What to see
The castle's exterior is largely the result of Girolamo da Carpi's mid-16th-century interventions, ordered by Ercole II after a damaging fire in 1544. Moving away from a purely military aesthetic, da Carpi replaced the battlements with white stone balconies resting on corbels, added a skew roof, and refined the towers with roof terraces. The moated structure features three entrances with drawbridges and brickwork ravelins, as the eastern entrance was removed to build the kitchens. Inside the austere courtyard, you will find emergency wells, round stone catapult ammunition, and damaged but discernible frescoed portraits of Este ancestors, now sheltered under the east portico. The ground floor houses the Gothic Rooms, four living spaces with cross-vaulted ceilings. The first features floral decorations along its vault ribs, a portrait of Niccolò II, and a wooden model of the early castle. The eastern ravelin contains the Ducal Kitchens. The first narrow room retains traces of its dual functions, showing both a kitchen chimney pipe and walled-up archer slits. The larger second room features reconstructed stoves and a portrait of Cristoforo di Messisbugo, the court's famous Scalco who directed the kitchens and organized spectacles.
Visiting
Following a massive 2.7 million euro restoration completed in 2004, the museum display—designed by architect Gae Aulenti—guides visitors through the castle's historical layers, including the Camerini d'Alabastro, the secret rooms built by Alfonso d'Este. A particularly intense part of the tour is the descent into the dungeons. A narrow corridor leads to a low, deep doorway opening into the cell of Don Giulio d'Este, Alfonso I's legitimate brother, who was imprisoned here for years. A steep stairway leads to the cells of the unlucky lovers Ugo and Parisina. Parisina Malatesta, the 20-year-old second wife of Marquis Niccolò III, and her 19-year-old stepson Ugo fell in love, were rapidly tried, and beheaded in 1425. On the ceiling of Ugo's cell, you can still see prisoners' writings done with candle smoke. Visitors can also explore the Torre dei Leoni, which underwent extensive restoration after a partial collapse caused by the 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes.
Our editors' tip
Take note of the heightened structure of the north ravelin, which currently houses the cafeteria. This increased elevation is the most obvious architectural change made by the Papal Legates who governed Ferrara after the Este family relocated to Modena in 1597.