Anello dei Borgia: cycling among the delights of the Este family

The first stop on the route is Voghiera, site of the Delizia Estense di Belriguardo.
This was the favourite summer residence of the Corte Estense, and was also one of the most beloved palaces of Lucrezia Borgia.

Commissioned by the Marquis Niccolo d'Este in 1435, it was the first of the famous Estensi residences to be built outside the walls of Ferrara and was always the richest and most sumptuous . For this reason it earned the nickname "Versailles of the Estensi", with its dozens of frescoed halls and huge, fabulous “Italian style” gardens.
Over time, various structures and functional spaces were added, such as pergolas and vineyards, orchards and vegetable plots, fish ponds, fountains and above all, vast and well-ordered gardens.

To see

• The great Sala delle Vigne (Vineyard Room). Many artists contributed to its development, such as Dosso and Battista Dossi, Camillo Filippi, Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo, Tommaso and Girolamo da Carpi and many others.
• The Civic Museum of Belriguardo, divided into four sections: Archaeological, Renaissance (housed in the Sala della Vigna); Modern Art and Industrial Archaeology.

Just a few kilometres by bike and you can reach the Delizia Estense del Verginese near Gambulaga, a hamlet of the Municipality of Portomaggiore.
The Delizia, an ancient leisure residence of the d'Este family, was initially inherited by Ercole II, son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso I d'Este. In 1534, Duke Alfonso I d'Este donated it to Laura Dianti, the woman who became his mistress after the death of his wife Lucrezia Borgia.

Laura Dianti transformed what was a simple agricultural holding into a small Renaissance palace, composed of a two-story rectangular villa bordered by crenelated towers. The name of the residence must presumably be linked to the “Verzenese” canal or ditch that surrounded the agricultural estate in several parts.

The rooms of the Verginese are home to the Sepolcreto dei Fadieni Archaeological Museum, which features Roman-era relics unearthed in a small necropolis near the Delizia. The finds tell of the daily, economic and social life of a Roman family.

To see outside

• At the rear of the Delizia is the Brolo, the ancient garden of the Delizia consisting mainly of flowers and fruit trees. Created in the Renaissance, it combines the delight of colours and scents with the practical purpose of fruit production for the canteen. Today the garden has been reconstructed with meadows, flowerbeds and rose gardens, alternating in a geometric and symmetrical arrangement with fruit trees such as pomegranates, pears, hazelnuts and apple trees.
• At the bottom of the garden stands the Torre Colombaia, once used as a watchtower and ‘base’ for homing pigeons.
• Nearby there is the Vinaia del Sapere – the ancient drying room. It has now been renovated and is used for exhibitions and cultural activities.

Another residence along the route, the Delizia di Benvignante is located in the homonymous village, a hamlet of the municipality of Argenta. 

Built in 1464 at the behest of Borso d’Este, it was later donated by the Duke to Teofilo Calcagnini, a gentleman and secretary to the Este court. The palace was also surrounded by a wooded park, a vegetable garden and vast cultivated estates.

Useful info
The interior of the Delizia is not open to the public; however, it is worth a brief stop to admire the exterior; it also hosts some of the concerts in the famous ‘Ferrara sotto le stelle’ music festival.