Castello Estense

The Castello Estense rises above the center of Ferrara, its four red-brick towers reflected in a moat that still holds water today. It was commissioned in 1385 by Niccolò II d'Este following a popular revolt that made a fortified residence essential for the ruling family's survival. Over the following century the Este transformed it from a defensive stronghold into a refined Renaissance court — housing one of the richest private art collections in northern Italy and drawing poets, painters, and architects from across the peninsula. After the Este relocated to Modena in 1598, the castle lost its courtly role and served for a time as a prison; its dungeons are associated with the execution of Parisina Malatesta in 1425, a story that inspired Byron's poem of the same name. Today it serves as the seat of the provincial government but remains open to visitors, with tower staircases offering panoramic views over Ferrara's exceptionally intact Renaissance city grid.