Among Ferrara’s civil architecture, the Magnanini-Roverella palace has been the one most exposed to the enigma of its birth. Only in recent decades has Bruno Zevi established that the building can be attributed to Biagio Rossetti.
In the 1500s, the Magnanini hosted there Gracia Nasi, a wealthy Sephardic Jewess expelled from Spain: the Este family gave asylum to many Jews, especially nobles affected by persecution. The cultured lady in Palazzo Magnanini formed her small palace, ideal for looking after the family and property interests of many exiles from the Iberian Peninsula since 1492. After the Magnaninis, many families passed through the palace including, precisely, the Roverellas.
During the Fascist regime, Via Boldini was opened and the side elevation of the palace was built ex novo. Since 1869 the beautiful rooms on the piano nobile have housed the Circolo dei Negozianti.
