Italy. More than a simple reopening to the public, it is the rebirth of one of its architectural jewels that Ferrara celebrates. The Palazzina di Marfisa, residence of the Princess of Este, has been restored to its former splendor. Its elegant main facade, built in exposed brick, is punctuated by large rectangular windows. The only concession to the traditional grandiloquence of aristocratic palaces which it lacks is its majestic marble portal, the work of the sculptor Lorenzo Quaini. The Palazzina had suffered less from the ravages of time than from those of the 2012 earthquake which hit Emilia-Romagna hard. After a long period of closure for restoration and consolidation work, the palace is finally welcoming visitors since September 6. A vast project which lasted almost three years for a total cost of more than 1.4 million euros. An essential financial effort to reinforce the damaged walls, equip the building with the most recent anti-seismic standards, restore all the luster to its decorations and make it both more accessible and more welcoming.
Ferrara is thus celebrating the 30th anniversary of its UNESCO World Heritage listing by reviving the memory of one of the most emblematic figures of its glorious past as the capital of the Italian Renaissance. Marfisa d’Este (1554-1608) was one of the most fascinating aristocrats of her time. Illegitimate daughter of Francesco d’Este, the Dukes of Ferrara Alfonso I d’Este and Lucrezia Borgia as grandparents, and a first name taken from theOrlando furiosothe epic poem composed by Ludovico Ariosto, known as Ariosto, was enough to suggest a romantic destiny. Its existence confirmed these expectations. She was thus an eminent leader of the social life of her court as protector of the arts and letters, but above all of the greatest poet and playwright of the peninsula: Torquato Tasso. A woman of culture, Marfisa d’Este was above all a woman of character, deciding to stay in Ferrara after the devolution of her duchy to the Holy See in 1598. While all her relatives moved to Modena, she resisted by proving the unbreakable link that united her family to the city by remaining in the Palazzina, inherited from her father. In 1559, Francesco d’Este had a casino di deliziea small pleasure residence designed to escape the obligations of court and indulge in entertainment. Marisa will never leave this haven of peace with its splendid gardens, its famous loggia and its interiors sumptuously decorated with grotesques that we owe to the Lippi workshop. The ideal setting for the artistic and literary life of Ferrara until the death of Marfisa in 1608.
Restored facade of the Palazzina di Marfisa d’Este in Ferrara.
© Luca Gavagna
The Palazzina transformed into a museum in 1938
The decline of the Palazzina from the mid-18th century was only halted at the beginning of the 20th century. A first restoration took place between 1910 and 1915, a prelude to its transformation into a museum in 1938 thanks to the art critic and museographer Nino Barbantini. Anxious to make it a space representative of the city while evoking a Renaissance residence, he replaced the original furniture which had disappeared with works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries acquired on the art market. The real attraction of the Palazzina lies in the Loggia degli Aranci – the Loggia of the Orange Trees – (see ill.). Located in the garden, it was once a space for entertainment for concerts and balls as well as for rest at the discretion of its owner. Its name comes from the decoration of its vault, which imitates a lush arbor with plants, birds and animals, creating the illusion of being surrounded by nature.
Both the loggia and the rooms of the Palazzina were the subject of delicate restoration operations carried out by the Monumental Heritage Service of the city of Ferrara, vigilant with regard to the reuse of old materials, the Ferrara Arte Foundation, the Superintendence of Cultural Property as well as the Banca BPER with its rich collection of works of art and antique furniture. “The objective was to create a dynamic museum which, on the one hand, preserves the transformations of the 20the century and, on the other hand, celebrates the history of the Palazzina and the figure of Marfisa d’Este, claims Marco Gulinelli, municipal councilor in charge of heritage. It will be a place accessible to everyone, which was not possible before, transforming the precious Este residence into a museum in tune with the times and finally inclusive thanks to access ramps that mitigate the unevenness of the ground. » The installation of a new lighting system enhances the champagne color of the walls. He sublimates the grotesques painted on the ceilings by revealing details that were previously difficult to observe. The new tour route, developed to respect the stratification of the building and its transformations over the centuries, benefits from clear and precise labels. A restoration project which has not only valued, but above all respected, one of the most important symbols of the Cinquecento of Ferrara which has finally been returned.
