Palace of Don Giulio d’Este (Palazzo di Don Giulio d’Este)

The complex that belonged to Giulio d’Este – natural son of Duke Ercole I and Isabella Arduini – is today the result of over four centuries of transformations. The building was constructed for Don Giulio between around 1500 and 1504 on commission from his father, who wanted to give him a large building within the newly urbanised Addizione. In 1501, at least one part had already been built and Pietro Antonio da Modena was paid for the terracotta friezes that framed two of the doors. The masonry works were entrusted to Antenore da Bondeno. In 1504, the mason Malavolta was paid for plastering the interior, installing fireplaces and laying floors. It is known that the annexes of the building reached as far back as Via Borgo Leoni and that the surrounding wall was crenellated.

Zevi, following Padovani’s lead, attributes the building to Biagio Rossetti, but there is no evidence to support this hypothesis. The building, in what has been assumed to be its original form, is fully part of the Ferrara tradition, without the need to call Biagio into question, whose presence is not attested by the documents.