Ferrara Renaissance under Ercole I d'Este
Under the Este family in the 15th and early 16th centuries, Ferrara became one of the most brilliant courts in Renaissance Italy. Leonello d'Este (ruled 1441–1450) patronised humanist scholars including Guarino da Verona and established one of the earliest court-based humanist academies; his successors Borso (1450–1471) and Ercole I (1471–1505) expanded this patronage, supporting the arts, music, and the ambitious urban expansion of the city — the Addizione Erculea, one of the first examples of planned Renaissance urbanism. The court attracted painters including Pisanello and later Cosmè Tura, and hosted Ariosto and Tasso.
- Year: 1471 CE
