Ferrara
A castle, squash-filled pasta, and a lot of bicycles.
Ferrara is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy, known for its castle, its squash-filled pasta, its twisted bread, and its bike culture.
I’ve been once, on a italy-2023 with my family in June, after visiting friends in Turin.
What to Eat
The COOP in Ferrara had fresh gluten-free pasta, tortellini and tagliatelle both, which we could cook at home so my son and my now ex-wife could still eat something close to the local food. I made tortellini with roasted walnuts and lemon about once a week, and the family never got tired of it.
Where to Shop
The farmers’ market. Every Friday in the Piazza Travaglio, right outside one of the old gates into the city. There’s another near the castle on the first and third Sunday of the month.
Notable Walks
The city walls. I am a sucker for defensive walls around old European cities. Ferrara’s are in a more dilapidated state than the ones at, say, Lucca, but a pathway very nearly circumnavigates what’s left of them, and following it is a good way to spend an afternoon clearing your head.