Modena (Mòdna in the Modenese dialect) is an Italian town of 186
741 inhabitants, the capital of the province of the same name in
Emilia-Romagna.
In the sources the first news about Modena
dates back to the war between the Romans and the Boi who lived in
the area. The center served as a military garrison even before the
official foundation of the city by the Romans. The city, in fact,
was ritually founded in 183 BC, as a colony under Roman law, by the
triumvirs Marco Emilio Lepido, Tito Ebuzio Parro and Lucio Quinzio
Crispino who brought two thousand citizens from Rome. Since the 6th
century Modena has been a ducal city of the Longobard Kingdom
(Longobard Ducati) on the border with the possessions of the Eastern
Roman Empire, ie the Byzantine Empire. (History of Modena). Like
most of the Lombard municipalities in 1167 Modena joined the Lombard
League against Federico Barbarossa. From 1598 to 1859 it was the
capital of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio and is an ancient
university and archbishopric. In 1757 the Duke Francesco III d'Este
founded the Military Academy for the training of the officers of the
Estense army based in the ducal palace. With the unification of
Italy the Palazzo Ducale was the seat of the Military School of the
Kingdom of Sardinia, then the Kingdom of Italy, which evolved over
the decades to become in 1947 the Military Academy of the Army and
of the Carabinieri.
The Cathedral, the Civic Tower and the
Piazza Grande of the city have been included, since 1997, in the
list of Italian World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Cathedral. Mon-Sun 7:00-12:30 and 15:30-19:00. A masterpiece of the
Romanesque style, the cathedral was built by the architect Lanfranco on
the site of the tomb of San Geminiano, patron saint of Modena, where
previously, starting from the fifth century, two churches had already
been erected. In the crypt of the cathedral are the relics of the saint.
It is a rare and incredibly well-preserved testimony to the Romanesque
style in general, both inside and out.
The Cathedral, with the Torre
Civica and the Piazza Grande of the city, has been included in the list
of Italian heritage sites by UNESCO.
The Cathedral of Modena is the
first church of the city and of the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola.
Considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the Romanesque style
thanks to the architectural structure of Lanfranco and the sculptural
contribution of Wiligelmo, it is the most important monument of the city
and is still the center of religious life in Modena.
It was built
starting from 1099 on the site of the tomb of San Geminiano, patron
saint of Modena, where two churches had already been erected since the
fifth century.
On the facade opens the main portal sculpted by
Wiligelmo, also author of the four stone panels with stories from the
book of Genesis. On the southern side there is the Porta dei Principi,
the work of the so-called Master of San Geminiano and other followers of
Wiligelmo, and the Porta Regia, in Veronese red marble. On the northern
side there is instead the Porta della Pescheria, evidence of the
Burgundian influence.
Inside the cathedral you can admire the
valuable pier with reliefs by Anselmo da Campione (about 1160-1180) and
the terracotta Nativity scene by Antonio Begarelli from Modena (1527).
The relics of the saint are kept in the crypt, placed in a simple 4th
century urn covered with a stone slab and supported by bare columns. The
sarcophagus, kept in a crystal case, is opened every year on the
occasion of the feast of the saint himself (January 31) and the remains
of the saint, dressed in bishop's clothes with the crozier next to them,
are exposed for the devotion of the faithful. The crypt also houses the
crib in polychrome terracotta (also known as Madonna della pappa) by
Guido Mazzoni.
Piazza Grande (On the south side of the Duomo).
Splendidly framed by the Cathedral, the Civic Tower (or Ghirlandina) and
the portico of the Palazzo Comunale, historical symbols of the community
and of civil and religious power.
The strong civil vocation of the
square is still witnessed today by the presence of the Preda ringadora,
a large rectangular marble boulder located a few meters from the portico
of the Palazzo Comunale. Originally it probably belonged to an ancient
Roman building; later, in medieval times, the Preda was used as a stage
for speakers, but also as a place to carry out the death sentences and
display the bodies of the drowned, awaiting recognition. Insolvent
debtors were publicly humiliated by having them sit bare-buttocked three
times on the turpentine-covered stone.
Opposite, in the apse of the
Cathedral, the measurements of the pole, the arm, the tile, the brick
are still engraved, as a guarantee of the honesty of trade in the
square: this testifies that the square was truly the heart of the city,
place of great economic importance where, until 1931, the market was
also held. To guarantee the fairness of commercial exchanges in the
Middle Ages there was an "Office of Good Estimate", whose symbol seems
to be a thirteenth-century statuette depicting a woman, called by the
Modenese La Bunessma that is "Bonissima", still present today in a
corner of the square ; popular tradition instead prefers to see in this
sculpture the depiction of a rich and charitable lady, who in times of
famine went from house to house to give alms.
Piazza Grande is still
today the beating heart of the city, the center of life in Modena.
Hundreds of people flock to it on the occasion of the feast of San
Geminiano, patron saint of the city (31 January), and on the afternoon
of Shrove Thursday, when the Modenese mask Sandrone pronounces from the
balcony of the town hall, in the local dialect, the traditional "rant"
to fellow citizens, full of witty comments on the life of the city and
good-natured criticism of the local administration.
Ghirlandina
Tower. The Ghirlandina is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Modena.
86.12 meters high, clearly visible to the traveler who arrives in the
city from any cardinal point, the tower is the true symbol of Modena.
The Torre Civica, with the cathedral and the Piazza Grande of the city,
has been included since 1997 in the list of Italian heritage sites by
UNESCO.
The original Tower of San Geminiano, with a square plan,
built on five floors by 1179, was then raised again in the following two
centuries (also for reasons of rivalry with the Bolognese towers) with
the introduction of the characteristic octagonal point, according to a
design by Arrigo da Campione, one of the many 'Masters from Campione'
who between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries updated the style of
the cathedral to the new Gothic taste. The tip is adorned with two
garlands, i.e. two marble railings, hence the name.
Inside, the Sala
della Secchia (with fifteenth-century frescoes) houses a copy of the
famous La secchia rapita: evidence of when the tower was home to the
coffers and 'trophies' of the Modena municipality.
At the end of the
19th century, various works were carried out on the tower. In 1890 the
external upper pyramidal part was repaired and in 1893, after implanting
a large armor all around, the Verona marble cladding was carried out.
The works ended in 1897 and after the test by the engineer Giacomo
Gallina of the Royal Civil Engineers, the Ghirlandina returned to the
astonishment of the Modena and non-Modenese, more beautiful than ever.
The panorama that can be enjoyed from the lantern, over the red tiled
roofs of Modena, is absolutely unique.
