Continuing the Este theme after leaving the Palazzo Ducale brings the visitor to the Palazzina dei Giardini Pubblici, constructed between 1634 and 1656 to the design of G. Vigarani, the Emilia region's most famous architect in the XVII Century, who was employed on many of the dukes' most ambitious projects. The long, curved building is surmounted in the centre by an octagonal tower with a cupola which acts as a lantern for the room below, and is decorated with statues of Roman emperors. The surrounding ducal garden, opened to the public by Francesco III in 1739, became more and more widely used for recreational purposes over the years, while the Palazzina fell into neglect, providing storage and greenhouse space. The renovation work done in the '70s has attractively highlighted its architectural lines, while its use to house exhibitions for the public has given the building new life.

The garden, also partly reconstructed on the original ducal layout, offers the visitor entering it from Corso Canalgrande the impression of stately, opulent elegance, seen through the wrought iron elements of the gate by G.B. Malagoli, a local artist and craftsman of the XVIII Century. The effect is even more striking if the visit is made at night, since the lighting cleverly underlines the formal geometry of the garden and the lines of the building, effectively wiping out the tall modern building behind the Palazzina which unfortunately ruins the general perspective by day.