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FERRARA
417km
(259 miles) N of Rome, 52km (32
miles) N of Bologna, 100km (62
miles) SW of Venice.
Ferrara is still a comparatively unexplored place as far as
tourists are concerned, and is
worth a visit if only to hear
about its notorious history and to
see the ruins and remains of where
it all occurred. It was the family
seat of the influential house of
Este, a family that dominated the
affairs of the city, and its
surroundings, ever since the
thirteenth century. One of the
families sons, Alfonse d’Este,
was the third husband of the well
known Lucrezia Gorgia, daughter of
Pope Alexander Vl and brother of
the infamous Cesare Borgia.
Lucrezia became the Duchess of
Ferrara and became the mother of
seven children. Unfortunately for
the house of Este, and the city of
Ferrara, one of her grand children
died without leaving a male heir.
Pope Clement Vlll took advantage
of this fact and annexed the city
in the late sixteenth century. The
ultimate result of all this was
that both the house of Este, and
the town of Ferrara declined under
the rule of the Papacy.
Alfonso II was the patron of Torquato Tasso (1544-95), who
was the author of the epic Jerusalem
Delivered, a work that was to
make him the most celebrated poet
of the Late Renaissance. The
legend of Tasso (who's thought to
have been insane, paranoid, or at
least tormented) has steadily
grown over the centuries. Goethe
fanned the legend through the
Teutonic lands with his late
eighteenth century drama Torquato
Tasso.
Alfonso II was never really
comfortable with and is said to
have made Tasso his prisoner at
one time.
The modern edition of this old city is of a bizarre fortress
enclosed in medieval walls under a
bright sky, and it is easy to
believe its shocking history in
these somber surroundings. A lot
of the works of art have been
removed from the city, but it was
originally richly blessed with
this commodity and much of its
legacy remains within the city.
Among these notable treasures are
a great cathedral and the Este
Castle, along with enough ducal
palaces that could mean a long day
of sightseeing. Its palaces, for
the most part, have long been
robbed of their lavish
furnishings, but the faded
frescoes, the paintings that
weren't carted off, and the
palatial rooms are reminders of
the vagaries of power.
The
present inhabitants of Ferrara are
highly health conscious, and
almost every one of them seems to
be engaged in some form of
exercise. Cycling and jogging are
among the favourite of these
pastimes, so do not be surprised,
in fact you should watch out for
geriatric cyclists speeding down
the streets.
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