In the small Piazza Torre
overlooking Via Emilia is the monument to Alessandro Tassoni, the most
famous of Modena poets, author of the heroic poem La sechia rapita, in
which the medieval disputes between Modena and Bologna are narrated with
supreme irony. The wit of the character is well represented in the pose
of the statue, created in 1860 by the Modenese sculptor Alessandro
Cavazza.
The five bells, in the C major chord, date back to the
Renaissance.
Also noteworthy are the sculpted capitals of the Stanza
dei Torresani, on the fifth floor.
Capital of David: two crowned
figures playing instruments surrounded by female dancers.
Capital of
the Judges: the meaning of the depicted scenes is not clear: on the left
a king with a book in his hand seems to be listening to the pleas of two
women; on the right a character is in despair while behind him two
winged beings are walking away.
The other capitals pose no problems
of interpretation as they are purely decorative.
4 Palazzo
Ducale, info@visitmodena.it. Sat-Sun by reservation only. It was the
seat of the Este court between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries;
subsequently, since the unification of Italy, the Palace houses the
prestigious Military Academy of Modena.
The building, one of the most
important princely palaces of the seventeenth century, was built
starting from 1634 on the site of the ancient Este castle, which in the
Middle Ages was located on the city limits: only following the expansion
of the walls wanted by the duke Ercole the castle came to occupy a
symbolic position, between the medieval center of the municipality and
the new straight districts of the ducal capital. The works, initially
entrusted to the architect Gaspare Vigarani, were later carried out by
Bartolomeo Avanzini; but it seems that the project was supervised by
Gian Lorenzo Bernini: the great architect seems to have participated in
the creation of a work that nevertheless reveals a unitary style, a
solemn and elegant baroque.
The Palace houses the Historical Museum
of the Academy and a precious Library (which can be consulted upon
request to be presented to the Command of the Military Academy).
The
majestic facade, lightened by the chromatic play of the marbles, has
recently been restored. The central door leads to the elegant courtyard
of honour, seat of military ceremonies, and to the evocative grand
staircase. In the central hall, the ceiling is noteworthy, frescoed in
the eighteenth century by Marco Antonio Franceschini with the coronation
of Bradamante, progenitor of the Este family, already celebrated by
Ariosto in Orlando furioso. Suggestive evidence of the magnificence of
the small Modenese court in the eighteenth century is the Salottino
d'oro, the work room of Duke Francesco III, who in 1756 had it covered
and decorated with panels covered with pure gold. A curiosity: the
panels could be disassembled, which allowed the inhabitants of Modena to
keep the sitting room, disassembled and hidden in the basement, despite
the occupations and looting.
Monument to Ciro Menotti. In front
of the facade of the Palace, in Piazza Roma (formerly "Piazza Ducale"
and then "Reale") it is possible to observe the Monument to Ciro
Menotti, erected in 1879 by Cesare Sighinolfi, in memory of the patriot
who organized a liberal insurrection in Modena and in the province in
1831 and was arrested and executed. The statue holds the flag in its
hand and seems to be looking at the window of the Palace where Duke
Francesco IV signed his death sentence.
5 Town Hall. The town
hall closes the eastern and northern side of Piazza Grande with its
portico and is still the seat of the Municipality of Modena.
It is
not actually a single building, but the result of the 17th-18th century
renovation of numerous buildings built starting from 1046, all with the
same function of administrative and representative buildings. The
ancient civic tower (today Torre Mozza) collapsed in 1671 following an
earthquake. Interesting in the north wing is the Sala delle Bifore, an
environment in which part of the previous medieval facade has come to
light, set back a few meters from the previous one.
The Sala del
Fuoco: Inside, the frieze of the Sala del Fuoco is noteworthy, a series
of paintings executed by Nicolò dell'Abate in 1546, depicting the
episodes of the siege of Modena in 44 BC: an opportunity to depict the
characters from Roman history (Marco Antonio, Bruto, Augusto) in a
typically 'Emilian' background in which there are also some views of the
city. In the fire room there was always a brazier from which the people
could take the embers to activate their domestic fire. It was obviously
a public service much appreciated by all Modena citizens.
The Secchia
Rapita: In the Camerino dei Confirmati one of the symbols of the city is
kept: the Secchia rapita, a normal wooden bucket that reminds the people
of Modena of the glorious victory obtained against the Bolognese in 1325
in the battle of Zappolino. According to an ancient chronicle, found in
the seventeenth century and which inspired the heroic poem by Alessandro
Tassoni, La sechia rapita, the people of Modena stole the bucket from a
Bolognese well, and brought it back to the city as a trophy.
The
Preda Ringadora: The bucket is a direct testimony of medieval life in
the city: we can compare it to the Preda Ringadora, a large rectangular
marble boulder located a few meters from the portico of the Palazzo,
which probably originally belonged to an ancient Roman building. In
medieval times, the Preda was used as a stage for speakers, but also as
a place to carry out death sentences and display corpses (so that
someone could identify them).
La Bonissima: The statue called della
Bonissima also dates back to the Middle Ages, a mysterious female figure
erected in 1268 in Piazza Grande and then later placed above the portico
of the Palazzo Comunale, on the corner with via Castellaro. Tradition
tells of a generous Modena noblewoman, Bona, who distinguished herself
in her generosity towards the poor. More probably the female figure (who
perhaps held a scale in her hand, now lost) is the symbol of Good esteem
(hence in dialect bona ésma and then bonésma), that is to say of
precision in terms of measurements and sales: at the foot of the in
fact, the ancient Modenese mercantile measures were engraved on the
statue, documented starting from 1547 on the apse of the Cathedral.
6 Church of Santa Maria della Pomposa (Aedes Muratoriana). It is one
of the oldest churches in the city (it has been documented since 1153),
but the building retains very little of its original structure: in
addition to the masonry of the lower half of the church, it is possible
to distinguish the trace of an ancient door on the facade later closed,
of which the very simple terracotta capitals and part of the round arch
remain, as well as traces of the sawtooth decoration of the left attic
and of the central oculus, while the massive tower alongside the
building (which perhaps in the Middle Ages it was part of a castle) is
cut off at a certain height.
More than for its monumental importance,
the importance of the church is due to the fact that it was the parish
seat and residence of Ludovico Antonio Muratori, the great Modenese
historian, who was its "provost" (parish priest) from 1716 to 1750. By
his own will Muratori, at the time already a renowned scholar and
writer, had himself assigned "the care of souls" in what was one of the
poorest and most run-down neighborhoods of the city. The church itself,
in poor condition, was rebuilt from the ground up, and Muratori had the
choir added. Inside there is a cycle of paintings of the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries on San Sebastiano, the work of Bernardino Cervi and
Francesco Vellani.
