Palazzo Costabili e la “nuova” arte edificatoria a Ferrara tra la fine del Quattrocento e l’inizio del Cinquecento

Abstract

Palazzo Costabili represents, for its size and decorative wealth, the most ambitious building of the Renaissance in Ferrara at
the end of the Fifteenth century. This essay reflects on the personality of Antonio Costabili (1450?-1527), one of the most
scholarly members of the Este court, who commissioned the building. By comparing unpublished archival research with direct
on-site observation and the surveyance of stylistic features, this essay clarifies the history of its construction with the aid of
proportional analysis and the study of construction techniques and materials.
From a systematic study of the building site, the precise design of Palazzo Costabili emerges as an expression of a clear linguistic
and lexical intention, called all’antica.