Delizia di Belriguardo

Delizia di Belriguardo, or the Delight of Belriguardo, was an estate owned by Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, during the Renaissance. It was located in the Italian region of Romagna.

History[edit | edit source]

Construction[edit | edit source]

Built in 1435 by Niccolò III d'Este as a summer home, Belriguardo was continuously added to until it became one of the most celebrated palaces in Italy. It featured stabling for five hundred horses, secret passages, stately corridors, marble loggias, box-lined gardens, and a chapel painted by Cosimo Tura.^[1]

Renaissance[edit | edit source]

In 1506, the Duke's wife Lucrezia Borgia discovered that the Assassin Ezio Auditore had broken into Belriguardo, evading the guards on high alert across the estate. Lucrezia was able to summon assistance, but Ezio escaped with one of her paintings, Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation.^[2]

Later history[edit | edit source]

In 1598, the House of Este lost the Duchy of Ferrara. After their departure, the Delizia was leased to local farmers, who used its extensive structures as granaries and stables. Therefore, only portions of it have survived to this day.^[1]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

The banners within Belriguardo and the coat of arms worn by the guards were those of the Borgia, despite them not owning the estate and having long been disgraced.