Built in 1385 by Bartolino da Novara, the castle is the most prominent sight in Ferrara. It is joined to the Palazzo Ducale by a covered, elevated passageway still in existence. From the sixteenth century onwards it became the new court residence, involving radical changes: merlons were replaced with marble balustrades, roof-terraces were added to the towers, and spacious apartments were created.
Inside you can visit the old kitchens, where signs of the large fireplaces used for the famous banquets can still be seen. The prisons, where the unfortunate lovers Ugo and Parisina were incarcerated before being executed, are a sobering contrast. On the first floor, visit the Loggia, the "Orange Garden," the Saletta dei Baccanali, the Chapel of Renee of France, the Sala dell'Aurora with frescoes representing the four parts of the day, and the Sala dei Giochi with scenes of games and sports. The frescoes are sixteenth-century works by Camillo, Cesare, and Sebastiano Filippi.