La Bella Vita Barge Cruise Photos

From: La Bella Vita Barge Cruise Review

Day 5: Ferrara (2)

From Castello Estense, we walked to Ferrara's main square, the Piazza Duomo, where a German tourist couple were admiring Ferrara Cathedral from 1950s-style bicycles.

From the cathedral's façade, the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus looked down on the square (possibly to count the many bicycles on the Piazza Duomo).

In Ferrara, vintage bicyclists are as prevalent as vintage bicycles.

Another landmark on the cathedral square is the Palazzo Municipale (started in 1245), where the Estense family lived before moving to the larger (and more secure) Castello.

Ferrara's citizens no longer tear public officials from limb to limb (as they did in 1385), but peaceful demonstrations aren't unknown. This protest was about government layoffs--and as you might expect in Ferrara, some of the demonstrators were on bicycles.