The heart of the city is Piazza Trento e Trieste.
The northern side of the square is delimited by the cathedral, Cattedrale di San Giorgio Martire.
Built between the 12th and 17th centuries it’s a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. It was being renovated when I was in town so I couldn’t go inside.
The facade of the cathedral is on its own adjoining square, Piazza de Cattedrale. Opposite is the 15th-century Palazzo Municipale, home of the Comune di Ferrara (city council). This was an earlier residence of the Este family, the rulers of Ferrara during the Rennaisance, before they moved to the more heavily fortified castle along the road.
An arch takes you into Piazza del Municipio. The bronze statues on the columns either side of the arch are of Niccolò III (marquis from 1393) and Borso d’Este (marquis from 1450).
This interior courtyard features a flight of marble stairs up to the higher floor of the palazzo.
Linked to the palazzo by a covered passage is the Castello Estense, a 14th century moated medieval castle and the later residence of the Estes.
On the corner of Corso Martiri della Libertà and Piazza Savonarola, between the palazzo and the castle, is the Padimetro on whichare marked the high water points of the frequent floods that have historically plagued Ferrara.
In the south western corner of Piazza Trento e Trieste stands the Torre dell’Orologio.
Such is the value of these buildings that UNESCO has designated the urban centre of Ferrara, the City of the Renaissance, as having ‘Outstanding Universal Value’.
You’ll find all the places mentioned on my Google map.