Outside the urban areas, there are also castles and refined residences commissioned by the ruling families. In the territories of Ferrara and Modena, the House of Este raised the “Delights” (Delizie) such as decentralized ducal palaces embellished with frescoes. The Ferrara delights of the Dukes of Este in the Po Delta have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, thanks to illustrating in an exceptional way, the influence of Renaissance on the natural landscape.
Francesco I Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio-Emilia, in 1634 asked instead to transform an ancient family castle into a modern courtesan residence, today known as the Ducal Palace of Sassuolo. This Palace is one of the most important baroque residences in northern Italy and “delights” us with illusions of perspective, allegorical themes and episodes of the history of Este, allowing to eyewitness its virtuous government.
