Villa Mensa

The founder of this villa was Bartolomeo della Rovere, bishop of Ferrara from 1474 to 1494, a member of the family who gave the papal throne two popes. It is unknown the exact year of construction, which must, however, be placed within the chronological limits of his episcopate. From then on, the bishopric of Ferrara had its own villa, easily reachable along the Po di Volano. The complex appears to consist of several buildings, some of which are service buildings.

The manor house is now made up of several buildings, dating back to later times, laid out on three sides around a quadrangular courtyard, with a tower – probably late-16th-century – at the centre of one of them, above a walkway; at the sides, a crenellated wall gives access to the side openings. Despite the subsequent extensions and modifications, the villa still bears some important elements of 15th-century architecture, such as the deep loggia overlooking the courtyard. The cardinals of the house of Este, Ippolito I and Luigi (son of Ercole II and Renata di Francia) stayed and revelled there. Both carried out works in Sabbioncelli, the former involving Biagio Rossetti (1513).