Castello Estense

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Information

L.go Castello, 1, 44121 Ferrara FE, Italy

Opening time

Wednesday to Monday, 10 am to 6 pm
Ticket office closes at 5:15 pm

Aforementioned are standard museum hours. For all updates regarding any changes in hours and opening days click   HERE   

Tickets and accessibility

Tickets
Full ticket: € 12

Reduced ticket: € 10 
over 65-years-old
members of groups of at least 15 people
university students with a university course registration card
holders of a full or reduced ticket of Ferrara Arte exhibitions
Coop Alleanza members
FAI members

Reduced ticket: € 5
Middle and high school groups
Minors between 11 and 18 years old

Family admission: for every paying adult, one minor gets in free

For access to Torre dei Leoni (panoramic view): € 2 – free for MyFE Card holders

Free admission:
MyFE cardholders
under 11 years old
one minor for each paying adult
tour guides, tour leaders, environmental hiking guides, interpreters and teachers in the exercise of their professional activity
disabled persons and their companions
card-carrying journalists and publicists
visitors accessing the castle on their birthday or, if the castle is closed on their birthday, on the first available open day
students enrolled in their first year at the University of Ferrara with a student ID.

Accessibility
The entire Castle is accessible to people with disabilities and reduced mobility, except for the dungeon rooms.
Disabled people in wheelchairs can visit the entire castle by ascending to the second floor using the elevator in the southwest tower of San Paolo.
For more detailed information on accessibility visit the ticket office.  Assistance points are available along the way.

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The Este Castle of Ferrara

The Castello Estense amazes those who arrive in Ferrara with its grandeur. An almost unexpected fortress, it stands out in the city centre, now as in the past. Surrounded by a moat and drawbridges, it always attracts the curiosity of visitors.

Kissed by the summer sun or bathed in an eerie blanket of fog, it is the true symbol of the city. A must-see destination for visitors, this fortress still retains its charm and magnificence intact to this day – we are sure it will wow you! 

The Este Castle - Historical notes

Ferrara, September 3, 1385. Violent popular riots shake the city while the people of Ferrara are oppressed by taxes. Marquis Niccolò d'Este, intimidated by his citizens, decides to have a fortress built connected to his residence, today's Municipal Palace. This is how, on September 29 of the same year, the first foundation stone of Ferrara's Castello Estense was laid. 

Named after Saint Michael and built by Bartolino da Novara, the Castello Estense was embellished over the centuries to become the magnificent residence of the Este court. Altanas above the towers, marble balconies, a courtyard of honour with 16th-century lines and sumptuous frescoed apartments enriched the structure over the years. 

The imposing four towers, set at the four corners of the Castle of San Michele, still tower over the city, an indelible symbol of the grandeur and magnificence of the Este family. It is impossible not to take a photograph of the Torre dei Leoni, an exceptional vantage point from which to admire the historical centre and beyond.

The Este Castle - The visit

Upon entering the marvellous Cortile del Castello Estense, the visitor will find himself immersed in its history and that of the characters who populated it. From the events of the d'Este family to the Unification of Italy, passing through those related to the Papal State. 

You will be able to stroll among the splendid orange trees in the panoramic garden of the same name, commissioned by Alfonso I d'Este. Learn the stories of Ugo and Parisina Malatesta, the two lovers made famous by their unfortunate fate. Visit the prisons, including the cramped cell where Giulio d'Este was imprisoned for no less than 53 years.

Marvel at the frescoes adorning the rooms of the so-called Appartamento dello Specchio, built at the behest of Alfonso II d'Este, and the other elegant staterooms. 

An unmissable journey through time and the city's history. 

You may not know about...

THE CASTLE FIRE. Every December 31, the Estense Castle is the stage for a breathtaking firework display. Tens of thousands of people come to the square to witness what is described as one of the most beautiful New Year's Eve shows in all of Europe. 

THE TRAGICAL LOVE OF UGO AND PARISINA. It is one of the most famous, albeit unfortunate, loves of the Este family. The wife of Niccolò III d'Este, Laura Malatesta, known as Parisina, fell in love with her stepson Ugo whom the marquis had married to the beloved Stella de Tolomei. Discovered, the two lovers were imprisoned and beheaded in the castle dungeon. 

IN THE HALL OF COATS OF ARMS. What is the blackened pane on the north wall? Legate Count Filippo Folicardi, implicated in a smuggling trial, was removed from Ferrara in 1856. With him, his coat of arms and his memory, no longer worthy of being part of the hall's decorative scheme.