Ferrara on Friday - not for children

This is a castle in Ferrara built by the D'Esta family with a real moat and drawbridge. There was a 9 mile wall around the city. All this protection and the fortress was never challenged. In 1569 Pope Julius II was defeated by Ferrara. In 1597 the city was ruled by the Pope until 1861 when it became a part of Italy. The castle now has public offices. The city had a huge Romanesque style Cathedral.
I had a small wonderful experience in Ferrara. I nearly bumped into a small woman about 85 years old. We both wanted to talk to one another but could only make motions and smiles. In the end we hugged and said good-bye after I took her picture and showed it to her.
Okay, now the scandal of the city lays with Lucretia Borgia. Legend claims she was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI (she also had a full brother). Lucretia was very beautiful and was given in marriage to join with a family from Milan. Then the family was no longer needed so an annulment claimed no consummation of marriage but apparently in those days this was true if the union did not produce a baby boy. In the meantime Lucretia got pregnant and she was not sure of the father. Lucretia married a second time and her husband was injured by Lucretia's brother who was now pock-marked due to syphilis. She then married into the D'Esta family. It is alleged that Lucretia went on to have numerous affairs. Ciao!
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