The church with adjoining rectory (where Muratori
lived while attending to his most famous works) today constitutes the
complex of the Aedes Muratoriana ("Casa del Muratori"), seat of the
Deputation of Homeland History and of the Muratorian Museum. The
monument to L. A. Muratori, which stands not far away, on the Largo of
the same name overlooking the Via Emilia, testifies to the affection of
the people of Modena for one of its most illustrious citizens. Sculpted
by Adeodato Malatesta, who did not want to receive compensation, the
monument portrays the historian in a thoughtful attitude, but also
manages to suggest his profound humanity.
7 Church of
Sant'Agostino. Next to the Palazzo dei Musei, this church overlooks
Piazzale Sant'Agostino (also called Pantheon Atestinum, as it is adorned
with statues and busts of saints and blesseds from the house of Este, or
in some way related to it). Built in the fourteenth century on the site
of a previous "church of the Augustinians" founded in 1245 and still
bearing numerous traces of that era on the left side, it currently
however has a marked seventeenth-century appearance. In fact, it was
profoundly modified in 1663 at the behest of the Duchess Laura
Martinozzi, who wanted the solemn funeral of Duke Alfonso IV, her
husband, to be celebrated here: the sober fourteenth-century structure
is decorated with a rich stucco decoration and a fine coffered ceiling,
on which several artists painted portraits of nobles and saints. On the
other hand, the terracotta sculptural group of the Deposition of the
Cross (1476), a masterpiece by the Modenese Antonio Begarelli, stands
out for its dramatic intensity. Another visible trace of the ancient
church, preserved inside, is the fourteenth-century fresco of the
Madonna della Consolazione by Tommaso da Modena: a Mary portrayed with
delicate naturalness in the act of breastfeeding the Child.
8
Church of the Vow (Madonna della Ghiara). The church stands a short
distance from the cathedral and takes its name from a vote of the Modena
municipality and Duke Francesco I d'Este made in 1630, when the city was
hit by a very serious plague epidemic which, according to a chronicler,
came to cause up to two hundred deaths a day. The vote of the
Municipality was precisely to build, if and when the epidemic had
ceased, a church which, due to the interest of the duke (who took refuge
with the court on the hills of Reggio Emilia during the plague) was
dedicated to the Madonna della Ghiara, protector of Reggio (who , unlike
Modena, was only touched by the epidemic).
As soon as this was
finished, to keep the vow, based on a design by the Modenese architect
Cristoforo Galaverna, construction of the church began in 1634 in a
rather hybrid style and surmounted by a dome. The painter Lodovico Lana
was also commissioned a large altarpiece which is still found inside
together with other paintings and represents scenes of the plague in the
lower part and the Virgin and Child with saints, angels and on a plate
is the offering of the city recognizable by the towers of the cathedral
and the town hall.
9 Church of San Francesco. The Franciscan
friars arrived in Modena very early: there is news of a convent outside
the walls as early as 1221, when Francis of Assisi was still alive. The
current church was built very slowly, starting in 1244, and two
centuries later it was still not finished. The exterior is in a sober
Gothic style, traces of which remain visible on the northern side but
mainly in the façade, which has kept its structure almost intact even if
this is partly due to nineteenth-century renovations.
The interior
has been somewhat remodeled and houses one of Begarelli's masterpieces,
the Deposition of Christ from the Cross: a group of thirteen statues
"photographed" in an intensely dramatic moment. In front of the facade
of the church is a fountain with a statue of San Francesco, by Giuseppe
Graziosi (1920).
10 St. Peter's Church. Tradition has it that the
church stands on the site of an ancient temple to Jupiter Capitolinus.
However, the current church was built starting from 1476 according to a
project by the architect Pietro Barabani of Carpi. It is a fine example
of Renaissance architecture in Modena, as well as one of the most
beautiful churches in the city, embellished inside by a
sixteenth-century organ with gilded wood carvings and very well painted
doors, by a Madonna attributed to Giovanni Battista Salvi known as
Sassoferrato, and above all by the numerous terracotta works created by
Begarelli: the six saints arranged around the central nave, the Pietà
and the so-called Begarellian Apogee, a group depicting the Assumption
of the Madonna between the saints Peter, Paul, Benedict and Geminian.
The remarkable bell tower was erected in 1629.
Adjacent to the church
there is an ancient abbey inhabited by a congregation of Benedictine
monks. Originally the monastery of San Pietro was founded outside the
city walls in 996 as a bishop's foundation.
11 Church of San
Carlo. It was built starting from 1664 to a design by Bartolomeo
Avanzini; on his death the design was entrusted to the master mason, his
brother Giovanni Pietro Piazza. Once the works were completed, which
lasted more than a century, it was finally consecrated in 1766. The
church re-proposes the church of San Carlo ai Catinari in Rome in
reduced dimensions (with the exception of the dome), and was intended to
give the Collegio San Carlo, o Collegio dei Nobili (founded in 1626) a
worthy place of worship. The facade is built in brick with marble
friezes and a triangular tympanum that closes the façade, while the
interior has three naves supported by arches and delimited by four large
central bodies on which the dome is set. The apse houses the high altar
in red Verona marble, dated 1828. The monumental stucco ornamentation
that adorns the apse is the work of Antonio Traeri known as Il
Cestellino, and houses a canvas by Marcantonio Franceschini representing
the plague of Milan of 1576 : the Madonna with Child sits in the sky,
below her the raging disease and San Carlo Borromeo among other
characters who prays kneeling at the Cross. Following numerous
restoration interventions, the last of which dates back to 1980, the
church, no longer officiated, was finally used as an auditorium. The
church of San Carlo is part of a larger structure called the San Carlo
complex, which also includes a chapel, a theatre, a library, as well as
a spectacular portico. The complex houses the Fondazione Collegio San
Carlo (formerly "Collegio dei Nobili di San Carlo"), a private research
institute that carries out functions of public importance in the
educational and cultural fields with particular attention to philosophy,
human and social sciences and religious sciences .
12 Church of
San Vincenzo. Built in 1617 on a previous church of which we have news
as early as the thirteenth century. Wrongly attributed to the great
Modenese architect Guarino Guarini, who however was born seven years
later. In reality, the execution of the church was entrusted to Paolo
Reggiano and later to Bernardo Castagnini, with whom the young Guarini
perhaps collaborated. The church is embellished with frescoes by
Sigismondo Caula (with painted architecture by Sebastiano Sansone),
depicting the lives of Saints Vincent and Cajetan of Thiene, founder of
the order of Theatines to which the church had been entrusted. The dome,
frescoed by Caula and Tommaso Costa himself, was destroyed during the
war in a bombing raid. In the first chapel on the left, the church also
housed a canvas by Guercino which was stolen by unknown persons in
August 2014.
