AMSEFC S.p.a. - Certosa, Introduction

During the first half of XIXth century, marquess Canonici planned and built around San Cristoforo's Church the structures of the "municipal cemetery" or "Certosa's holy meadow", like citizens of Ferrara simlpy use to call their last resting place.
The cemetery, according to the rules of that age, had to be rich of vegetation and open spaces, but strictly separated from town, possibly out-of-town and above all perfectly enclosed. The town of deads had to be separated from alives' one.
This rule was not respected in Ferrara: San Cristoforo's Church linked the construction of the cemetery in a place that was not out-of-town even being in the country, since it was at that time a country inside town. Moreover the cemetery was not hidden, since San Cristoforo's Church represented the last monumental element of a visual route crossing all town.
It was planned as a whole of cloisters, even called "claustri", meant to occupy a wide area, using the existing ancient buildings of the old monastery and reserving free areas for "poor" burials, whereas the places under the arches were reserved for "rich" burials. The cemetery sorrounds on three sides San Cristoforo's Church, almost reaching the northern town walls, bordering with the eastern Jewish cemetery area, where you can almost feel the image of silence in its green meadows.
During the Estensi period, before XVIIth century, this area was not destined to the burial of Jewish people; it was in fact a charming garden called "Montagnola", where the Estensi family used to spend plenty of time, particularly in the summer.
The extraordinary peculiarity of both cemeterial areas is that of offering a privileged possibility to watch and understand Ferrara; from this point of view its Castle towers, its bell towers and its monuments are visible, in a virtual link with these places of great suggestion, almost painting a profile: the "face of Ferrara".

Clicking the web site of Ferrara Municipality http://www.comune.ferrara.it you will find a wide presentation of the main palaces and monuments of the town.