Castello Estense The Castle Estense or Castle of Saint Michele is a moated medieval structure in the center of Ferrara , northern Italy . It is a large block with four corner towers . History . On 3 May 1385 , the Ferrarese people , driven to desperation by taxes and flooding that had brought ruin upon them , took themselves to the Marquis Niccolò II d ' Este ’ s palace to ask the advice of Tommaso da Tortona , the high official held to be responsible for this grave situation . Nicolò tried to calm the revolt all day , but by the evening it was clear that the people ' s spirits were getting more and more angry and that the very safety of the Estensi was endangered . The order was therefore given to summon the disgraced Tommaso , who was given confession and communion and then given to the crowd , who literally tore him to pieces . This episode , which resulted later in the death of the leaders of the revolt , convinced the Marquis that the family ’ s palace ( which is now the Palazzo Comunale ) was insufficient to guarantee the security of the nobility in the event of riots . He therefore ordered the construction of a defensive fortress on the north side of the Palazzo , entrusting the project to the architect Bartolino da Novara . He used a pre - existing tower ( the Torre dei Leoni ) , which was part of the defensive walls , at that period very much to the south of the present ones , running , roughly speaking , along the line of the present Corso Giovecca and Viale Cavour . The tower was joined by curtain walls to another three newly built for this project . Between the Este residence and the new fortress was built an aerial passageway ( perhaps in wood ) to allow people to flee from one to the other . As the city grew the city walls were moved , so the defensive function of the castle became less important and apartments began to be built in its interior , which was by now considered an annex to the court palace . From the time of Ercole I d ' Este on , there are many records of construction of apartments , and of their enlargement and enhancement . The definitive transformation works were ordered by Ercole II after a fire in 1544 , which had damaged the previous accommodation . The architect Girolamo da Carpi gave the castle the external appearance which can be still seen today , although the interior has been remodelled several times across the ages . After the departure of the Este to Modena , the castle became the residence of the Papal Legate who administered the Ferrarese territory as civil governor ( for a maximum term of four years ) . There were few changes made to the structure of the building , the most obvious being the increase in height of the north ravelin ( the room which currently houses the cafeteria ) . In 1860 Ferrara was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy . The castle , now state - owned , was bought for 70 , 000 liras in 1874 by the Province of Ferrara that utilized the structure as headquarters of the Prefecture . Over the years the Castle underwent many small restoration projects , especially between 1910 and 1930 , when some very questionable attempts were done . During World War II the castle was heavy damaged by aerial bombing , so it was partially reconstructed in 1946 . In 1999 under the initiative of the provincial administration , it started " The Castle for the City " project , that scheduled a massive restoration of the castle . The itinerary of the restoration of the castle has gone through important steps to remember : the exhibition " The Triumph of Bacchus " inaugurated in 2002 by the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and the art exposition " The Este in Ferrara " opened on 14 March 2004 by the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi . In 2006 the whole project of restoration of the Castle was concluded with two significant events : the completion of the touristic tour designed by Gae Aulenti and the restoration and opening of the Cabinets of Alfonso d ' Este . One of the towers was damaged in the 2012 Northern Italy earthquake . Exterior . On the outside , the castle essentially presents the appearance given to it by Girolamo da Carpi in the second half of the 16th century . Surrounded by a moat , it has three entrances with drawbridges fronted by brickwork ravelins . The fourth entrance , to the east , was sacrificed to make room for the kitchens . At the bottom , the appearance of the building still recalls a mediaeval fortress , but higher up , da Carpi replaced the battlements with elegant balconies in white stone , making it higher again by constructing a higher storey , covered by a skew roof . The towers were improved and made more graceful with roof terraces . The courtyard , nowadays fairly austere , was frescoed . In particular , at the top were portraits of all the ancestors ( real and legendary ) of the Este family : the only ones surviving , considerably damaged but still discernible , have been detached and placed under the portico on the east side of the courtyard . The wells were to provide water in time of drought ; the round stone balls that are seen about the place are ammunition for catapults . Ground floor . Gothic Rooms . The Gothic Rooms