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Auditorium, Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
Photo by Cristina Baldi, University Library System
In 1493, the De Mosto family publicly declared their prestige by purchasing the land on which Biagio Rossetti, or one of his helpers, was working on the construction of Palazzo Trotti-Mosti, in Via degli Angeli (present-day Corso Ercole I D'Este).
The palace underwent several changes of ownership over time, and these transformations are also documented by pictorial decorations from the 1500s, 1600s, 1800s and in Art Nouveau style. In 1830, Tancredi Mosti Trotti Estense began consolidation works, but the many expenses incurred during his political career forced the family to demolish the parts of the palace that couldn't be maintained, giving it itscurrent F shape. In 1915 the palace passed into the hands of the Pisa family along with its valuable collection of high-quality furnishings (antique dressers, inlaid wooden doors, impressive marble fireplaces), as described by those who visited the rooms in the 1930s.
In 1960 the property was divided up, with the old vegetable garden sacrificed and the garden reduced in size. The palace remained completely dilapidated until 1970, when theUniversity of Ferrara acquired it, designating it as the seat of the Law Department.
A significant decorative element is the renaissance front doorway, with marble medallions of remarkable quality depicting the heads of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus; it is said that it was transferred from another building owned by the family that was later demolished.
The palace houses the Law Library which is the location of the Ancient Legal Sciences Library Collection.
To find out more
Cristina Baldi [et al.], Palazzo Trotti-Mosti (1458), (pp. 71-129)
Cristina Baldi [et al.], The palace, (pp. 71-82)
Cristina Baldi [et al.], Francesco Ferrari and the Periodicals Room, (pp. 83-90)
Cristina Baldi [et al.], Francesco Migliari, Girolamo Domenichini and the Hall of the Dancers (Music Room), (pp. 91-98)
Licia Vignotto, The garden, (pp. 99-107)
Cristina Baldi, The Law Library, (pp. 108-115)
Cristina Baldi, Library donations, (pp. 116-121)
in Stories of books and palaces. Discovering the cultural heritage of the University of Ferrara, edited by Cristina Baldi and Paola Iannucci, UnifePress 2021.
Giulia Giannuzzi, Giulia Francesca Iacovelli, Linda Panunzi, Palazzo Trotti Mosti Estense: the restoration of Palazzo Trotti Mosti Estense as a search for dignity in publishing a multi-layered palimpsest [master's thesis], Ferrara: University of Ferrara, 2023
The strange case of Fulgenzio Lenticchia, librarian-assistant-in-practice. The lion, the traveller and the wardrobe of books: the University of Ferrara Library System, a storybook-guide for children by Luigi Dal Cin.
Leonhart Fuchs, De historia stirpium commentarii insignes, Basel, Michael Isengrin, 1542 (Recreation of the illustration). Historical Collection of the Literature and Philosophy Library
This location is part of the permanent cultural tour Stories of books and palaces. Tours of the Unife libraries from the University Library System.(Tour guide.pdf)
Cultural events
22-23 October 2022 - Open Monuments: Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
17-18 September 2022- Interno Verde: the garden of Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
24-25 October 2020 - FAI Days, Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
11-12 May 2019 - Interno Verde: the garden of Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
12-13 May 2018 - Interno Verde: the garden of Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
13-14 May 2017 - Interno Verde: the garden of Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
Guided tours
October 2nd, 2024 - Guided tour of the spaces and heritage of Palazzo Trotti Mosti (Law Library) on the occasion of Unife Welcome Days
June 29, July 13, 2024 - guided tour by students of the University of Ferrara and library representatives within the framework of the project Other Stories of Books and Palaces. New perspectives on the cultural heritage of Unife organized by the University Library System.
October 18, 2018 - Stories of books and palaces. Inauguration of the tour with the opening of the locations. The students from the 4th year of the "A. Roiti" Science-specialist High School in Ferrara, along with representatives from the University Library System and Museum System, guided visitors around the palaces of the university, libraries and historical collections.
Virtual Tours
Connected to the interactive map from tourer.it, a portal developed by the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities for Emilia-Romagna, to read the descriptions of the tour locations (Palazzo Trotti-Mosti) and the bibliographies connected to the BiblioFe online catalogue. Or download the MIX-AR eXperience app to access a selection of content (texts, images, videos) on your mobile device, which are published on the tour display boards. Stories of books and palaces.
For information visit the page Itinerary. Stories of Books and Palaces.
Audiovisual
Antiques Room, Law Library
Archive of the Unife Communications Office
Palazzo Trotti-Mosti
Corso Ercole I d’Este, 37
44121 Ferrara
Accessibility
Consult the maps of the ground floor and the first floor and for more information, visit the page for Accessibility of buildings.
