[4] Pope Innocent II restored the original independence of the diocese of Ferrara on 11 March 1133; but on the death of Bishop Landolfo in 1138, the Archbishop of Ravenna asserted the right to consecrate his successor.

The Ferrarese were required to produce their documentary proofs before the Pope, who issued a decree in favor of Ferrara as directly dependent upon the Holy See on 22 April 1139.

[6] Pope Clement goes out of his way to state that the diocese had always been directly subject to the Holy See, citing the decree Ad hoc of Pope Innocent II at the Lateran Council of 1139, and recalling subsequent similar rulings of Celestine II, Lucius II, Gregory VIII, Clement III, Celestine III, Innocent IV, Alexander VIII, Innocent XII, and Clement XI.

His legend is treated by Daniel Papenbroch, in the Acta Sanctorum[11] Some think that the bishops of Ferrara are the successors to those of Voghenza (the ancient Vicus Haventia).

[13] Pope Urban III died at Ferrara on 20 October 1187, only a month after having escaped from Verona, where he was being besieged by Frederick Barbarossa.

Suddenly, on 22 January 1400, Alberto's son, Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara, ordered the arrest of Alberto de' Roberti, the President of the Council; his brother Filippo; their mother Margherita; and Marco de' Pii da Carpi, who was married to the Bishop's sister Taddea.

Bishop Niccolò was deposed from his bishopric, though Pope Boniface IX issued a decree vouching for his absolute innocence.

On 8 January 1438, Pope Eugene IV opened the seventeenth ecumenical council in Ferrara, but the plague of 1439 compelled him to move the sessions to Florence.

[17] The Cathedral of San Giorgio was begun in 1132, and consecrated in 1135 by Bishop Landolfo (1105–1138/1139), with the participation of the Papal Legate in Bologna, Cardinal Azzo.

At the Solemn Mass held in the Cathedral on 24 April, the Feast of Saint George, he granted to all the Canons the right to call themselves Monsignor.

[22] The Chapter was abolished on the Feast of Corpus Christi, 1798, in accordance with French laws, which had come into force in the Cisalpine Republic.

The arrangement still holds good, with the addition of Honorary Canons, currently five in number, with two Emeriti and three Supernumerarii; there are also seven Mansionarii, each with a five year term.

[23] On 12 April 1530 a new set of Statutes was approved for the Cathedral Chapter, Reverendi Capituli Dominorum Canonicorum Ecclesiae Ferrariensis nova Statuta anno 153o die XII mensis Aprilis condita.

[24] The Council of Trent, in its 23rd Session, meeting on 15 July 1563, issued a decree, the 18th chapter of which required that every diocese have a seminary for the training of clergy.

[25] The seminary of the diocese of Ferrara was founded by Bishop Paolo Leoni (1578–1590), in accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent, and opened on 22 July 1584.

[43] Elevated: 27 July 1735 Immediately Subject to the Holy See United: 30 September 1986 with the Diocese of Comacchio (-Pomposa) Latin Name: Ferrariensis-Comaclensis Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Bologna