Distributed along the Po river path, which lapped against the south walls of Ferrara, Borgo San Luca developed along the centuries as a high-density urban offshoot, gaining between the 15 th and the 16 th centuries the typical treats of a river community.
The borgo got it name from the same-named church, which is today called Santissimo Crocifisso. Its origins are as ancient as uncertain and it was consecrated in 1138. The church still keeps the wooden Crucified which came from the waters of Po river at dawn on Good Friday 1128 according to the tradition. This mainly agricultural territory included a big Estense property called “Sammartina” (toponym transferred to thecurrent street that connects Chiesuol del Fosso with Torre Fossa) and the great fifteenth-century building of Alberto d’Este.
The green and red colours are the background of the insignia of the Contrada, which was one of the dearest to the duke Borso d’Este: it is the wooden fence called “paraduro” which was used to embank channels and valleys: the meaning of protection from the waters is underlined from the floating pumpkin, indicating the water level and from the motto acronym FIDO (Fides Iustitia Domino Opulentissimo) as a testimony of the lords’ faith in the men’s work and divine mercy.