Nicola picks me up at 10, and we drive the 50 km or so to Ferrara, a small city filled with Renaissance buildings, many of them built by the Este family. As we drive Nicola tells me of some of the challenges of being in charge of much of the response to the pandemic. We stroll like flaneurs into the centre of the city. I ask Nicola if there is an Italian word equivalent to flaneur. Surprisingly, it seems that there isn’t. Ferrara is peaceful and has nothing like the frenzy of tourists I’ve seen in Rome (and will see later in Venice). We pass the Romanesque cathedral with its highly imposing façade and decide that we’ll go in later. We never do because there is much else to see. The centre of the city is dominated by Este Castle built by the Este family at the end of the 14th century. It’s ringed by a moat and has a severe military feel. I cannot image anybody taking the castle. As we walk, Nicola tells me about Claudio Abbado, the conductor, whom he knew through his sister and who…
No comments yet. Log in to reply on the Fediverse. Comments will appear here.