La rappresentazione del potere nell’età di Borso d’Este: ”imprese” e simboli alla Corte di Ferrara

The purpose of my research is getting to know something more about iconography in Ferrara during the age of Borso d’Este (1450-1471). The central topic of the dissertation is the use Borso made of some “imprese”, symbols or heraldic devices related to different members of noble Italian families from the Renaissance. At first, I studied the bibliographic material previously released on this topic; then I went on considering several places and works of art where the “imprese” can be found, selecting Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara as a starting point for the research. After collecting texts and materials over a period of time, I (managed to) organized all the pieces of information into some inventories which I publi shed in the final documentation of my thesis. This apparatus can be easily used for a better and more functional analysis of the “impresas” in Ferrara, which were formerly always considered as different elements, while they should have also been studied as parts of a complex communicative system. I decided to look into two main fields – miniature painting and ceramic ware (“graffita”) – which st ill seem to be neglected and whose examination represents, in a way, a novelty for many art historians in Ferrara. The main part of my thesis focuses on the interpretation of the mentioned “imprese”, through a series of similarities with the ancient world. It also shows some remarks on the cultural system in Ferrara during the second half of the XVth Century. According to what I experienced during my research, those devices should be considered as different parts of an iconographic program which seems to be very complex. The program should be related to Duke Borso’s virtues, and their representation at the Court of Ferrara. It could also be seen as a modern communication project. Even if some of the works of art from Ferrara have been lost, and some of the existing ones are still hidden or badly preserved, this research can be considered as a new start for the next elaboration of interpretative theories on the Estense heraldry.