Ferrara

In 1492 Ercole I d'Este commissioned Biagio Rossetti to double the city northward on a planned grid of wide straight streets, an addition known as the Herculean Addition and often described as the first modern town planning in Europe; UNESCO listed the city for it in 1995. The Este castle sits moated in the middle with dungeons below the water line. The Palazzo dei Diamanti is faced with over eight thousand marble blocks cut to points. Nine kilometres of walls survive almost entirely and carry a cycling and walking path; Ferrara has more bicycles than most Italian cities and flat streets to use them on.

What you actually see

• The Herculean Addition - a planned Renaissance city extension on a grid.
• The moated castle - the Este fortress with dungeons below water level.
• The Palazzo dei Diamanti - a facade of eight thousand pointed marble blocks.
• The nine-kilometre walls - a near-complete circuit used for cycling.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the Palio in May claims to be the oldest in Italy. Summer on the Po plain is humid and winter is foggy and cold.

Honest expectations

Summer humidity and winter fog are both heavy on the plain. Some palaces close for exhibitions changeover. The wide planned streets can feel empty.

Nearby

Comacchio lies east; Bologna is south.