ABSTRACT
In July 1473, Duke Ercole I d’Este of Ferrara mounted his lavishly outfitted steed and, accompanied by close relatives and courtiers, rode to the nearby town of Consandoli to greet his bride, Eleonora d’Aragona, daughter of King Ferrante of Naples (Venuta 1586: cc. 18-19; Zambotti 1934: 89). The new duchess and her entourage then made a ceremonial entry into Ferrara, complete with triumphal carriages and temporary architecture erected along the processional route through the city. Starting at the southeastern bridge over the Po near the cathedral of St Giorgio, pergolas of leaves and branches formed vaults over the passageway to the city’s longest, most important street, via Grande, at which point pergolas of wool cloth shaded the entrants from the hot July sun (Diario 1928: 89; Tuohy 1996: 265). On ducal orders, residents draped tapestries and carpets from their windows and balconies, and lined the streets with greenery. To round out the presentation, the duke commanded that public buildings along the route be given fresh coats of whitewash and the friezes be repainted (Tuohy 1996: 267).
