Tourism: Castello Estense, the Addizione Erculea, the walls, the Diamanti, MEIS and the Po Delta
The 1385 Castello Estense, Biagio Rossetti's Addizione Erculea, the ring of walls with its bastions and Porta Paola, the exhibitions at Palazzo dei Diamanti, MEIS. UNESCO World Heritage since 1995, extended in 1999 to the Po Delta and the Este villas.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
- Castello Estense: built from 1385 for Niccolò II d'Este, designed by Bartolino da Novara, after a popular revolt.
- Addizione Erculea: the district designed by Biagio Rossetti and begun in 1492, regarded by UNESCO as one of the first urban plans based on perspective.
- Este walls: about 9 km; to the south four "ace of spades" bastions built under Alfonso II between 1575 and 1585, Porta Paola of 1612 designed by Giovan Battista Aleotti, home of the Walls Documentation Centre; Porta degli Angeli is the only original gate still visible; the northern stretch was raised between 1493 and 1505.
- Palazzo dei Diamanti: venue for international-level art exhibitions, linked to the Fondazione Ferrara Arte.
- MEIS – National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah, at via Piangipane 81.
The Delta and getting around
The UNESCO site also includes the Po Delta, with the Delizie estensi, the residences and waterworks with which the Este drained the marshes; since 2015 the Delta has been a MAB biosphere reserve. The city is visited on foot or by bicycle; the province's official tourism website, Ferrara Info, collects itineraries and bike rental services.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-13
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