erous palaces in Ferrara
which are still numbered among the attractions of the gloomy city, and
which are regarded as important structures in the history of
architecture, from the early Renaissance until the appearance of the
rococo style. Many of them, however, are in a deplorable state of
decay. Marchese Alberto built the Palazzo del Paradiso (now the
University) and Schifanoja at the end of the sixteenth century. Ercole
erected the Palazzo Pareschi. He also restored a large part of Ferrara
and extended the city by adding a new quarter on the north, the
Addizione Erculea, which is still the handsomest part of Ferrara. The
city is traversed by two long, wide streets--the Corso di Porta Po, with
its continuation, the Corso di Porta Mare, and the Strada dei Piopponi.
Strolling through these quiet streets one is astonished at the long rows
of beautiful palaces of the Renaissance, reminders of a teeming life now
passed away. Ercole laid out a large square which is surrounded by noble
palaces, and which is now known as the Piazza Ariostea, from the
monument of the great poet which stands in the center. This is,
doubtless, the most beautiful memorial ever erected to a poet. The
marble statue stands upon a high column and looks down upon the entire
city. The history of the monument is interesting. Originally it was
intended that an equestrian statue of Ercole on two columns should
occupy this position. When the columns were being brought down the Po on
a raft, one of them rolled overboard and was lost; the other was used in
the year 1675 to support the statue of Pope Alexander VII, which was
pulled down during the revolution of 1796 and replaced with a statue of
Liberty, the unveiling of which was attended by General Napoleon
Bonaparte. Three years later the Austrians overthrew the statue of
Liberty, leaving the column standing, and in the year 1810 a statue of
the Emperor Napoleon was placed upon it. This fell with the emperor. In
the year 1833 Ferrara set Ariosto's statue upon the column, where it
will remain in spite of all political change.

Magnificent palaces rose in Ercole's new suburb. His brother Sigismondo
erected the splendid Palazzo Diamanti, now Ferrara's art gallery, while
the Trotti, Castelli, Sacrati, and Bevilacqua families built palaces
there which are still in existence. Ferrara was the home of a wealthy
nobility, some of whom belonged to the old baronial families. In
addition there were the Contrarii, Pio,