Castello Estense was built in September 29, 1385.
The time is not random and coincides with the feast of St. Michael, the protector of the doors and fortresses.
The building incorporates an existing tower of the thirteenth century, La Torre dei Leoni.

The castle was born as a defensive response of the Este family after a bloody uprising due to the recent famine.

Niccolò II d'Este commissioned Bartolino from Novara to realize what must have been an impressive machinery of repression against a possible rebellion of the population.
In a first period, the castle looked like a fortress closed, with very narrow windows and doors connected with drawbridges.
With its imposing became the symbol of the power of the Este family against the city itself and altrefamiglie powerful Ferrara.
With the Renaissance, the building became civilized and later on a mansion.
The great transformation took place with the architect in charge Girolamo Carpi on behalf of Alfonso I.
The towers were raised and the body of the building of a plan, they were removed the battlements and turrets were placed to admire the gardens below and the view over the city.

Visiting the interior of the fortress, on the ground floor we find the ducal kitchens.
The size of the premises was a testament to how important the art of entertainment at the time.
Meals rich in plot twists well demonstrated the power of the duke and his guests.
On the kitchen floor, drains are still visible for water. The portrait that is in the kitchen by Christopher Messisburgo shows, the man who for centuries dictated the rules and recipes for banquets and receptions.

In the basement you can visit the prisons of the castle.
These premises were intended to illustrious prisoners as a result of conspiracy or betrayal. There are still signs of this prison, the writing and the scratches of people in jail.

The orange garden was probably originally the garden of Eleonora of Aragon.Expanded by Alfonso I, duke himself personally carved the grenade, a bomb fire on three sides, as testimony to the Duke of war.
Over the centuries the garden passed different solutions to the current one with the orange trees in pots, once moved through the winter, but now repaired as in a greenhouse.

The Bacchanalia of Camerino collects several oil paintings related to the classic theme of Bacchus and baccanali.L 'architectural setting is probably Leonardo da Brescia. The Triumph of Ariadne and the Louis Settevecchi The harvest and the triumph of Bacchus are attributed to the workshop of Philippi.

The chapel of Renée of France close to Orange Garden was much discussed because of its appearance which referred to the Protestant religion.
It seems that the construction of the chapel dates back to Alfonso II, who wanted to give his wife a Calvinist, Renee of France, a place where pregare.Questo explain the absence of religious images.

The Dawn Hall is the center of the oldest part of the castle: the tower of the Lions. On the ceiling, it shows the different parts of the day including the dawn indeed.

The Hall of Dawn, the games room and the hall of mirrors game belonged to the apartment. In memory of the name, the architect Game Aulenti during the restoration placed mirrors that we see today.