Readers of this edition of Ferrara. Voci di una città, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara and the stock exchange flotation of the Cassa, may suspect that we are here to celebrate the exploits of the Fondazione and the Cassa di Risparmio.

A review. To appreciate fully the involvement of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara in cultural affairs over the last ten years, a review of its work is instructive. The Foundation has focused on the cultural heritage which reached its apex at the d'Este court and during the Renaissance, promoting an approach through critical works in a way which provides the city with a…

The legend of Ferrara and the strange story of its treasures. What was once called the Leggenda del Collezionismo in Renaissance Ferrara reflects a fascinating history. The exhibition of that name aimed to uncover the difficult, often hidden and surprising path of collecting during its missing history. The astonishment with which the Foundation's exhibition in the Palazzo dei Diamanti was greeted resembled the amazement which…

A positive result for ten passionate years of exhibition activity in Ferrara. Ten years ago marked a turning point for exhibition activities in Ferrara with the coming to fruition of the belief that such a cultural resource had a part to play in the development of the city's tourist industry. This feeling was spurred on further by the opportunity presented by an exchange of exhibitions…

A short history of Ferrara Musica, a great cultural association. Ferrara Musica is a musical association established in 1989 by the Ferrara municipal authority and the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara, with support from the Emilia-Romagna Region, to provide a settled Italian place of residence for a major European orchestra of young musicians. During its thirteen years, Ferrara Musica has given more that two hundred…

Supporting and financing research as a key factor in growth. Scientific research in Italy mainly takes place within universities and in a few other research bodies which are themselves linked to the universities. If we analyse the percentage of resources which the country devotes to the universities and scientific research as compared with other developed countries, the result is something of a shock, at less…

Aid and protection for the weak in the work of the Cassa and the Foundation. Among the aims and purposes listed in the statutes of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara, aid and protection for the most vulnerable groups were among the first to be considered. Throughout the history of our community, especially but not only in the times of greatest trouble, the Cassa…

A commitment to beauty as a guiding principle for ten years of activity. During the 1990s, our country witnessed a general restructuring of the banking industry. Because of the reform, the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara became a "donor body" following the transfer of the banking business to a limited company established for the purpose, Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara SpA. The changes required by…

A "ferrarese" masterpiece restored to life. The restoration of Bastianino's Giudizio universale, painted in the Cathedral chancel, deserves special mention among the restoration work which has been carried out on Ferrara's artistic heritage. The renovation of this original work of the Ferrara School was undertaken by the Fondazione of the Cassa di Risparmio, which commissioned Ottorino Nonfarmale to strengthen and clean the work under the…

The restoration of a major Rossetti church. Among the religious buildings attributed to the architect Biagio Rossetti, the church of San Cristoforo alla Certosa represents a high point in cultural research. The original Certosa was built by Borso d'Este in 1452 in an area outside the medieval city walls of Ferrara. This area was subsequently brought within the walls when Ercole I extended the town,…

Ten years of change at the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara. For a banking institution with more than 160 years of history behind it, ten years is a brief time. But for the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara, the last ten years have seen a revolution, forced by changes in the legislation governing the sector and by the renewed competition between banks but also on…

Sport, cultura e solidarietà nel cuore della Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara. C'è, accanto alla Ferrara della produttività, attiva e laboriosa, una "Ferrara del tempo libero". Una Ferrara che ama il movimento, l'aria aperta e la competizione sana; ma anche una città che si riunisce a teatro, nelle gallerie d'arte, nei luoghi della cultura, che dedica il proprio tempo alla solidarietà oppure alla rievocazione storica.

Riflettori puntati sul bilancio 2001 della Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara. Per molte banche italiane il 2001 si è rivelato un esercizio molto difficile, soprattutto penalizzato dal calo delle commissioni, dopo un triennio di esplosione dei ricavi collegati all'attività di asset management. Nel complesso i risultati del sistema bancario italiano hanno comunque mantenuto una discreta tenuta: i margini operativi si sono incrementati, grazie alla crescita…

An enlightened bank for music, restoration and culture. These days money is seldom given to artists so that they can work without financial cares. The interest of patrons has shifted from creativity to conservation and the protection of the existing heritage, in the hope of preserving it from neglect, deterioration and dispersion with a view to building on it in the future.

The fascinating cemetery offers a key to understanding Ferrara. Why opt for the cemetery as one of the most significant symbols in a city as rich in prestigious monuments as Ferrara? To me, cemeteries faithfully reflect the spirit of their cities. And in this respect the cemetery of Ferrara is second to none. To start with, it lies within the city itself. An 1811 decree…

Ten years at the palazzo on Corso Giovecca in the memory of an author. The somewhat brief surname of the boy from the city on the plain underwent curious phonetic and associative processes. Rather than pronouncing it by giving the double-z its burning sonority, the people from the city on the plain damped it out with a flaccid lisped z that weakened its marvellous association…

A book sponsored by the Foundation tells the story of Ferrara's art galleries in the seventeenth century. Fughe e arrivi. Collezioni ferraresi del Seicento, written by the present writer in collaboration with Marinella Mazzei Traina, is about to make its appearance, focusing on one hundred private collections in the seventeenth century.

Un affresco di grandi dimensioni dello sviluppo italiano, attraverso una lettura dettagliata dell'evoluzione dell'industria italiana, dalla fase preunitaria ai giorni nostri. L'Italia si unifica quasi all'improvviso, nel 1861, dopo una stagione che rapidamente portò alla costruzione di uno stato sabaudo che andava dalle Alpi alla Sicilia. Si unificarono, dal punto di vista amministrativo, stati che avevano strutture produtive estremamente diverse e, soprattutto, integrate in circuiti…

S'incontra fuori Ferrara la bellezza narcotica di una pianura totale, compresa tra i rami di un fiume, affacciata al mare, priva di ondulazioni.È umida, afosa l'estate, stampata da ombre di nuvole. In nessuna parte d'Italia la siesta pomeridiana sarebbe così necessaria, ed in nessuna parte la consentono meno la necessità del lavoro.L'inverno, coperta di neve, si fa leggera; evanescente, di un bianco azzurro uniforme, così…

Ferrara. Voci di una cittàRivista semestrale di cultura, informazione e attualitàAnno 8, numero 15 - Dicembre 2001Registrata presso il Tribunale di Ferrara il 9 novembre 1994 con il numero 13/94. ISSN 1128-3572Spedizione in abbonamento postale c. 20/c, art. 2, l. 662/96Edizione fuori commercio, riservata ai soci e agli amici della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di FerraraComitato EditorialeFrancesca Bargellesi, Luciano Chiappini, Vittorio Emiliani, Giorgio Franceschini, Roberto…

Indice ragionato dei primi otto anni di pubblicazione, ordinati per autore.