Diamond Palace (Palazzo dei Diamanti) Tours

The 15th-century Palazzo dei Diamanti (Diamond Palace) is one of the top places for art in the Renaissance city of Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace is home to two of Ferrara’s most important art museums and holds temporary art shows throughout the year.
The Basics
Art aficionados won’t want to miss a visit to this palace named for the diamond-like cut of the more than 8,500 marble blocks that form its facade. Designed by Biagio Rossetti and built beginning in 1493, the palace today hosts temporary exhibitions and Ferrara’s Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art on the ground floor and the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Ferrara painting gallery upstairs.
Pair a visit to the rotating and permanent collections with a private or small-group walking or bike tour of the city’s highlights. Tours typically touch on Ferrara’s most important landmarks, including Castello Estense, Schifanoia Palace, the cathedral (duomo), and the former Jewish Ghetto.
Things to Know Before You Go
How to Get There
The Palazzo dei Diamanti is located in Ferrara’s historic center, an easy walk from any of its most important attractions and a short ride on bus 3 from the train station. Ferrara is a popular day trip from Ravenna and Venice, reachable by car or train.
When to Get There
Weekdays are the quietest times to enjoy the art, and special exhibits often have extended visiting hours until as late as 10:30pm. Avoid visiting on Mondays, when the upstairs painting gallery is closed.
The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Ferrara
Ferrara’s painting gallery, housed upstairs in the palace’s sumptuous Salone d’Onore and the 16th-century apartments of Virginia de’ Medici, contains an important collection of works from Ferrara dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Highlights include fresco cycles from the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo and the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea; 17th-century paintings by Guercino, Scarsellino, and Carlo Bononi; and sketches by various members of the Gandolfi and Crespi families. Don’t miss the 15th-century late Gothic works, paintings by the Ferrara School, and masterpieces by Gentile da Fabriano, Mantegna, and Carpaccio.
The Basics
Art aficionados won’t want to miss a visit to this palace named for the diamond-like cut of the more than 8,500 marble blocks that form its facade. Designed by Biagio Rossetti and built beginning in 1493, the palace today hosts temporary exhibitions and Ferrara’s Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art on the ground floor and the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Ferrara painting gallery upstairs.
Pair a visit to the rotating and permanent collections with a private or small-group walking or bike tour of the city’s highlights. Tours typically touch on Ferrara’s most important landmarks, including Castello Estense, Schifanoia Palace, the cathedral (duomo), and the former Jewish Ghetto.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Temporary exhibitions change regularly, so check the Palazzo’s schedule before visiting.
- The museum is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
- There is a free cloakroom, as well as lockers to check umbrellas, bags, and large items.
- The museum shop can be visited for free.
How to Get There
The Palazzo dei Diamanti is located in Ferrara’s historic center, an easy walk from any of its most important attractions and a short ride on bus 3 from the train station. Ferrara is a popular day trip from Ravenna and Venice, reachable by car or train.
When to Get There
Weekdays are the quietest times to enjoy the art, and special exhibits often have extended visiting hours until as late as 10:30pm. Avoid visiting on Mondays, when the upstairs painting gallery is closed.
The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Ferrara
Ferrara’s painting gallery, housed upstairs in the palace’s sumptuous Salone d’Onore and the 16th-century apartments of Virginia de’ Medici, contains an important collection of works from Ferrara dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Highlights include fresco cycles from the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo and the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea; 17th-century paintings by Guercino, Scarsellino, and Carlo Bononi; and sketches by various members of the Gandolfi and Crespi families. Don’t miss the 15th-century late Gothic works, paintings by the Ferrara School, and masterpieces by Gentile da Fabriano, Mantegna, and Carpaccio.
Address: Corso Ercole I d'Este, 21, Ferrara 44121, Italy
Admission: Varies
2 Tours and Activities to Experience Diamond Palace (Palazzo dei Diamanti)
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Ferrara Walking Tour
The three centuries of the Este domination, when the court of Ferrara was among the most refined and cultured in Europe, without having canceled the medieval Romanesque Gothic grandeur, have left a profoundly humanistic imprint in the city among churches, castles, delights and palaces wonderfully frescoed. Not to mention the flowering of an elegant and refined gastronomy that continues to delight the palates and tables of Ferrara.
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From
$79.19
$31.23 savings
Price varies by group size
From
$79.19
$31.23 savings
Price varies by group size

Bike Tour Discovering Ferrara
1
Discover Ferrara by bike on a 3-hour tour led by a knowledgeable guide who shows you the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city’s highlights. Bike along Viale Cavour to important sites including the Castello Estense, Palazzo dei Diamanti and the Duomo (Ferrara Cathedral). Wheel down well-marked bike paths that run along the ancient city walls and stop to take in the majestic Piazza Trento Trieste. Learn about the urban planners of the Renaissance who created the Addizione Erculea, and more on this fun and informative bike tour.
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From
$73.00
From
$73.00
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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