The province of Ferrara (; ) is a province in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy. Its capital is the city of Ferrara. It has a population of 340,482 in an area of across its 21 municipalities.
History
The province of Ferrara is believed to have been first settled in by the Romans at the site "Forum Alieni", although remains of the coastal port of Spina have been unearthed near Comacchio by archaeologists. Ferrara was first mentioned when it was conquered by Germanic tribe the Lombards in 753 CE, and the Byzantine Empire lost its rule over the city. It was gifted to the Holy See by the Franks in either 754 or 756 CE, and was led by the Bishops of Ravenna. Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries started reclaiming Podeltan lands in the 9th century.
In 1055, the partially independent town of Fererra was given imperial powers, but was led by Matilda of Tuscany from 1101 and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor from 1158. Members of the House of Este took control of the city during the 13th century, and formed a university in Ferrara in 1391. Walls were built around the perimeter of Ferrara in the 15th and 16th centuries. It joined the Papal States in 1598. Its citadel was occupied by the Austrians in 1831 after the Italian United Provinces were formed, and the Austrians occupied the city in 1847. On 21 June 1859 the Austrians left the city of Ferrara and it was able to join the Kingdom of Italy.
In 1921, Italo Balbo joined the newly created National Fascist Party and soon became a secretary of the Ferrara fascist organization. He began to organize Fascist gangs and formed his own group. They broke strikes for local landowners and attacked communists and socialists in the region. His success in Ferrara set in motion the rapid rise of Fascism in northern Italy and played an important role in the transformation of Fascism into a major political movement.
Geography
The province of Ferrara is one of nine provinces in the region of Emilia-Romagna in the northeast of Italy. It is the most northerly province in the region to abut onto the Adriatic Sea. The Province of Rovigo in the Veneto region lies immediately to the north and the Province of Mantua in Lombardy to the northwest. To the west lies the Province of Modena and the Province of Bologna, and the Province of Ravenna lies to the south. The provincial capital is the city of Ferrara, which is situated on a branch of the Po River about northeast of Bologna.
Municipalities
The province has 21 municipalities:
Argenta Bondeno Cento Codigoro Comacchio Copparo Ferrara Fiscaglia Goro Jolanda di Savoia Lagosanto Masi Torello Mesola Ostellato Poggio Renatico Portomaggiore Riva del Po Terre del Reno Tresignana Vigarano Mainarda Voghiera
Demographics As of 2026, the population is 340,482, of which 48.8% are male, and 51.2% are female. Minors make up 12.5% of the population, and seniors make up 29.4%.
Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 13.2% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Morocco, Romania, Pakistan, Ukraine, and Moldova.
Government List of presidents
Transport
Motorways Autostrada A13: Bologna-Padua
Railway lines Padua–Bologna railway References
External links