A façade of marble cut to diamond points. The afternoon light sliding across them and turning them pink. And inside, this autumn, Monet, Van Gogh and Kandinsky.
Since 19 September the exhibition at Palazzo dei Diamanti has been the kind that makes people come to Ferrara on purpose: "Da Monet a Van Gogh a Kandinsky. Nuovi sguardi sulla natura e la modernità" (From Monet to Van Gogh to Kandinsky: New Perspectives on Nature and Modernity), open until 10 January 2027. We like the idea of half of modern European painting spending a few months in our city. Here's what to see, how to plan your visit, and how to round off the day.
What to see
There are 120 works: paintings, drawings and prints. Most of them come from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, alongside a selection from major Italian collections, public and private.
A simple question runs through the exhibition: how do you go, in less than eighty years, from painting a field from life to dissolving it into shapes and colours? The route is divided into nine chapters and follows exactly that path:
- The Barbizon School, landscape observed from life.
- The Macchiaioli, the Italian answer, all light and colour.
- Impressionism, the perception of a single moment.
- The Hague School, the Dutch version: more sober, more atmospheric.
- The Post-Impressionists, when colour and form become independent.
- Divisionism, light that vibrates.
- City life, increasingly centre stage.
- Futurism, and then the return to order.
- Abstraction, where the visible world melts away.
The names make your head spin: Courbet, Monet, Berthe Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Signac, Redon, Picasso, Bonnard, Vuillard, Kandinsky, Mondrian. And the Italians: Fattori, Signorini, Pellizza da Volpedo, Segantini, Previati, Boccioni, Sironi.
A Ferrara native in the galleries: Boldini
Among the Italians there is also Giovanni Boldini, born right here in Ferrara. The exhibition includes works from the city's Museo Giovanni Boldini, such as his Autoritratto a sessantanove anni (Self-Portrait at Sixty-Nine) from 1911. Seeing him alongside the greats of Paris, on home ground, feels special. That is how we like it: the world passing through, and Ferrara ready for it.
The building itself, before the exhibition
It is worth looking up before you go in. Palazzo dei Diamanti owes its name to its rusticated façade: around 8,500 blocks of white marble veined with pink, cut to a diamond point. It was designed by Biagio Rossetti, and building began in 1493, commissioned by Sigismondo d'Este.
It stands on Corso Ercole I d'Este, the backbone of the Addizione Erculea, the part of the city Rossetti laid out for Ercole I and the reason Ferrara is called the city that invented the modern urban plan. The building faces the Quadrivio degli Angeli: stop at the crossroads for a minute and watch how the façade changes with the light. The Pinacoteca Nazionale, the national picture gallery, is housed here too.
Planning your visit
- Dates: from 19 September 2026 to 10 January 2027.
- Opening hours: every day from 9.30 to 19.30. The ticket office closes at 18.30.
- Tickets: full price 16 euros, audio guide included (on your smartphone too). Palazzo dei Diamanti's own advice, which we are happy to pass on: buy online in advance. Choose a time slot and walk straight in without stopping at the ticket office.
- Where: Corso Ercole I d'Este 21. For information, call +39 0532 244949.
A tip from those of us who live in the city all year round: on autumn weekends Ferrara fills up. In early October there is also Internazionale (2 to 4 October): if you are coming on those days, booking ahead is all but essential.
The perfect day, in our opinion
The exhibition in the morning, when the rooms are quieter. Then a slow walk along Corso Ercole I d'Este, as far as the city walls if your legs are up to it. The afternoon in the centre, between the Castello and the medieval streets, with the light fading early.
And in the evening, dinner. After a day spent in front of Monet and Segantini, we find ourselves wanting simple, real things: fish from the Adriatic, the lagoons, a bottle from winemakers we know. You talk about paintings, you order whatever Paolo picked up today, and it feels good to be there.
If you would like a fuller itinerary, we wrote about it here: Ferrara in one day, on foot and by bike.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the exhibition at Palazzo dei Diamanti run?
"Da Monet a Van Gogh a Kandinsky" runs until 10 January 2027. It opened on 19 September 2026.
What are the exhibition's opening hours?
Every day from 9.30 to 19.30. The ticket office closes at 18.30.
Which artists are in the exhibition?
Among others Monet, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin and Picasso, with the Italians Fattori, Segantini, Boldini and Boccioni. 120 works in total, most of them from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
Is it worth buying tickets online?
Yes. Booking online, you choose a time slot and go in without stopping at the ticket office. At weekends it makes all the difference.
If you're passing by
An exhibition like this is a good excuse to come to Ferrara, or to come back. If after the paintings you fancy an unhurried dinner, the table is ready.
We look forward to seeing you.
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