Ferrara and its environs are rich in relics of the past and have a wealth of museums and archaeological sites that take us right back to the origins of Mediterranean civilization, when the region was a crossroads of peoples and cultures.

The impressive collection of grave goods from the necropolis of the Etruscan town of Spina, now on display in Ferrara's Palazzo Costabili, bears witness to the close cultural and commercial links between Etruscans and Greeks. Particularly fascinating are the large urns showing scenes from daily life, stories from mythology and episodes from the Trojan War.

Also in Ferrara, the Lapidary Museum has some Roman grave artefacts, while the palaces of Belriguardo in Voghiera and Verginese near Portomaggiore have collections of Roman grave goods from the Imperial period.

The extensive and opulent cargo from a Roman trading ship of the Augustan age is on display in Comacchio. Other interesting local museums can be found in Stellata, Argenta and Ostellato.