☰Palazzo dei Diamanti

Named for the 8,500 diamond-shaped marble blocks on its facade, the Palazzo dei Diamanti houses the Pinacoteca Nazionale and stages major travelling exhibitions — past shows have featured Dali, Miro, Monet, and Chagall. The building itself, designed by Biagio Rossetti in the late 15th century, sits at the crossroads of the Addizione Erculea, the ambitious Renaissance urban expansion that earned Ferrara its UNESCO listing. Even if the current exhibition does not grab you, the facade alone is worth the walk.