Climate and air: anti-smog rules in the built-up area, climate adaptation for the UNESCO site

Traffic restrictions

Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 18:30, in Ferrara's built-up area (excluding "corridor" roads), petrol and methane or LPG bi-fuel cars up to Euro 2, diesels up to Euro 4 and mopeds and motorcycles up to Euro 2 may not circulate. Every Sunday in the period is an ecological Sunday, with the ban extended to Euro 5 diesels, except 1 November, 20 December 2026 and 3 January 2027. Arpae issues its bulletin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: when emergency measures apply, the ban runs from 8:00 to 19:00 and includes Euro 5 diesels. With MOVE-IN, owners of older vehicles can drive an annual mileage monitored by a black box, but not on ecological Sundays or emergency days.

Heating and hazards

Heating may be switched on from 1 November, the date for Ferrara's climate zone, with indoor temperature limits for homes, offices and shops; where an alternative system exists, biomass stoves up to 3 stars may not be used, and burning plant residues and lighting open-air fires are banned.

On 23 June 2026 the city executive approved the Climate Adaptation Plan for the UNESCO site, the main output of the Interreg Italy-Croatia CAMPUS project coordinated by the municipality, which addresses sea-level rise, rising temperatures and more frequent extreme events. Among natural hazards, UNESCO notes that the May 2012 earthquakes damaged the walls, Castello Estense and the medieval Cathedral.