San Vincenzo is the seat of the funerary monuments of
the Este dukes.
13 Church of San Giovanni Battista, via
Emilia/Piazza Matteotti. The only ancient church in Modena that is
completely isolated, i.e. without buildings built against its walls,
with the exception of the isolated Cathedral at the beginning of the
twentieth century. Built on the site of an older church dedicated to San
Michele, it was rebuilt in the sixteenth century, but reveals the
profound changes it underwent in the eighteenth century in the
decorations and structure (the elliptical and non-circular dome). The
organ built by the organ builder Agostino Traeri is remarkable.
It
still contains the masterpiece of the sixteenth-century Modena sculptor
Guido Mazzoni, the Deposition from the cross (1476), a group of
particularly interesting polychrome terracotta statues.
14 Church
of San Bartolomeo. Headquarters of the Compagnia del Gesù since 1602,
the church is one of the largest in the entire Modena area. The current
temple was built to a design by the Jesuit father Giorgio Soldati from
Lugano in the place where the ancient parish church dedicated to the
same saint previously stood. Having demolished the narrow and obsolete
building, in 1607 the Jesuits began work on the construction of the new
church, which was definitively completed in 1629 including the
construction of the bell tower.
The imposing facade with grandiose
lines, which is influenced by the Borrominian Baroque, was erected to a
design by Andrea Galluzzi from Piacenza. The plan of the building is a
Latin cross with slightly protruding transepts and ends with a
rectangular apse. The sacred environment is elegant, decorated but
without excesses and has three naves supported by pillars to which eight
semi-columns are leaning against which support four large round arches.
The first masterpiece to be admired upon entering the church is the
grandiose fresco that covers the entire barrel vault by Father Giuseppe
Barbieri (1642-1733), a disciple of Andrea Pozzo. The precise point
where it is possible to have a correct view of the perspective
measurements is marked by the black disc at the beginning of the central
nave. Also noteworthy are the numerous paintings that enrich the
building, some of which by renowned authors including Jean Boulanger,
Giacinto Brandi, Jacopino Consetti, Lorenzo Garbieri, Ludovico Lana,
Aurelio Lomi, Piero Petruzzini and Giuseppe Romani.
The majestic
altar in very fine marble stands out, made in 1620 by Giovanni Battista
Bassoli, Cecilio Bezi, Giovanni Battista Censori and Antonio Traeri.
Of great effect are the two twin choir stalls carved and gilded with the
related organ cases of impressive dimensions. The choir on the left is
original from the 17th century while the one on the right was built in
1902 to replace the previous one that burned down in a fire in which the
precious instrument by the Jesuit Willem Hermans was also destroyed. The
current instrument is the work of the Rieger brothers and dates from
1903.
Jewel of Baroque art thanks to the numerous paintings, the
complex of frescoes, the monumental marble altar, the finely crafted
stuccos and other excellently crafted furnishings, it is certainly one
of the most fascinating buildings in the city.
15 Church of San
Giorgio (Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine Ausiliatrice of the people of
Modena). The Blessed Virgin Help of Christians is naturally the image of
the Madonna present on the high altar, which in ancient times was placed
outside the sanctuary so that the Modenese of the time could venerate
her. The high altar of the church was made in polychrome marble by
Antonio Loraghi (1666).
The church is noteworthy for its Greek cross
plan (that is, composed of four arms of the same size). It was built
starting from 1647 from a project by Gaspare Vigarani and Cristoforo
Malagola known as Galaverna.
16 Church of San Biagio. The church
saw its origins in 1319 together with the monastery in which the
Carmelite friars settled, by the Sadoleto family from Modena in honor of
the Blessed Virgin of Carmine. It was later rebuilt between 1646 and
1658, during the government of Francesco I. Inside, the church has a
single nave; near the six arches (one on each side) there are altars.
The choir and the imposing dome were frescoed by Mattia Preti, a pupil
of Guercino. Next to the church there is a cloister where a
fourteenth-century frescoed lunette depicting the Madonna and Child, San
Martino and two offerers was found following restoration.
17
Church of San Domenico. The church is located in the place where in 1243
the Preacher friars erected a first church, liturgically oriented with a
west facade. When the Este family arrived in Modena, the construction of
the new Palazzo Ducale had begun, the church was very close and
disharmonious with respect to the Este residence; for this reason, in
1707-1708 it was decided to demolish it and build a new temple, with a
façade in line with that of the Palace. Inside the church there is a
valuable model by Antonio Begarelli, a work of strong realism, which
depicts Jesus in Martha's house.
18 Church of Sant'Eufemia
(Church of Adoration). According to tradition, the church of
Sant'Eufemia and the adjacent (ex) monastery stand on the spot where in
681 a hospice for women gathered under the rule of Saint Benedict was
founded by a pious widow with seven daughters. The church has an
octagonal plan with unequal sides, many of which house the presbytery,
two side chapels and the door. In the presbytery in front of the
entrance are the high altar in white marble and a painting depicting the
Pietà from the 17th century. Externally in the stucco frames are painted
symbolic figures dating back to the twentieth century, by Secondo
Grandi; there are represented St. Peter preaching the Gospel, the
martyrdom of St. Euphemia and that of St. Peter.
19 Church of
Santa Maria delle Asse (SS. Trinità), corso Canalgrande. It is one of
the oldest churches in the city and owes its name to the presence of a
wooden bridge, located where the church stands today, which allowed
crossing the canal. The building dates back to 1599; the interior has a
single nave with six richly decorated side chapels.
20 Church of
San Barnaba. The church was rebuilt in 1660 but completed only later.
Inside, paintings and furnishings from the 18th century. The vault bears
the paintings of Jacopo Antonio Manini, also author of the architectural
parts and of the ornamentation with perspectives of corbels and
chiaroscuro festoons. The six medallions depicting allegorical themes
and the chiaroscuro shields were made by Sigismondo Caula.
21 Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Documented since the
fifteenth century, the church dates back to the eighteenth century.
The interior has a single nave with a semicircular apse; to the side
there are four chapels and two small chapels. The vault was painted
by Fermo Forti in the 19th century. On the main altar you can admire
a seventeenth-century icon depicting the Madonna with saints, by
Francesco Vellani.
22 Church of Jesus the Redeemer, Viale
Leonardo da Vinci, 270. It is the work of the architect Mauro
Galantino, winner of a competition organized by the Italian
Episcopal Conference. Consecrated in 2008, its very modern
architecture has aroused ample and lively debate in the citizens for
the innovative solutions in the articulation of the liturgical
spaces. It fits harmoniously into the peripheral urban fabric,
breaking with and at the same time in continuity with the more
ancient tradition of Modenese religious buildings.
