Casa Romei

Ferrara


This palace was once owned by Giovanni Romei, a top administrator to the Este clan – and his importance shows in the architecture. The austere brick exterior hides a peaceful inner patio (once part of an adjacent monastery). On the 1st floor is a 16th-century apartment preserved – sans furniture – in its original state. There's plenty of art and frescoes dotted around.

Summer visitors after sunset can enjoy the new Sogno o Son Deste (www.sognoosondeste.it), which analogically projects the palace's original ancient art on the walls.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ferrara attractions

1. Palazzo Schifanoia

0.24 MILES

Dating to 1385, the Este's 14th-century pleasure palace suffered significant earthquake damage in May 2012 and the museum will be shuttered until 2020 for…

2. Museo Lapidario

0.3 MILES

Your ticket to Palazzo Schifanoia also gives entry to this nearby museum, which has a small, undocumented collection of Roman and Etruscan stele, tombs…

3. Museo della Cattedrale

0.31 MILES

This museum houses various artefacts from Ferrara's duomo, including a serene Madonna by Jacopo della Quercia, a couple of vigorous Cosimo Tura canvases,…

4. Duomo

0.33 MILES

The outstanding feature of the pink-and-white 12th-century cathedral is its three-tiered marble facade combining Romanesque and Gothic styles on the lower…

5. Museo Archeologico Nazionale

0.4 MILES

Housed within what is arguably Ferrara's most beautifully preserved palace – the 1505 Palazzo Costabili – the city's national archaeological museum is…

6. Palazzo Municipale

0.4 MILES

Linked to the castle by an elevated passageway, the 13th-century crenellated Palazzo Municipale was the Este family home until they moved next door to the…

7. City Walls

0.4 MILES

Only Lucca in Tuscany can claim a more complete set of walls than Ferrara, though with a total circumference of 9km, Ferrara's are longer and among the…

8. Castello Estense

0.44 MILES

Complete with moat and drawbridge, Ferrara's towering castle was commissioned by Nicolò II d'Este in 1385. Initially it was intended to protect him and…