Province of Ferrara, Italy: Towns & Things to Do

No other province in Emilia-Romagna has as much protected land as Ferrara: roughly 40,000 hectares of reserves and nature areas, more than fifteen per cent of its surface. Rivers do most of the boundary work here — the Po separates it from the Veneto and Lombardy to the north, the Reno marks the line with Bologna and Ravenna to the south — and the Adriatic closes it off in the east. There are 21 municipalities and just over 350,000 people, more than a third of them in the city of Ferrara itself.

The Castello Estense still stands in the middle of Ferrara with water in its moat, and it is the main reason to stop in the city. Comacchio, out on the lagoon, feels like a different province altogether; Argenta and Bondeno sit on the Reno and the Po; Cento, the second-largest town, is close enough to Modena and Bologna to look their way.

Ferrara

Towns in the province of Ferrara

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Not to be missed

The best of Province of Ferrara

Red brick rationalist building on a street in Ferrara, Italy

Ferrara 🏛 The city of the Este court

The top 20 places in Ferrara

Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →

Castello Estense with the statue of Girolamo Savonarola in Ferrara, Italy.

1 🏰 Castles & palaces Este Castle 📍 Ferrara Built in 1385 around four imposing towers, this moated medieval fortress is the Renaissance centerpiece of Ferrara.

2 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries cattedrale di San Giorgio 📍 Ferrara Romanesque below, Gothic above: Nicholaus's façade, the merchants' loggias and the Months in the museum.

3 🏰 Castles & palaces Palazzo Schifanoia 📍 Ferrara Borso d'Este's pleasure palace and the Hall of the Months: Cossa's astrological calendar.

Ferrara and around, on the map

What's around

Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.

🍝 At the table: Emilia-Romagna

All typical dishes →

First course

Tagliatelle al Ragù egg tagliatelle with meat ragù, soffritto and tomato

Ribbons of egg pasta, meat ragù and soffritto: the real bolognese has had a recipe deposited at the Chamber of Commerce since 1982.

🌿 Cured meat DOP

Prosciutto di Parma pork leg and sea salt, aged at least twelve months

Only Italian pork and sea salt, aged for at least twelve months: Prosciutto di Parma has held Protected Designation of Origin status since 1996.

Bread and focaccia IGP

Coppia Ferrarese bread with a central knot and four horns, lard and sourdough

Flour, lard, oil and sourdough starter, a soft knot at the centre and four thin horns: coppia ferrarese has held Protected Geographical Indication status since 2001.

✨ Emilia-Romagna by theme

🏛️ UNESCO heritage 5 🍷 Food & wine 4 🏖️ Seaside 2

Tours, tickets and experiences

Province of Ferrara

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Upcoming events in Ferrara

Patron saint festival In 8 days 📍 Terre del Reno

Feast of Saint John Paul II

📅 Every year, on 22 October

On 22 October Terre del Reno celebrates its patron Saint John Paul II; the municipal territory includes the Bosco di Sant'Agostino, also known as Panfilia.

Patron saint festival In 23 days 📍 Masi Torello

Feast of Saint Leonard

📅 Every year, on 6 November

On 6 November Masi Torello celebrates its patron Saint Leonard of Noblac; the town also preserves Villa Zanardi.

Patron saint festival In 28 days 📍 Codigoro

Saint Martin, patron of the land of the Abbey of Pomposa

📅 Every year, on 11 November

Codigoro celebrates Saint Martin on 11 November, in the church dedicated to him.

Patron saint festival In 53 days 📍 Argenta

Saint Nicholas, patron of the town traditionally founded by a bishop of Ravenna

📅 Every year, on 6 December

Argenta celebrates Saint Nicholas on 6 December; in the hamlet of San Nicolò stands the church named after him, while tradition links the town's founding to Bishop Exuperantius of Ravenna, in the 5th century, near the ancient parish church of San Giorgio.

All events in Ferrara →