The Ferrara Cathedral (Duomo of Ferrara)

The Cathedral of Ferrara, as it appears today, constitutes an extraordinary palimpsest generated by the incisive interventions that have taken place over the centuries on the Romanesque cathedral, built around 1135 to replace the ancient cathedral on the southern bank of the Po (current S. Giorgio beyond). Nicholaus, who created sculptural works on the façade, was probably also the designer of the architectural layout, inspired by the cathedral of Modena and perhaps also that of Pisa. In the 13th century, the two side registers of the façade were raised up to the level of the central one, creating a unique screen façade, a successful hybrid between European Gothic models and Po Valley roots. The porch was also raised two levels, welcoming an early cycle of the Last Judgement.

Major transformations took place in the 15th century. Firstly, the long construction site of the bell tower was started, at the behest of Nicolò III d’Este (1412) and then by Borso (1451), probably to a design by Leon Battista Alberti; the apse was then rebuilt to a design by Biagio Rossetti (1498), commissioned by Ercole I. The 15th-century apse is the only element of the interior to have survived the radical rebuilding of the cathedral carried out in the first decades of the 18th century.