Palazzo Saracco già Riminaldi: A Late-Medieval Palace in Ferrara
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Duchy of Ferrara, Papal States
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Elite Residence
On this page8 sections
History
Medieval origins
Palazzo Saracco già Riminaldi is a late-medieval palace on Via Bersaglieri del Po in Ferrara, Italy, begun in 1480 by the nobleman Gian Maria Riminaldi. The street was then known as Borgo Nuovo. Riminaldi’s son, Giacopino, completed the medieval building.
Eighteenth-century enlargement
In 1706, architect Francesco Mazzarelli designed an enlargement commissioned by Riminaldi family members Francesco Maria and Galeazzo. The project expanded the interiors, added a monumental staircase and frescoes to principal rooms on the piano nobile (the palace’s principal reception floor), and altered the exterior, including the façade. A small public chapel was also opened on Via Bersaglieri del Po. The Saracco name entered the palace’s title after Ludovica Riminaldi married Count Giambattista Saracco in 1755.
Bombing in 1944
On 28 January 1944, Allied bombing, the second most serious bombing of Ferrara, severely damaged the palace and destroyed its chapel.
Remains
Street façade
The palace has a simple but monumental façade whose appearance remains medieval. Exposed Ferrara terracotta brickwork is combined with Istrian stone, a limestone associated with the Istrian peninsula, in details including capitals and columns. At the corners, the stonework emphasizes the joints and rough faces of the blocks. The base slopes outward, and a large round-arched portal forms the entrance. Above it are three large windows with round arches: the two outer windows are open, while the central opening is blind.
Courtyard and interiors
The portal leads to a staircase to the upper floor and to an interior courtyard. A columned loggia, a roofed gallery open to the air on one or more sides, surrounds the courtyard, with a well at its centre. Medallions decorate the monumental staircase, and some depict members of the Riminaldi family. Rooms on the principal floor have frescoed or coffered ceilings, some partly visible from the street.
Chapel
The small public chapel on Via Bersaglieri del Po was dedicated to the Madonna, the Christian title for Mary, mother of Jesus. Frescoes and stucco decorated its ceiling.
