Certosa's architectural complex rises on the north-eastern extremity of Ferrara, inside the ring of ancient walls.
Originally situated in a green garden outside the built-up area, it was included into town at the end of XVth century with the so-called "Addizione Erculea".

The ancient church and the monastery were built between 1452 and 1461 to give hospitality, as a wish of Duke Borso D'Este, to the Chartusian monks. The religious order had settled here since 1461 for all over three centuries.


The town historiography offers few information about the church's author. The complex included the western facing church, on its right side the abbey garden's portico entering the monastery, on its left side the guest quarters with an inner cloister and some buildings used as lofts and finally a distillery.

On its back rose the Gran Claustro sorrounded by monks' cells. The ancient church was first used as a wine cellar by the monks, then as a stable during Napoleonic age and it was finally destroyed together with other adjoining buildings in the second period of XIXth century. Only the Gran Claustro and part of the ancient prior's cell (the actual Camerone Bonaccioli) survived.

A bit northern a new church was built, beginning from 1501, just next to the monastery.

At the end of XVIIIth century the dissolution of religious orders and the seizure of Church estates by Napoleon definetely sent away Chartusian monks from Ferrara and the old monastery became seat of public cemetery, because of its requirements of isolation and wideness.
The cemetery was publicly opened on January 3rd 1813.

The project of transformation from ancient monastery to cemetery, conceived by marquess Ferdinando Canonici, belongs to this period and by 1819 had already been fully realized. In 1830 the architect himself partly changed it, without altering the main shape of the adopted plan. On the southern side of the church the ancient Claustro was preserved and taken as a model for the architectural and ornamental typologies of the new structures: a three sides cloister linked to a wide curvilinear arcade.

In the area north to the church it was realized a complex of buildings equal and symmetrical to the previous ones. The peculiar characteristics of the plan are therefore symmetry and homogeneity both in volumes and ornaments.

For all over a century Canonici's main project lines had been faithfully followed: in 1914 in occasion of cemetery's first centenary the structures south to the church were concluded. During the bombing in 1944 the church was hit: the bell tower, the covering of the apse and the southern frontispice transept were completely destroyed. Since the first post-war period rebuildings and restorations have been following one another. The so-called "enlargement works", started in the sixties, have fully been concluded.

The main entrance area has been delimited with restorated old railings, even which some of them had been stolen by Napoleon and now make a fine show of themselves at the Louvre's entrance.
South of the church a three side cloister borders the ground area obtained from the demolition of the ancient church. Next to it stands the so-called Gran Claustro: 24 arches on the larger sides and 16 arches on the smaller ones (originally 20) get into a portico covered by cross vaults. Brick cornices decorate the arches along all inner perimeter. Columns are crowned by composite capitals.

At the center of the side facing the entrance to the Claustro itself, you can see the Famedio, the only changing to the initial project conceived by arch. Canonici. The memorial chapel of Duke Borso d'Este is a sarcophagus, partly set in the wall, decorated with festoons, birds and cornucopia engraved on marble, sorrounded by a plaque and a medallion portraying the Duke.