Ferrara is literally the Renaissance City: a recognition awarded by UNESCO, together with the title of World Heritage Site, because it was the first city to develop following an urban plan that had a harmonious arrangement of urban perspectives as its objective rather than the beauty of individual buildings. And so, in the historic town centre of Ferrara for more than five hundred years the humanistic principles linked to size and volume in architecture have been balanced with open spaces, the needs of the city and local traditions.
A harmony that still persists today, to be experienced with a stroll through Ferrara following the traces of the Addizione Erculea, the urban project that expanded the city surface area towards the north on a rational plan, with straight, wide streets, the Avenues, intersections also studied from a scenographic point of view, new squares, such as Piazza Ariostea, and large Renaissance buildings, starting from Palazzo Diamanti which today hosts the masterpieces of the artists of the Ferrara school in its Art Gallery.
A leap into the past made even more authentic by the dozens of historic craftsmanship workshops that still today allow you to shop as if you were in the company of Isabella d'Este.
Start your day in Ferrara by exploring the workshops dedicated to graffito ceramics, an ancient Renaissance technique that reached its peak at the Este Court between the 15th and 16th centuries and was brought back to life after four centuries by a group of artisans from Ferrara. In their workshops, you can admire the fascinating practice of engraving and the use of primitive colours, melted and shaded by fire to obtain unique chromatic effects that embellish decorative motifs such as symbols, characters and court scenes.
Alongside the graffito ceramics, discover the tradition of Ferrara terracotta: beautiful hand-painted and heat-resistant refractory earthenware objects, including the characteristic animal-shaped whistles. The main workshops are all located in the historic town centre, easily reachable in a single stroll.
After a lunch break, perhaps somewhere in the Estense Castle, continue your itinerary by immersing yourself in the world of ancient music. Ferrara, the cradle of 15th and 16th-century instrumental music, still hosts workshops specialised in the construction and restoration of musical instruments. Here, you can observe master luthiers at work creating double basses, mandolins and organs, discovering the secrets of an art handed down over the centuries.
Another rediscovered tradition is that of the Renaissance-inspired Ferrara leatherwork, that is, the working of leather and hides: bags, belts and accessories for everyday use but also leather masks for the theatre and footwear made entirely by hand, as well as metal and leather jewellery and hand-carded wool mini-sculptures.
Dedicate the final part of the day to a bit of shopping in the streets of the centre, in the vicinity of the Cathedral: this is the traditional business area of the city, where you can find historic boutiques, craft shops and local specialities. If your visit coincides with Sunday, do not miss the street markets in the centre of town, where you can browse among period furniture, antiques, wooden artefacts and gastronomic delights.