Ferrara in October - Day 3

 Tuesday in Ferrara

After some indecision we park in the same place as the day before. The places we want to visit on our last day in Ferrara are at the opposite ends of the historical centre, but it’s not large. We start off with the places furthest from the car. It’s a misty morning. The sun hasn’t made it through the mist yet but it’s about 22 degrees centigrade so very pleasant for a quite brisk walk all the way to the Certosa di Ferrara. This used to be the monastery of the Certosini but is now the cemetery of Ferrara. It’s all built in red brick and the arches are nice, but some parts are quite dilapidated and closed to the public. The best sculptures on the tombs are numbered with an explanation. We look at a few and then go into the church dedicated to San Cristoforo. The most interesting part is undoubtedly the wood choir in inlaid wood with images of houses and streets.

The sun still isn’t out. After nearly a month of splendid weather it’s almost unusual. We walk down Viale della Certosa, past the University buildings and towards Palazzo Diamanti which we visited on Sunday. Just across the road from Parco Massari there’s the Orto Botanico. We spend a half an hour looking around. It’s small, but well tended, especially the greenhouses and a lot of plants are in pots and vases. The staff are busy putting some of them in the greenhouse for the winter.

After that, we wander back along Corso Ercole I d’Este towards the castle and the centre, tempted to go back to Montaditos just because the owner was so nice. But wandering around the streets of the historical centre 

we spot "Farina del mio sacco" which has good reviews and so decide to stop there. Once again, there’s a pleasant garden at the back. We choose a tagliere for 2 and tigelle. Very good, and plenty. Out the front there was a graduation party but here it’s quiet except for an insistent wasp who seems to find the selection of sliced hams and salamis as appetizing as us. We spend less than 30 euro for the tagliere and tigelle for two, two beers and two coffees.

Time for the two highlights still left to see in Ferrara.

The first is Palazzo Schifanoia. Maybe the beer at lunchtime wasn’t a good idea. Despite the coffee, I’m not at my best, or Palazzo Schifanoia is not quite as spectacular as the gentleman at the top of the the Torre dei Leoni promised me. 

Palazzo Schifanoia was built for the Este family and the name "Schifanoia" originates from "schivar la noia" "to escape boredom". The most memorable room of the palazzo is the Salone dei Mesi ("Hall of the Months") with its frescoes of the months. Only those of the months between March and September have survived and July, August and September are those best conserved. Each month shows as an allegorical pageant with Olympian gods presiding on carts with personifications of the constellations of the zodiac. 

Beautiful, but I’m still feeling sleepy……. We take a stroll in the garden and I’m tempted to try another coffee but instead try to shake off my sleepiness by a brisk walk to the Museo Archeologico. We’re not wildly interested in archaeology but the gentleman at the top of Torre dei Leoni said it was interesting so…….

Palazzo Costabili, which hosts the museum, has a fine courtyard of honour, adorned with a double loggia with sculptural decoration in white stone, and a monumental marble staircase leading up to the main floor. There is also a pleasant but, as usual in Italy, not particularly well tended, garden beyond the courtyard, with a labyrinth, which we try out.

We wander almost by chance into the Sala del Tesoro and here finally there is the shock of beauty that I remembered from Palazzo Te and Palazzo Ducale in Mantova. A splendid Renaissance frescoed ceiling by Benvenuto Tisi known as Garofalo dating back to 1506. While the one in Mantova is open to the sky, here the centre is occupied by the light fitting,  but the figures peering over the balcony are possibly even more poetic. 

There is also an absolutely splendid Noli Me Tangere by the Garofalo, similar to the one in the Pinacoteca but in my opinion much more beautiful, which used to be in Galleria Borghese in Milan and was recently returned to the city of Ferrara.

Any sleepiness has disappeared and the actual archaeological museum is very interesting, mainly about the necropolis of Spina. Nevertheless, time is passing and it’s been an intense stay in Ferrara and I take advantage of the rest corner in the almost last room of the museum, before the spectacular maps. The museum is closing and we head back to the car, stopping on the way to buy a couple of Violino pumpkins, typical of the area, from a farmer on the road back to the apartment. She is very kind, clearly fond of her produce and also gives us a bottle of wine. Cheers to the three days in Ferrara!