Ferrara is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
The flat, fertile plain of the River Po has always been one of the most productive and populous areas of Italy. The Romans brought the valley under their control from 200 BC, cutting a road javelin-straight from Piacenza to the coast at Rimini. Ferrara was some way north of this route and seems to have been a quiet provincial place until 8th century documents record its capture by the Lombards. The problem may have been the flood-prone and malarial lower stretches of the Po, with large-scale drainage only beginning in the 19th century. The area was ruled by the Este family until 1598 then by the Pope until early modern times - and the Este wealth remained vast enough for the archdukes of Austria-Hungary to adopt that name when they married into the family.
The province in 2016 had a population of around 354,000. It's mostly agricultural with some heavy industry; the main reason to visit is the city of Ferrara itself. In May 2012 the province suffered two earthquakes, with the worst of the damage around Bondeno and in the neighbouring Province of Modena.
The province is midway between Venice and Bologna airports.
Trains run hourly from Venice to Padua, Ferrara and Bologna.
Autoroute A13 runs north-south from Padua through Ferrara to Bologna.
Trenitalia regional trains run from Ferrara to Bondeno, Portomaggiore and Codigoro.
Mi Muovo is an integrated public transport pass for the region. Short-stay visitors might use "Mi Muovo Multibus", a 12-trip bus ticket, see Emilia Romagna#Get around.
Standard advice about traffic and care of valuables.
Primary administrative division