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Ferrara district
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Ferrara main information page)
Ferrara is
situated in Emilia-Romagna, 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on
the Po di Volano (Po?s river).
Indeed the
city of Ferrara retains the austere splendour of its Renaissance
period with its broad streets and numerous palaces dating from
the 14th century, when it hosted the court of the house of Este.
Under the
Este Family rule the city became an intellectual and artistic
centre that attracted the greatest minds of the Italian
Renaissance, and has been considered since one of the most
elegant urban creations of the period. Since it has been the
residence of the Este dukes, a dynasty ranked as a major
political force throughout Renaissance times.
Here, Piero
della Francesca, Jacopo Bellini and Andrea
Mantegna
decorated the palaces of the House of Este, the Castello,.
Cultural
activity also developed with poets like Ariosto e Tasso.
The town is
still surrounded by more than 9
kilometres
of ancient walls, built in the XV and XVI centuries and inside
it ranked broad streets and numerous palaces dating from the XIV
century.
Year 1492
was of great importance in relation of the development of a new
urbanistic and architectural project, the Humanist concept of
the ?ideal city. This was a project which marked the birth of
modern town planning with new principle of perspective and
influenced its subsequent development.
Modern
times have brought a renewal of industrial activity, together
with a key fruit-producting area.
Nowadays
Ferrara is still glorified by its history and for its
magnificent location, it remains a popular stop also for
tourists traveling up from Bologna to Venice.
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