are series of four evocative living rooms with cross - vaulted ceilings . The first is certainly the most beautiful , with rich decorations of clusters of flowers running along the ribs of the vault . The room is dedicated to Nicolà II d ’ Este ( his portrait stands out facing the entrance ) , who built the castle . At the centre is found a magnificent reconstruction in wood of the castle in the early years of its existence . The three following rooms are dedicated to the Marquises Alberto and Niccolò III and Leonello , and finally Borso , the first duke of the dynasty . A series of panels illustrates the political and cultural life of the period . Kitchens . The east ravelin of the castle was enlarged and used to house the court kitchens . The first of the two rooms , long and narrow , shows signs of the two distinct functions , military and civil , that it had over the course of time : opposite the entrance can be seen a chimney pipe from the kitchen , while along the inside walls are found arrow - slits for archers , some walled up so as to be nearly useless . In the second room , much bigger and lighter , some stoves have been reconstructed . On one wall is seen the portrait of Cristoforo di Messisbugo , the most famous of the Este ’ s ‘ Scalcos ’ - the Scalco was the official who supervised many of the practical aspects of court life , organised spectacles , directed the kitchens , and readied things whenever necessary for moves to and from the family ' s country residences , etc . Dungeons . Shortly after entering a narrow corridor , on the left the low deep doorway that leads into the Don Giulio ' s dungeon , once allotted for a cell and perhaps also a torture chamber . Notably Giulio d ’ Este was shut up in this cell for many years ; he was the legitimate brother of Alfonso I and the lead actor in a famous and unhappy affair . Going back onto the corridor that goes around the cell , a steep and narrow stairway leads to the cells that held the unlucky lovers Ugo and Parisina . Parisina Malatesta was the second wife of Marquis Niccolò III , who was something of a rake and a great deal older than her . After seven years of marriage that had been generally quite calm , she ended up falling in love with her stepson Ugo , son of the Marquis and Stella dei Tolomei , and he with her . The two young people were discovered , subjected to a rapid trial and finally beheaded . It was 1425 ; Parisina was 20 years old , Ugo only 19 . Coming down the stairway , on the left was Parisina ’ s cell . Following the corridor is Ugo ’ s one , having , on the ceiling , prisoners ' writing done with candle smoke . Lion ' s Tower . Before 1385 , since at least one hundred years , on the site where the Castle of Saint Michael was built , an old watchtower stood to defend the northern line of the city walls and , more exactly , the near strategic gate called of the Lion , beyond which a small homonymous district extended . A large canal , that flew into the river Po with its tributaries , defended the northern stretch of walls . At that period the town had developed alongside the left bank of the main branch of the river , whose course in that point opened eastward to form a vast delta . Water provided places , suburbs and the town itself with the most effective protection . Not very long before the construction of the Castle , the watchtower underwent a transformation , ordered by Nicolò II and probably carried out by the same Bartolino da Novara , who would both later have been the future patron and architect of the Castle . Thus , from a high , rectilinear square - planned tower , intended for surveillance and sighting , it turned into a small fort with a much wider base and larger battlements on the first floor , well - equipped according to the latest military defensive techniques . A ramp , that ran along three sides of the stronghold , allowed access to the battlements and was meant to facilitate transport of weapons , artillery and other such loads with the help of animals . The vast rooms at the ground and first floors were used as headquarters for the Este soldiery , whereas the prisons were located in the dark basement . The exterior structure of the stronghold looked the same on all four sides . First Floor . The Courts . The Courts have several rooms with remains of frescoes and panels describing the different apartments of the castle . Loggia and Garden of the Oranges . The Garden of the Oranges assumed its current size and characteristics under Alfonso I and evokes powerfully the presence of the court , standing here unseen by the people , amid the perfume of the orange blossoms , admiring the city . The wall of the hanging garden was constructed following the plans of Girolamo da Carpi . Archive documents are rich in observations about the hanging gardens and these have allowed the reconstruction of their various arrangements : from little paths among large flowerbeds ( whose soil had been carried up here ) of annual plants , to the 18th century arrangement , which featured only citrus plants , in pots that were sheltered in the winter in a Loggia used as a greenhouse . Cabinet of the Bacchanalia . This is a little passage - way that was at one time