Ferrara: A Day Trip from Bologna

With the power restored at the AirBNB, it was now time to figure out how we wanted to spend the rest of the day since meeting up with our friends in Rome was no longer an option.

Searching the web for photos of the nearby towns, we compromised on Ferrara versus one of the better-known places … such as Modena. That it was only ½-hour away by train clinched the decision. That it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural landscape was a bonus.

We arrived at Bologna Centrale just minutes before the noon train was scheduled to depart. No matter … we still needed to figure out how to buy the tickets from the automated machine since the line at the counter was very long. An agent for Trenitalia gave us a tutorial and shortly we had tickets on the 1:10p regional train to Venezia … but only as far as Ferrara. The cost?

After finding the right binario (platform) so that we would know where to go when the time came, we checked out the train station to become familiar with the layout.

When we took the elevated monorail from the airport, the Marconi Express dropped us off in a different part of the station. There wasn’t much there, and it made us wonder how the station could be considered a main hub. Turns out that we were on the far side of the tracks then. Here was the real station, with all the hubbub that entails.

When we returned to binario 3, a Trenitalia train was already at the platform. We got on and found a couple of seats. I don’t know about the other cars — I think there were three in all — but ours had no more than 15 people ‘riding the rails’ mid-day.

Frankly, the scenery along the way wasn’t all that interesting. Nonetheless, the ride passed quickly and soon the train was making its second stop … at the Ferrara train station. With Google showing us the way, we walked through residential neighborhoods, past the stadium and Palazzo dei Bentivoglio, and arrived at Piazza del Municipio.

First up, considering it was now 2:00p, we headed to Molto Piu Che Centrale (Much More than Central) for a late lunch. We were seated at the last open table. We ordered two dishes to share: the cappelletti cacio e pepe o alla panna — a type of pasta that is shaped like a little hat … hence the name; grilled cuttlefish and shrimp skewers served with a side salad. We wrapped up with a chocolate torta, garnished with powdered sugar, and served with mascarpone. A sweet and tasty end to our meal.

Returning to the main square, we found it buzzing with activity. The cathedral was closed for siesta, so we continued toward Estense Castle — aka Castillo di San Michele — in the city center.

This medieval castle, replete with a moat filled with water from the Po River and four towers, dates back to 1385. The current appearance is as it was in the second half of the 16th century. Elegant balconies — which replaced the original battlements — add an interesting aspect to the complex. We used one of the three drawbridges to go into the courtyard, but since time was short today, we opted not to tour the castle.

Our meander also took us to Rotonda Foschini, an oval-shaped building with the sky as its roof. Part of the Teatro Comunale of Ferrara, it was once used for visitors arriving by horse and carriage. Along the inside perimeter, there were photographs of landmarks from around the city … ideas for places to check out when we return for another visit.

On the way back to the cathedral, we stopped to check out a column with high-water markings for the Po River. Though the markings go back quite a number of years, it was interesting to note that the water had been the highest in 1951.

We found the Ferrara Cathedral — officially the Cathedral of San Giorgio — was open to visitors. It was sad to see part of the façade covered in scaffolding that was wrapped in protective cloth, but interesting to note that unlike the Basilica di San Petronio in Bologna, the entire façade was covered in marble.

Consecrated in 1177, the church has been remodeled a number of times over the centuries. Thus, it showcases a number of architectural styles from Gothic to Renaissance, to Baroque and Romanesque. The ceiling looked like it was painted in frescoes. Unfortunately, there must be bits and pieces falling down as a net has been strung from one end of the building to the other, so it was impossible to see them clearly.

After our visit to the cathedral, we headed back to the train station, taking an alternate route. The light was growing dim, so we really didn’t see much. Once we got to the train station, we still had about 45 minutes to go before our train was scheduled to arrive. But our feet had had it for the day, so we validated our tickets and made our way to the binario. Luck was with us, and we found a couple of benches where we could take a load off.

The 6:05p train arrived right around 6:00p and we hopped in the closest car. Like the other trains that had gone by while we were waiting — and quite unlike the train we took to get to Ferrara — this one was packed. We managed to find two seats together and settled down for the duration of the 31-minute ride back to Bologna.

When we detrained at Bologna Centrale, we found it sprinkling rain … very light. Knowing there would be porticos along the way to keep us dry, we decided to return to the AirBNB via the roads around the Battisti apartment … check out the nighttime ambiance. Still quiet since the main drag was still closed to vehicle traffic; well-lit; mostly couples and families walking on the streets. That’s a good thing if we are to rent this apartment.

Speaking of the apartment, we got a message from Mirco asking if we could meet with him and the owners at 11:00a tomorrow to discuss our questions. Of course, we said yes.Read more