23
Synagogue (Jewish Temple). The building has an elliptical plan
inscribed in a rectangular area; the twelve columns supporting the
women's gallery represent the twelve tribes of Israel; the
decorations painted inside are all strictly non-figurative, as
required by Jewish law.
Today the facade of the Synagogue is
clearly visible in the most central area of the city, but in the
past things were very different. In fact, when it was built, the
temple was totally hidden from view by the buildings that stood in
the area of today's Piazza Mazzini: these buildings were demolished
in 1904. The Synagogue actually stood in the center of the Jewish
ghetto, wanted by Francesco I d'Este in 1638: the neighborhood, from
which Jews could not leave during the night, was closed with two
gates in via Blasia and in via Coltellini. At least a thousand Jews
lived here in 1861, when the ghetto was closed with the annexation
of Modena to the Kingdom of Italy.
With the opening of Piazza
Mazzini, the Synagogue changed its facade (in fact it was previously
on the side of Via Coltellini), and found itself occupying a very
central position, a few tens of meters from the Palazzo Comunale,
the Duomo and the Ghirlandina. In the Fascist era, the facade was
partially hidden by the foliage of the trees planted in the square.
24 Complex of Sant'Agostino. It covers approximately 25,000 m²
and is located on the outskirts of the historic city centre.
Originally the building housed a hospital, the Grande Spedale degli
Infermi which Duke Francesco III commissioned in the mid-18th
century. A little later the hospital was enlarged by doubling the
front on via Emilia to also house the military infirmary. Despite
the birth of the Policlinico, the hospital remained in operation
until 2005, after which the personnel and the healthcare activity
were transferred to the new Baggiovara hospital. Between 2005 and
2008 the entire building was acquired by the Cassa di Risparmio di
Modena Foundation, which expressed its intention to transform it
into the new cultural hub, including a library hub, a language
center for internationalisation, a for photography and for the
image, an exhibition center, a center for various complementary and
economic activities. The project, which was supervised by the studio
of the architect Gae Aulenti, stems from a memorandum of
understanding signed in 2007 between the Cassa di Risparmio di
Modena Foundation, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the
Municipality of Modena.
25 Palazzo Santa Margherita, Corso
Canalgrande, 103. In the historic centre, on the site where a church
dedicated to Santa Margherita once stood. Used in the 12th century
as a convent, it later became a barracks; subsequently from 1874 it
was the seat of the Patronato dei Figli del Popolo. Now it houses
the Civic Gallery, the Delfini Library, the Figurine Museum and the
Orazio Vecchi Musical Institute. The spaces dedicated to the Civic
Gallery include the Sala Grande, which houses the main activities of
the Gallery; the rooms on the upper floor, opened in 2004; an
educational laboratory, managed with the support of the Department
of Education of the Municipality of Modena; a bookshop. The large
hall is located on the first floor, the upper rooms inaugurated in
2004 are on the second floor, while on the ground floor, immediately
after the entrance to the Palazzo, you walk through a suggestive
corridor that surrounds the cloister. Thanks to its large and
well-articulated spaces, the Palazzo lends itself to exhibitions
dedicated mainly to drawing and photography, small solo monographs,
exhibition cycles and surveys on the research conducted by artists
of the latest generation.
26 Forum Boarium. It is a plant of
considerable architectural and urban interest, as it is a unique
construction in the panorama of ducal architecture interventions in
terms of size, typology and location. It consists of a very long
building (about 250 meters) perfectly two-faced, with four facades,
equal two by two. In the central body, which extends for about 45
meters, there is a clock and panoply in the gable, the work of Luigi
Righi, who depicted the Allegories of Arms, Fertility, the Arts and
Time. It was built in the first half of the 19th century by order of
Francesco IV of Austria d'Este (duke of Modena, Reggio and Mirandola
from 1815) who entrusted the design to the architect Francesco
Vandelli, author of numerous other public and private buildings in
the city. To date, on the side that runs along the left side of
viale Berengario there is a plaque commissioned by the duke himself,
which shows the date of construction (1831) and the dedication to
the farmers (Honori et confortable fidelium agricolerum) involved in
the construction of the complex. The structure was initially
intended for the cattle market and for the storage of agricultural
products, but after just over a decade the building was transformed
into barracks. Subsequently the citizens claimed its use (according
to what the duke himself had wanted) during the reign of Umberto I.
In 1989 the restoration and reuse works began for the new
headquarters of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce of the
University of Modena, inaugurated in 1994 on the upper floors of the
building. On the ground floor there is now the Faculty library in
the east wing and the area used for temporary exhibitions in the
west. Since 2002, the structure has hosted exhibitions promoted by
the Cassa di Risparmio di Modena Foundation.
27 Cemetery of
San Cataldo. Just outside the historic center is the monumental
cemetery of San Cataldo, the city's cemetery. It is made up of two
parts, one ancient and one recent. The first bears the name of the
architect Cesare Costa and was built between 1858 and 1876; there
are numerous works of art of notable artistic value. Among the
deceased buried in this part is also Enzo Ferrari, in a tomb next to
that of his son Dino; as well as Alberto Braglia (athlete) and
Virginia Reiter actress who lived many years in Modena.
The
recent part, the "Aldo Rossi" monumental cemetery, was built
according to the project of the architect Aldo Rossi. The
construction of the cemetery is now partially completed and is
articulated in such a way as to limit the large green spaces marked
by paths of crosses reserved for pedestrians. The church is located
inside the cemetery.
28 Palazzo dei Musei, Piazza Sant'Agostino. Mon-Fri 7:30-19:30, Sat
8:00-19:30, Sun 9:45-19.30. The main museums of the city are gathered in
the Palazzo dei Musei. Piazzale Sant'Agostino, located close to the gate
of the same name (demolished in the 19th century), is an example of
18th-century town planning. Here Francesco III d'Este had two large
buildings built for social purposes: the hospital on the northern side
(site of one of the hospitals in Modena today replaced by a modern
hospital in the hamlet of Baggiovara) and opposite the hotel for the
poor, inaugurated in 1771, which a century later was transformed by the
municipality of Modena into today's Palazzo dei Musei. The square was
completed by the large equestrian monument of Francesco III built by the
Carrara abbot Giovanni Antonio Cybei inaugurated in 1774 and then landed
in the revolutionary uprisings of 1797.
The reception services are
open on the ground floor of the building: the reception and the
information point are located in the north courtyard, where it is
possible to find useful information for visiting the city's institutes
and on the cultural and educational initiatives promoted in the new
spaces.
