The Ex Caserma Pastrengo is a monumental barracks in Ferrara, designed by engineer Virgilio Coltro and constructed from 1925 to 1926. Built as a Carabinieri station, it stands at Corso Isonzo 28 and represents an important civic commission within Ferrara’s early twentieth-century urban expansion, the Addizione Novecentista.
The building exhibits restrained architecture with a carefully articulated facade that draws on Neo-Quattrocento elements. The main entrance is recessed between two projecting lateral sections, while windows are arranged across three distinct storeys, the uppermost decorated in ochre. The barracks was named Pastrengo in honour of the locality in Verona province where the historical Battle of Pastrengo took place. From the late twentieth century onwards, the building has housed offices of the Province of Ferrara.
About Virgilio Coltro
Virgilio Coltro was an Italian engineer who graduated with a degree in engineering in 1913. Born in Polesella in Rovigo Province, he played a significant role in Ferrara’s urban renewal during the first half of the twentieth century. Beyond the Caserma Pastrengo, Coltro was involved in designing a major psychiatric complex in Varese, which was realized between 1935 and 1939 as a large-scale facility for over one thousand patients.
Details
- Creator: Engineer Virgilio Coltro
- Year: 1925–1926
- Location: Corso Isonzo 28, Ferrara, Italy
- Original function: Carabinieri barracks
- Current use: Provincial offices
- Movement: Italian Rationalism; Addizione Novecentista
- Architectural style: Neo-Quattrocento elements with restrained modern design
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Ex Caserma Pastrengo?
Engineer Virgilio Coltro, an Italian architect educated in 1913, designed the building as part of Ferrara’s broader urban renewal during the twentieth century’s first half.
What was the building originally used for?
The barracks was constructed as a Carabinieri (Italian military police) station and retained this function until the late twentieth century, when it was repurposed to house provincial offices.
Why is it called Pastrengo?
The barracks was named in honour of Pastrengo, a locality in Verona Province where the historical Battle of Pastrengo took place.
diLeonardoBistolfi.jpeg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1 "La volontà o l'Industria by Leonardo Bistolfi, 1925")