The coordination of Fe2+ with mono-bipy, bis(bipy), and bis(phen) carboxamide or carboxyester-bridged derivatives of ferrocene (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) resulted in the unprecedented formation of stable Fe-bis(bipy)- and bis(phen)-like complexes, where the iron(II) environment is provided by the four nitrogen atoms of the bipy or phen subunits and by the two oxygen atoms of carbonyl groups belonging to the amide or ester linkages.