Cathedral of Saint George
The Cathedral of San Giorgio in Ferrara is located in the heart of the city, right in front of the Palazzo Comunale and next to the Palazzo Arcivescovile, to which it is connected by a covered passageway. Looking at the façade of the cathedral, Piazza Trento e Trieste opens out to the right. This square is called 'il Listone' by the people of Ferrara, and was the place where the city market used to be held.
Dedicated to Saint George Martyr, as an ancient inscription on the main portal reports, Ferrara Cathedral was inaugurated in 1135. It is the seat of the local bishop who, controlling an archdiocese, extends his influence not only over the city but also its surroundings, reaching as far as Comacchio.
The exterior of San Giorgio
What is most striking about St George's Cathedral is its
façade, designed by a certain Nicolò, the architect who was also responsible for the construction of the mother church of Val di Susa. His original plan was to build a façade in Romanesque style, which is still preserved in the lower, oldest part. However, changes were made in the 13th century, and in fact the upper part is now in Gothic style.
If we look at the central portal, we notice that it has a
bas-relief depicting St George and the dragon, as well as an inscription relating to the architect of the façade, Nicolò. Other highlights include the architrave with stories from the life of Christ and a loggia housing a statue of the Madonna, surmounted by a scene from the Last Judgement. On either side of the main portal are the two entrance doors through which men and women entered the cathedral separately.
The bell tower was completed in 1493, probably based on a design by
Leon Battista Alberti, while on the south side of the cathedral there is a long arcade dating from a few years earlier (1473). Under the arcades were once the market stalls.
A large gateway to the cathedral stood on this side until around 1750, decorated with allegories of the months. Its remains can be seen in the Cathedral Museum. Finally, the ancient inscriptions of the city statutes from the 12th century can still be found under the loggia.
What to see in Ferrara Cathedral
Originally there were five naves in the cathedral, later reduced to three at the behest of Cardinal Dal Verme. The current appearance of the church is in fact due to remodelling carried out in 1712 by architect Mazzarelli. Upon entering, one finds oneself inside an atrium that houses the women's galleries, once accessible from the doorway for women, and the originals of the statues that stood in the outer portico, later replaced by 19th-century copies.
The
decorative apparatus of Ferrara Cathedral is entirely inspired by the Virgin protector of the city. Among its masterpieces there is the
altarpiece by Guercino depicting 'The Martyrdom of the Saint' (1629), located on the altar of the right transept, the high altar created by Celio Tirini in 1728 with materials salvaged from Ravenna, and the presbytery with a 16th-century choir with 150 stalls.