Inside the building there are: the Estense Lapidary Museum,
the Roman Lapidary of the Civic Museums, the Graziosi Gipsoteca and the
Philosophy Festival Consortium (ground floor), the Municipal Historical
Archive and the "Luigi Poletti" Art History Library (first floor), the
Estense and University library (second floor), the civic museums, made
up of the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum and the Art Museum
(third floor), the Estense Gallery (fourth floor).
29 Estense
Library (On the second floor of the Palazzo dei Musei), ☎ +39 059
222248, ga-esten@cultura.gov.it. It preserves printed books, incunabula,
sixteenth-century books and numerous illuminated codes from the
fourteenth to the sixteenth century. The most precious text is the
famous Bible by Borso d'Este, a masterpiece of Ferrarese illumination
(15th century).
30 Galleria Estense, ga-esten@beniculturali.it.
One of the most important Italian collections and reflects the Estensi's
interests in painting and sculpture, but also in archeology and the
minor arts. Valuable are the marble bust of Francesco I d'Este by
Bernini, the portrait of Francesco I by Velasquez, the Sant'Antonio da
Padova by Cosmè Tura, the Madonna and Child by Correggio, a triptych by
El Greco, a Crucifix by Guido Reni. The nucleus of Po valley painting
from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century is conspicuous.
31
Museums of the Cathedral, Via Lanfranco 4, ☎ +39 059 4396969,
info@museidelduomodimodena.it. For both museums of the Duomo: adults €4,
concessions €3, schools €1.5/pax. April-September Tue-Sun 9:30-12:30 and
15:30-18:30, October-March Tue-Sun 9:30-12:30 and 15:00-18:00. Museum
pole composed of the Este lapidary museum and the Duomo museum.
32 Este lapidary museum.
Cathedral Museum. The museum collects a rich
heritage made up of works of art, hangings and liturgical furnishings,
evidence of the vitality of the church of Modena over the centuries.
There are also many tombstones from various eras, found or removed from
the walls of the Duomo over the centuries, as well as the originals of
the Metopes, slabs sculpted with monstrous and bizarre images placed on
the sides of the buttresses of the roof (replaced by copies in 1948).
33 Enzo Ferrari Museum, info@museocasaenzoferrari.it.
34
Luciano Pavarotti House Museum, Stradello Nava 6, ☎ +39 059 460778,
info@casamuseolucianopavarotti.it. Mon-Sun 10am-7pm. The Luciano
Pavarotti Foundation on the occasion of EXPO 2015 extraordinarily opens
the doors of Casa Pavarotti, transformed into a house museum thanks to
the setting up of a path that will allow you to get to know the man and
the artist Luciano Pavarotti. It offers the possibility of discovering
and sharing the great Maestro's daily life, gradually entering the most
intimate part of his life and retracing the stages of his extraordinary
professional career.
University museums
35 Galleria Civica
(The Galleria Civica has two exhibition venues: Palazzo Santa Margherita
and Palazzina dei Giardini), galcivmo@comune.modena.it. Free entry.
Founded in 1959 on the initiative of the Municipal Administration, the
Civic Gallery of Modena is today one of the most authoritative centers
of cultural production on the national scene. Through temporary
exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art and photography and thanks to
the numerous collaborations with prestigious museums, associations and
galleries from all over the world, it has achieved, especially in recent
years, a high level of recognition also at an international level.
Palazzina dei Giardini, Corso Canalgrande, 103 (In Palazzo Santa
Margherita). Wed-Fri 10:30-13:30 and 16:00-19:30, Sat, Sun and public
holidays 10:30-19:30. Seventeenth-century building, a suggestive place
for monographic and retrospective exhibitions. The gallery also has some
permanent collections. edit
the Collection of Contemporary Drawing
the Collection of Contemporary Photography
the Collection of Don
Bettelli Graphics
36 Figurine Museum,
museo.figurina@comune.modena.it. Born from the collecting passion of
Giuseppe Panini, founder, in 1961, of the company of the same name
together with his brothers. The collection brings together, alongside
the figurines proper, materials similar in technique and function (small
prints, matchboxes, letter seals, menus, calendars).
Automotive
museums
The city has always been linked to motoring: like all of
Emilia-Romagna, Modena is also a land of engines, where the passion for
mechanics has a long tradition and the myth of speed is an integral part
of its culture. Within a few kilometers there are several museums and
private collections dedicated to engines.
37 Ferrari Museum, Via
Alfredo Dino Ferrari 43 (Maranello - 25 km from Modena),
galleria@ferrari.it. A few steps from the Ferrari factory, the large
museum that houses the history of the Maranello reds and their founder
Enzo Ferrari. There are the cars that have participated in the Grand
Prix of the last 50 years, which are framed by video projections and won
trophies; an entire section of the gallery is dedicated to the
atmosphere of Formula One racing.
38 "Enzo Ferrari" Museum, Via
Paolo Ferrari 85 (3 km from the centre), info@museocasaenzoferrari.it.
Inaugurated on 10 March 2012, the museum is located in the birthplace of
Enzo Ferrari, the famous racing car driver and entrepreneur, founder of
the car company that bears his name. In the house where he was born, the
historical phases of Enzo Ferrari's life are documented; next to it, a
new exhibition gallery has found its place, a monumental building
characterized by a large roof in yellow aluminum panels (the color of
the city), whose openings for light resemble the air intakes of a car
racing. The museum organizes thematic exhibitions which change
approximately every 6 months.
Stanguellini Historic Car Museum,
Via Emilia Est 756 (4 km from the centre). It was born in 1996 by the
will of the son of Vittorio Stanguellini, founder of the business, and
has gradually been enriched with prestigious rare pieces that have
expanded and embellished the collection, with over thirty cars including
racing cars and sports coupés. The collection offers a broad overview of
the city's automotive culture, presenting the most significant models of
Modena's cars that have won the main car races.
"Umberto Panini"
Museum of vintage cars and motorcycles, Strada Corletto Sud 320 (16 km
from the centre). Various models of vintage cars and motorcycles are on
display, including the prestigious Maserati collection, as well as
bicycles, engines, examples of military vehicles, and prototypes of
models never built. The collection is located at the Hombre farm which
produces Parmigiano Reggiano.
Vintage car collection Righini
private collection, Via Nino Bixio 12 (Panzano - 15 km from Modena). In
the castle of Panzano (in Campogalliano in the province of Modena) many
of the most beautiful vintage cars and the most exclusive models of
today are kept. Among the most famous pieces are the Autoavio, the first
car built by Enzo Ferrari in 1940, the Chiribiri which in 1915 broke the
road speed record, the Alfa Romeo which belonged to Tazio Nuvolari, the
Cadillac of John XXIII.
Horacio Pagani Museum, Via Dell'Industria, 26
(San Cesario sul Panaro - 16 km from Modena), paganitour@modenatur.it.
