Experience in Ferrara, Italy by Andrea

What did life in Ferrara seem like to you? Would you recommend it? What is it like?

Life in Ferrara flows in a peaceful way. The size of the city and the number of citizens means that you could consider it a town. Hence why I can tell you that it's a fairly peaceful way of life, although it still allows bursts of movement, for more eventful evenings on the weekends. But, like always, it depends also on who you live with and who you are in contact with.

What is the student vibe like in Ferrara?

I went to the Economics department and the location made the world of university enjoyable, since it is in the centre of the city. Lessons are held on the street Via Adelardi, right next to the cathedral, whilst the department's main office is on the street Via Voltapaletto, a 5 minute walk away from the cathedral. In the latter mentioned you can find the library and study room. This location means that from one lesson to another, or during a study break, it's possible to relax a little in the city streets by eating something or simply walking 2 steps and meeting a classmate or friend from another faculty. The university socials are on Wednesday evenings and all the students find themselves in the square to drink something and spend a mid week evening in the open air or inside a local bar somewhere.

How much does it cost to live in Ferrara?

My hometown is about half an hour away from Ferrara, so I never rented a room to live there. In any case, the rent isn't excessively high. We aren't talking about Bologna or Milan, but obviously every place and every type of housing has its market. the local bars and pubs aren't expensive: the clubs have an entrance fee of around 10-20 euros which usually includes a drink.

Is it complicated to find housing in Ferrara? Could you give any advice?

Like I said earlier, I don't have experience in this field regarding Ferrara. Dedicated Facebook groups can help you a lot and the frequency of posts and comments can show you how virtuous the market can be.

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What is the local food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Well, the cuisine from Ferrara is supreme. Starting from the various products that can be purchased at the bakeries (Ferrara is famous for its bread: it invented the so called famous bread "coppia ferrarese"), through to the most typical flatbread wrap, the piadina emiliana, down to the restaurant food. Certainly the cappellacci pasta deserves some merit: throughout the various recipes, the ones with pumpkin stand out! Another typical food from Ferrara that you might find is salama da sugo, a really tasty pork sausage served with mashed potato.

In your opinion, what are the best places to visit in Ferrara?

All of the old town is worth seeing. To lose yourself between the old streets of Ferrara is a pleasure, above all in the area close to the street Via delle Volte. Trento Trieste Square, with its cathedral is spectacular. Then, there is the castle and its surrounding square, Ariostea Square, the Palazzo dei Diamanti, where often it's possible to go to interesting art exhibitions. There is then the wall that encircles the city, where it is possible to stroll around to relax a little bit or jog to keep fit. The Bassani Urban Park is perfect for the summer, to have picnics in and to immerse yourself for a little while in greenery. Ferrara is called bicycle city because for many people, rather than going by car, they travel around by bike. The size of the city makes this possible. Also the whole area around the walls is rich in greenery.

And for some place to eat in Ferrara? Can you speak about your favourite places?

I didn't go many places to have lunch or dinner, but I can recommend the pizza places "I Sofisti", "Cusina e Butega", "Trattoria Le Nuvole", "Trattoria Da Noemi" and "Ristorante Pub Sebastian". For vegetarian/ vegan options, the "Giro Bio". For a snack, I recommend the flatbread wrap shop "Mordicchio", the café "Clandestino birraciboevino" or the pizza place "Orsucci" (they do small, but amazing margaritas).

Where do you recommend to spend a night out in Ferrara?

There are loads of bars in town, especially along the street via Mazzini or in the castle square. There are so many bars that do afternoon drinks and appetisers and you should try all of them a little bit. To spend the evenings, the places that I prefer are Renfre, a rock music bar and, if I have to pick a club (myself not being a big fan of them) College.

What advise would you like to give to future visitors to Ferrara?

Ferrara is indeed not a chaotic city. It's very calm and from a social point of view its perfect if you want to make friends. There are students from all over Italy in the university network and Wednesday is the time to meet people from different departments. It's a very liveable city, and rich with Renaissance art.