castello estense

ClaireClaireClairePD

This is a fascinating castle, which you're able to tour at your own pace. There are exhibits that explain its construction and a lot of impressive rooms – some of which have been damaged with time, but are nevertheless beautiful. The highlight, though, are the dungeons. You have to creep through some passages and stairs, but you'll be able to see a large room for special prisoners. There's graffiti all over it. Incredible.

TimCurry

I'm always fascinated by castles. They have so much architectural and historical intrigue. The Este Castle did not disappoint. It was great to learn about the scandals and granduer of the Este family and see where it all went down. I hadn't realized that the infamous Lucrezia Borgia was the Duchess of Ferrara later in life and lived in this very castle. Great frescos and ceilings add to the interest of the tour. If you are in Ferrara, it's a must. If you're thinking about going to Ferrara for a day trip from Bologna or Venice, it's a good reason to go.

490nicolad

Cannot say to have been there, if you haven't seen the castle.A nice guided tour is recommended. Enjoy!

Biba854

The Este family had such an impact on the area and Italy that it really is worth visiting the castle and reading the exhibits about how they achieved this. So interesting.

VPATraveller

This was a good place to spend time on a cold December afternoon. There is not a lot inside apart from ceiling decorations. There are lots of paper repair points on the frescoes as a result of the earthquakes of 2012 apparently. This makes it difficult to find a good angle to take photos.I agree the dungeons are a good part of the visit.

CorradoR964

The castle is good, I recommend a guided tour so that you can learn a lot of local history.Unfortunately all the wall paintings are not present any longer and the recent earthquake created several damages

Petrus61

This castle in the middle of the city epitomizes the power of the old Este family. It is well preserved and the visit takes a couple of hours. There are a few interesting rooms with nice paintings on the ceilings. Do not miss the visit of the jails in the lower part of the castle...a gruesome reminder of how prisoners were treated in those times ! We visited the castle at sunset which gives it a particular athmosphere as the city around begins to darken.

TracyE833

The dungeons gave me the shivers but in the very best way! After visiting this castle, along with the Gonzaga fortress in Mantova and the Della Scala fortress in Verona, you gain a nice sense of the military and residential natures of these Northern Italian fortresses

MichiganMandy

We visited Ferrara in September and had the opportunity to visit the castle. It was difficult to find the ticket office but when we did, we were able to walk through at our own pace. At first, it was quite interesting to see how the families lived there, and visit the dungeons, but most of the first floor rooms were vacant. The ceilings are all painted and lovely, but there is no furniture, or anything on the walls. It was a nice place to see, but I thought it would have a bit more of the original castle.

Pandamiles

Very large fortress within a moat in Central Ferrara. Good selection of rooms to visit. Beautiful wall and ceiling paintings and a very creepy dungeon ( no torture devices or images of violence) helpful staff. Maps and displays in Italian and (mostly) in English as well. Very cheap for a hour long leisurely tour of the castle. Five minute taxi ride from the train station €8-10. Good start point for a walk around the old city.

T4663ZEpauls

Excellent place to visit, it still has a water filled moat. Could do with some period furniture to add to the atmosphere. Dungeons were the most interesting. Unfortunately the towers were covered in scaffolding for repairs when we were there in September 2014 but that's ok.

MiriamP759

Big & massive, built in red brick with 4 towers at the 4 corners & a moat around it.In my opinion the outside is the best part of this castle.Inside- besides the ceilings there is very little to admire.No wonder that some reviewers came to the conclusion that the most interesting rooms were the dungeons...A waste of money & time.

sueleeuk

Well set out descriptions in English too. Worth a visit very extensive.Undergoing some restoration on our visit but we still enjoyed the experience.

Magellan63

Prisons are spectacular and the water all around the castle in the city is a real pleasure to observe. Unfortunately, a lot of the numerous wall paintings have severally suffered from the 2012 earthquake.

kamczan

Castello Estense is yet another castle that follows the pattern of many similar Italian constructions - it was sold to the state without any objects inside and is now available for visiting, but the only thing you can see is the construction and the empty walls inside, thus it's only interesting for those, who don't look for much history and the interiors looking like in the times when they were used. What I found the most interesting there, were the dungeons, which were much bigger than in the castles I've seen before, thus if you decide to visit, make sure you look into every corner of this part of the castle.