completely painted ; the right - hand wall still shows three scenes inspired by the myth of Bacchus . Ducal Chapel . The Ducal Chapel is a little room with elegant geometric lines , destinated to private praying . An old tradition argued that Renée de France - wife of Duke Ercole II of Este who had Calvinist sympathies - ordered this particular decoration , without sacred images . On the walls , coated all over with precious polychrome marbles , no sacred image - either painted or in mosaic - is actually represented , as one would at least expect in the small niches . The vault , conversely , is decorated with frescoes portraying the Four Evangelists against a light blue background , surrounded by cherubs , each of them respectively recognizable by the lion ( Saint Mark ) , the eagle ( Saint Luke ) , the angel ( Saint Matthew ) and the bull ( Saint John ) in accordance with the iconographic tradition . Chamber of Dawn . Located inside the Lion ' s Tower , the Chamber of Dawn is decorated with a sumptuous ceiling representing the four parts of the day : on the right ( coming in from the chapel ) is the Dawn , a young winged Goddess who advances pulling the horses of the sun ’ s chariot by their reins . Proceeding then in a clockwise direction is the Day , when the chariot of the sun proceeds in all its shining glory , preceded by Dawn with two torches in her hands ; then the Dusk , with the chariot of the sun going away towards the horizon ; and Night , where Diana , with the lunar disc on her forehead , rejoins her lover Endymion . At the centre is an old man representing the Time , seated between the three Fates - Goddesses of Life and Death . In the lower part is a long procession of cherubs on chariots drawn by every type of animal . The great mirrors that are a feature of this room and the two following were set there by the curator of the restoration , Gae Aulenti , recalling the name of these rooms , recorded in documents as " The Mirror Suite " . Saletta dei Giochi . The " Saletta dei Giochi " ( " Small Chamber of Games " ) has a ceiling decorated , in the centre , with the round dance of the Four Seasons , and around that frescoes with scenes of the Games of Ancient Rome ; on the long side a Bacchanal ; opposite that the Basket Fight , a sort of boxing in which the competitors had around their hands bandages called ‘ baskets ’ . On the two short walls are represented Gladiator fights . At the bottom , scenes of children ' s games rendered in the artistic style of Ancient Rome . From the " Saletta dei Giochi " it ' s possible to climb right up to the balustrade of the Lion ' s Tower , from which it is possible to enjoy a good panoramic view of the city of Ferrara . Saletta dei Veleni . The " Saletta dei Veleni " ( " Small Chamber of Poisons " ) seems to have been used originally by the court pharmacists to produce medicine and , according to some , also the poisons used against political enemies . The ceiling is from the 20th century and represents Italy surrounded by symbols of conquest from the fascist period . The Hall of Games . This large room was intended for evening amusements , whether concerts or games . The ceiling is divided into eleven panels , each one containing a scene describing a different sport , following the passions of Duke Alfonso II . Not all of them are painted in the same style : the ones on the courtyard side are by Bastianino and represent , from left to right : the all - in wrestling , the " lancio delle pietre " ( a kind of discus trhow performed with stones ) , and the Greco - Roman wrestling . The athletes are naked in deference to the tradition of ancient Greece . Also by Bastianino is the panel depicting swimming , on the short side next to the Greco - Roman wrestling . Appartamento della Pazienza . At one time this was the first room of the ' Appartamento della Pazienza ' ( " Patience Suite " ) , made for Ercole II . Its decoration is late , with a neo - Renaissance ceiling ; at the edge are represented the signs of the Zodiac . The room is dominated by an enormous reproduction of an 18th century panorama of Ferrara by Andrea Bolzoni . Gallery anteroom . The neo - Renaissance ceiling displays some of the Este coats of arms . The space is dominated by a large panel that reproduces an antique print showing Ferrara at the end of the 15th century , when the architect Biagio Rossetti had started the enlargement of the city ordered by Ercole I ( the " Addizione Erculea " ) and the new walls had already been built to the North , with the old walls still awaiting demolition . The still navigable Po is in foreground position . At the end of the main piazza ( on the right the cathedral , on the left the Palazzo Ducale , behind which are poking out the towers of the Castle ) , is portrayed a gate which closes it off , while behind the built - up areas the old walls can be seen . Higher up is a second circuit of walls , surrounding a thinly populated area . Hector and Andromache Room . This room was created by shortening the Gallery . In the 19th century Cardinal Tommaso Benetti had the ceiling decorated with an epic scene : Hector leaving his son and his wife Andromache ( Iliad Book VI ) . The large panel reproduces a fresco