Visits to the factory by reservation only. An exclusive collection of
the limited editions that have made the history of the brand, from the
first sketches to the latest models of the Zonda and Huayra.
Other
39 4 Madonne Caseificio dell'Emilia, Strada Lesignana, 130 -
41123 Lesignana (MO) (7 km from Modena), ☎ +39 059 849468, fax: +39 059
849468. Adults €15, children €5. On reservation. It is possible to watch
the production of Parmigiano Reggiano, the King of cheeses, visit the
various processing rooms of the dairy and the maturing warehouse,
containing over 33,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano, and finally taste
it in various ages.
San Antonio Fair. on January 17th.
San Geminiano Fair. on January
31st. Patron of the city, during which the body is discovered in the
cathedral and the faithful are given the opportunity to kiss the arm of
the saint, kept in an urn of the same shape.
Modenantiquaria (Petra),
via Virgilio, 70 (exhibition centre), ☏ +39 059 848380,
info@modenantiquaria.it. In February. Exhibition of antiques market,
includes the Serate Estensi, historical re-enactment of the glories of
the Este Duchy (June, historic center and Novi Sad park) and the fair of
San Geminiano, or the celebration of the feast of the patron saint of
the city (31 January).
Mak Π 100. in May. Gymnastic recital for the
students of the Military Academy of Modena and grand ball for the
debutantes one hundred days before the promotion to officer of the
second year students.
Philosophy Festival (festivalfilosofia) (It
takes place in the three cities of Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo). free. In
the month of September. Master classes art exhibitions, concerts, shows,
initiatives for children and cultural events related to philosophy.
Illustrious names and leading university professors participate. Each
edition is dedicated to a specific theme.
Antique market, at the Novi
Sad park. every fourth Saturday and Sunday of the month. It is the
largest antiques fair in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Gastronomic and
commercial events, in the Historic Centre. International market, Modena
in bloom (some streets in the center are completely covered in flowers,
almost as if they were open-air gardens), Stuzzicagente (a day of
tastings in stages in the historic center of Modena, normally two
editions a year in spring and in autumn).
Modena Organ Festival. in
the months June - September. It constitutes a series of appointments in
the most important churches of the city where valid organists of
international renown perform.
Motor Valley Fest. In May. Italian
kermesse dedicated to the passion for engines, which includes a series
of appointments for lovers of two and four wheels.
Carnival. on
Shrove Thursday. with the presence of the city mask, Sandrone and the
Pavironica family.
Ilaria Alpi (television journalism award), ☎ +39
0541 691640, fax: +39 0541 475803, info@ilariaalpi.it. First week of
June. Modena is not only the city of entertainment, but also a city
attentive to culture. The most important cultural event is the Ilaria
Alpi television journalism award, one of the most important journalism
awards on the continent. On the occasion of the awards, cultural
meetings of all kinds are organized, journalistic workshops, exhibitions
and theatrical or comic performances. The Ilaria Alpi association, which
has its headquarters in Villa Lodi Fe' in Riccione, in the station area,
then plays a cultural role at a national level throughout the year,
dealing with important topics and research, organizing conferences also
in schools and carrying out important works of conservation, cataloging
and restoration of various television journalistic material.
Play
Modena, Viale Virgilio 70 (ModenaFiere), ☎ +39 059 848380,
info@play-modena.it. Check the times of the current edition:
https://2023.play-modena.it. Annual Board Game and RPG Fair.
There are several theaters in the city, offering various types of
performances. The municipal theater "Luciano Pavarotti", which belongs
to the homonymous foundation, hosts ballets, operas, classical music
concerts; the Storchi theater represents prose; the theater of the
Passions mostly represents contemporary performances, the Raffaello
cinema-theater lyric and opera.
1 Pavarotti-Freni Municipal
Theatre, Corso Canalgrande, 85, ☎ +39 059 2033010, fax: +39 059 2033011,
biglietteria@teatrocomunalemodena.it. It is the main opera house of the
city; designed in 1838 and inaugurated on 2 October 1841, it was built
by Francesco Vandelli, architect to the court of Duke Francesco IV. The
original name, Teatro dell'Illustrissima Comunità, later changed to
Municipal Theatre. In 2007 it was named after the Modenese tenor Luciano
Pavarotti and from 2021 also after the fellow villager Mirella Freni.
The theater was built on the initiative of the mayor of Modena (Marquis
Ippolito Livizzani) and with the contribution of Duke Francesco IV. The
architect Francesco Vandelli designed it on a city area of over two
thousand square meters, obtained by acquiring and demolishing some
houses. It was inaugurated three years later, on 2 October 1841, with
the name of "Teatro dell'Illustrissima Comunità". For the inauguration,
the melodrama Adelaide di Borgogna at the Canossa Castle was specially
composed by Alessandro Gandini, with a libretto by Carlo Malmusi.
From 1915 to 1923 it was requisitioned by the military authorities.
After the Second World War, next to the opera house, it held a program
of prose, concerts and ballets. In the 70s its management passed to the
municipal administration. In 1984 the restoration works of the theater
began, which was reopened to the public two years later. In 2001 it
became a foundation, with the participation of private entities.
On 6
December 2007, the theater was dedicated to Luciano Pavarotti three
months after the death of the Modenese tenor
Characteristic elements
of the theater are the neoclassical facade, with a portico with Doric
columns, corresponding to nine arches. The vaults of the three central
arches are decorated with rosettes in relief. The windows above the
portico are surmounted by bas-reliefs with a tragic theme, created by
Luigi Righi, who also created a statue placed on the top, at the
pediment, which represents the genius of Modena in the form of a winged
young man. The atrium is oval, decorated with frescoes and bas-reliefs.
The stalls are elliptical in shape, with four tiers of boxes and the
gallery. The historical curtain is the work of Adeodato Malatesta.
2 Teatro Storchi, Largo Garibaldi, 15, ☎ +39 059 2136021 (ticket
office), fax: +39 059 211426, biglietteria@emiliaromagnateatro.com.
Telephone ticket office Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00. The theater takes its name
from Gaetano Storchi, a wealthy merchant from Modena who financed its
construction. It stands on land in the new building area obtained with
the construction of the Garibaldi barrier (1884), following the
demolition of the Bologna gate (1882). The location of the theater
influenced the singular original structure of the building, which has a
double facade: the main facade is to the north, which looks onto Piazza
Garibaldi, while the one on the west side overlooks Viale Martiri della
Libertà, once the promenade of the walls, and is the work of the
architect Maestri. The building was born on the basis of a particularly
refined project, which included service rooms, a foyer, a smoking room
and a café; however, the construction took place economically, on
terrain that appeared unstable from the outset, and above all with the
use of poor quality materials that soon compromised its stability. The
numerous subsequent renovations and recovery of the building are due to
this. Among the most important, we recall the reconstruction of the roof
and the modification of the curvature of the hall by the engineer Luigi
Sfondrini of Milan; the restoration of the exterior with the remaking of
the plaster and the frames in 1929, and a subsequent intervention on the
hall in 1931.
