Museo del Bosco e del Cervo della Mesola

The museum at the Castello Estense di Mesola interprets the Bosco della Mesola and the distinctive deer that inhabit its coastal forest.

Why it matters

The museum connects Po Delta ecology with the history of the Este hunting landscape and the conservation of a rare deer population. Its exhibits place the animal within a longer history of environmental change and land reclamation.

What to notice

Palaeontological finds, archaeological material, maps and botanical collections trace the territory's natural and human history. Exhibits consider the Mesola deer in relation to the forest's sandy soils and coastal vegetation, and its place in Este hunting culture. Botanical material includes herbarium sheets associated with painter Filippo De Pisis.

Context and history

Alfonso II d'Este commissioned the castle, built between 1578 and 1583 to designs associated with Marc'Antonio Pasi and Giovan Battista Aleotti. The Este held the estate until 1771, after which it passed to the Province of Ferrara. The deer population declined sharply in the twentieth century as the woodland received greater protection. The museum's scientific interpretation was developed under University of Ferrara supervision.