Ride a Segway around the carefully laid-out streets of Ferrara and you will trace a route that holds a unique spot in European history. This is the birthplace of modern town planning. One of the main centers of artistic and intellectual life during the Italian Renaissance, Ferrara is also the first planned city of modern times. And the design is unique and original, as opposed to the Roman layout of Italy's other urban centers. The ruling Este family cultivated some of the greatest minds and artists in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries, and their Estense Castle comes early in the tour. Continuing on you come to the enclosed world of the Crema Palace cloisters, the unusual Municipal Theater courtyard and the famous staircase of the ancient Ducal Palace. You also see the Gothic 12th-century cathedral, ringed by medieval shops, and the old inns along Adelardi Street.