directly by the river Po. More precisely, it is provided by a canal which in turn is fed by a branch of the Po delta called Po di Volano, which reaches up to Ferrara.
An event not to be missed is New Year's Eve, when the Castle is practically set on fire. Thanks to the pyrotechnic effect of the fireworks, you will see the whole castle in flames. An effect desired and kept under control for about 20 minutes that supports thousands of tourists enchanted, making the atmosphere of the celebrations even more magical.
I also recommend visiting the Palazzo dei Diamanti, one of the symbolic monuments of Ferrara and certainly one of the most famous buildings built during the Italian Renaissance period. The idea was by Ercole d’Este I, and the main feature of the building is the external wall, covered with thousands of diamond-shaped stones, which give the building its name. According to legend, the Duke hid a natural, very precious diamond in a place known only to him.
We have to mention the Ferrara gastronomic tradition with its typical products of excellence:
The “coppia” is famous, the tasty Ferrara bread with an elaborate shape, awarded with the IGP mark; very popular is the “cappellacci,” Tortelli stuffed with pumpkin and parmesan, and the “pasticcio di maccheroni,” a proper synthesis of courtly traditions; an unusual mixture of pork is the "Salama da Sugo." Finally, the “pampepato,” a spice cake coated with a melted chocolate crust.
Ferrara is touched by the "Via Delle Corti Estensi" and the "Via del Grande Fiume" of the Roads of Wines and Flavors.
Ferrara Hockey
Also worthy of note is the Ferrara Hockey team, an Inline Hockey team that plays in the Serie A National Championship.
During the 2017-2018 sports year, Ferrara Hockey, with its skating school, won the Fratelli di sports contest launched by the C.O.N.I., where our values have been nationally recognized.
Here are some desirable numbers reached in 2022:
- 4 teams between Senior and Youth categories
- more than 120 athletes
- 5,000 visitors/year to their web pages
- 1,800 likes on their Facebook profile
- 1,200 followers between Instagram and Twitter
- 1 YouTube channel with videos of all Serie A championship matches and highlights of those playing at home. Since 2021 they have enriched the channel with live streaming of all the games played in Ferrara by their youth teams.
City of Bicycles
Ferrara is also named the City of Bicycles. In fact, in Ferrara, many people use this means of transport daily. Ferrara has the most significant number of bicycles per inhabitant in Italy. According to research reported by the Ferrarainbici website, 89.5% of the 135,000 inhabitants of Ferrara use bicycles. So do the math of how many bikes you might find around Ferrara 😊
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