with a representation of Estense territory : the Duchy of Ferrara at the centre , with Modena and Reggio on the left . Gallery Room . All that remains of that large chamber has lost all trace of decoration . Originally on the walls there were frescoed views of the city . The panels are dedicated to the countryside residences of the House of Este for retreat and pleasure . The large panel shows the Ferrara region during the Napoleonic era . The land reclamation projects . This room is dedicated to the works of land reclamation that characterized the territory of the Province of Ferrara along the centuries . Saint Paul ’ s Tower . The Saint Paul ' s Tower was built on the South - west corner of the Castle as the stronghold to the building ' s main entrance . The tower points towards the site upon which the church of San Giuliano was re - built ( visible from the windows ) . The little church was demolished in 1385 to allow the construction of the new building , and for this reason the tower is now sometimes referred to as the tower of San Giuliano . The wall designs in tempera are dedicated to images of Diana and other divinities whereas on the ceiling , between large sections supporting light architectural structures , the four seasons are illustrated in small panels . Government anteroom . Those who requested audience with the Duke waited in this little room . The ceiling is richly frescoed . The floor is from the Este period . Government Room . Created for Ercole II ( 1534 – 1559 ) to deal with the business of government , it still displays its splendid original ceiling with painted and gilded lacunars ( recessed panels ) , one of the most beautiful in this style in the whole of Italy . In the centre , in the large oval , is represented the Myth of Pan . Other Mythical forms are found in the other panels : the whole should be read as a celebration of the Prince and his good government . Devolution Room . The ceiling , dating to the 19th century , represents the devolution of Ferrara from the House of Este domination to that of the Papal States in 1598 . The four pictures are to be read clockwise , starting from the side nearest the Sala del Governo : in the first one , Lucrezia d ’ Este , sent by the Duke of Ferrara , is conversing with Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini , the Pope ’ s nephew ; in front , two secretaries are drawing up the Agreement which was then to be signed by these two plenipotentiaries . In the second , Duke Cesare d ' Este , surrounded by dignitaries , leaves the city he has lost , on horseback , bound for Modena , which he had declared the new capital of his State . On the third , Cardinal Aldobrandini arrives in Ferrara the day after the Duke ’ s departure . In the fourth , finally , one of the many festivities organised in honour of Pope Clement VIII , come to take possession of the city : in the castle moat , ladies from Comacchio race the typical boats of the lagoons , the " batane " . Landscapes Room . This room takes its name from the band decorated with fine landscape frescoes , painted in the 18th century by an unknown hand ( perhaps Giuseppe Zola ) . Geography Room . Situated in the Torre Marchesana , otherwise called the Clock Tower , this hall has noteworthy maps of Ferrara territory created in 1709 - 1710 . The enormous area once covered by water and marshes has for mostly disappeared today , in the wake of the great land reclamation works that were concluded in the 1930s . Coats of Arms Room . The room displays two series of decorations from the Papal States period . The older is a long series of coat of arms with the Papal Tiara and the Keys of St . Peter ; one part is taken up with the coats of arms of the Popes from Clement VIII ( 1592 – 1605 ) to Pius VI ( 1775 – 1799 ) , the others are empty . Beneath this is a decoration with the coats of arms of the Cardinal Papal Legates who had their residence in the castle : some are visible on the upper part of all four walls . The lower part is however occupied by a decoration made in 1857 on the occasion of the visit of Pope Pius IX , which completely hid the earlier paintings . More coats of arms and some views of the Ferrarese territory of that time : the city of Ferrara ( the Castle ) , Comacchio ( the Trepponti ) , Cento ( the main square ) , Lugo di Romagna ( the porticoes ) , Pomposa Abbey and Bagnacavallo . Council Room . In 1919 when the First World War ended , an ambitious restoration project was started that had been under discussion since 1916 . The works included the decoration , furniture and lighting of the Council Room . This room bears witness of developments of the liberty into art déco design that can be seen in the ornate oriental - like painting on the ceilings , in the mirroring of ceramic mosaics featuring the coat of arms of the city of Ferrara , in the panel with emblems of poppies waving among the wheat that surround the Province ' s coat of arms above the president ' s chair . This same emblem is repeated on one of the six doors , whereas , on the others we find eels amidst waves and seaweed , squirrels on blossoming branches , swallows in vineyards , woodcocks in the marshes and dragonflies and butterflies amidst the corn .