The Palazzo dei Diamanti was the first major building of the Addizione Erculea, begun in 1493 for Sigismondo d’Este, son of Marquis Nicolò III. The ducal architect Biagio Rossetti undoubtedly worked on its construction and thought of it as one of the cornerstones of the Quadrivio.
The monumental factory is most famous for its unique elevations, which feature more than eight thousand diamond-tipped ashlars of white Verona marble, designed to give three-dimensionality to the stone surface; the resulting effect makes the noble building take on a dynamic feel, despite its truly imposing size.
The Pinacoteca Nazionale, which occupies the rooms on the piano nobile, houses works by Ferrara painters ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, the greatest exponents of the famous Officina Ferrarese: these include Dosso Dossi, Garofalo, and Carlo Bononi.
