Il palazzo merlato. Nodi architettonici di Villa della Mensa. Schede

Villa della Mensa, within the panorama of the delizie that punctuate the Ferrarese plain, represents a particular case: while its history appears clear and continuous in terms of its relatively few transfers of ownership, the interpretation of its constructional development is far less straightforward. This is mainly due to the remarkable continuity with which its owners — first the bishops of Ferrara and later the Navarra brothers’ School of Agriculture — introduced substantial modifications to the architectural text over a period of more than six centuries. It is also affected, however, by the limited critical attention that this architectural work has received within both local and wider architectural literature. This entry specifically addresses the theme of the crenellated palazzo, which can now be traced only through a few surviving elements within the fabric that has come down to the present day.