Teatro delle Passioni, Viale Carlo Sigonio, 382, ☎
+39 059 301880 (on show nights), biglietteria@emiliaromagnateatro.com.
Teatro Michelangelo, Via Pietro Giardini 255, ☎ +39 059 343662, fax: +39
059 341709, info@teatromichelangelo.com.
3 Theater of the College of
San Carlo.
4 Sacred Heart Theater.
5 Cinema Astra multiplex, Via Francesco Rismondo, 27, ☎ +39 059
216110.
6 Cinema Raffaello multiplex, Via Formigina, 380, ☎ +39 059
357502, info@cinemaraffaello.it
7 Cinema Victoria, Via Sergio Ramelli, 101, ☎ +39 059 454622,
info@victoriacinema.it.
The social life of the city is concentrated in a few areas of the centre: via Taglio, via Gallucci and piazza della Pomposa. Here there are a variety of establishments ranging from the traditional bar, to the brewery-pub, the wine bar with precious labels, the brunch-café. Among the places that also offer musical programming evenings and evenings with cultural and social events, the Caffè Concerto is worth mentioning, a modern bar-restaurant overlooking Piazza Grande and which offers a cafeteria, exhibition space, book corner, meeting room, live club . A second venue, just outside the historic center, is the Baluardo della Cittadella, which hosts various cultural activities including concerts and performances, with particular regard to literary cafés and meetings for conferences and presentations; the outdoor areas host art itineraries and meeting moments. There is also a restaurant.
The city of Modena, like the whole Emilia-Romagna region, is renowned
for its cuisine and gastronomy products. In particular, known and highly
appreciated all over the world are the dishes based on pork, with which
the zampone and the cotechino are produced, typical products of the
area. Other local dishes are tortellini, fried dumplings, tigella (or
crescentina). To these are added Parmigiano-Reggiano (the province of
Modena is one of the areas where the famous DOP cheese is produced) and,
of course, balsamic vinegar, a fine condiment made from grape must, and
Lambrusco, a red wine sparkling wine that goes well with rich local
dishes.
The best places to taste the typical cuisine are the
family-run trattorias still present in the city; however, Modena also
offers high class venues.
Modest prices
Burger King, Via Nuova
Estense 103, ☎ +39 059 5964337. Mon-Sun: 12:00-22:00. The services in
this restaurant are: Parking, Restaurant, King Drive, Wifi, Birthday
parties.
McDonald's Modena Bruciata, Via Emilia Ovest 1480
(Grandemilia Shopping Centre), ☎ +39 059 848599. Mon - Sun 08:30 -
21:30, for Restaurant and McCafé. The services are: McCafè, Parking,
Breakfast, Wifi, Playland, Parties.
1 Osteria Ermes, Via Ganaceto 89.
2 Sosta Emiliana, Piazza XX Settembre 21. Tigelle and quick snacks.
Average prices
3 Antica trattoria Cervetta, Via Cervetta, 7, ☎
+39 059 220500.
4 Il Fantino Trattoria, Via Donzi, 7, ☎ +39 059
223646.
5 Trattoria Del Giardinetto, Piazzale Paolo Boschetti, 1, ☎
+39 059 234448.
6 Stallo del Pomodoro Restaurant, Largo Hannover, 63,
☎ +39 059 214664.
7 Aldina Restaurant, Via Luigi Albinelli, 40, ☎ +39
059 236106.
High prices
8 Osteria Francescana, Via Stella, 22,
☎ +39 059 223912.
Vinicio Restaurant, Via Emilia Est 1526.
Restaurant in Maiora, Via N. Sauro 7.
Modest prices
1 B&B Hotel Modena, Via Emilia Est 441, ☎ +39 059
373888, modena@hotelbb.com. Check-in: 2.00pm, check-out: 12.00pm.
2
Albergo Moderno, Via Campi 244/1, ☎ +39 059 363502,
info@albergomoderno-hotel-modena.it. Check-in: 14:00 to 23:00,
check-out: 07:00 to 11:00.
It is advisable, especially late in the evening and at night, to
avoid the areas near the train station (in particular the part opposite
the historic centre), the area of via Canaletto, via Attiraglio, viale
Gramsci as they are areas for drug dealing and assaults and the Enzo
Ferrari Park (inside and in the viale Italia area near the Windsor Park
buildings). In general, it is good to keep the classic tourist
precautions, therefore bags/valuables tightly packed or not very
visible.
How to keep in touch
Main post office, Via Emilia Centro, 86, ☎ +39 059 2053337. Mon-Fri
8am-6.30pm, Sat 8am-12.30pm.
In the city there are another thirty
post offices whose maximum hours are Mon-Thu 8:00-12:30, Fri 8:00-13:30.
Wireless connection is available in some areas of the city. To access
the service you need a personal account and password, which can be
requested upon payment of €2 at:
Public Relations Office - Youth
Information Center, Piazza Grande, 17, ☎ +39 059 20312.
11 Antonio
Delfini Civic Library, Corso Canalgrande, 103, ☎ +39 059 2032940.
Palazzo dei Musei information point, Viale Vittorio Veneto, 5, ☎ +39 059
2033125.
Gazzetta di Modena (Daily)
Il Resto del Carlino (Modena edition)
(Daily)
TRC Modena (TV)
Radio Pico (Radio)
Radio Modena City
(Radio)
The city is located approximately in the center of
the province of which it is the capital, in the Po Valley in a
completely flat area. Two rivers surround it without however
crossing it: the Secchia and the Panaro, whose importance for the
city is also testified by the presence of the Fountain of the two
rivers, by the Modenese sculptor Giuseppe Graziosi, located in Largo
Garibaldi.
The Naviglio canal was born within the city, which
flows into the Panaro river at Bomporto. Once accessible to river
transport, the canal is now underground and not accessible within
the city.
The first offshoots of the Modena Apennines are
located between 15 and 20 km south of the city, already outside the
municipal area, in the non-neighboring municipalities of Sassuolo,
Fiorano Modenese, Maranello and Castelvetro di Modena.
The
city is economically one of the major European realities. In fact,
in the province there are important food industries (including
Grandi Salumifici Italiani, Cremonini and Fini, production centers
of Parmigiano Reggiano and pork processing - to which Castelnuovo
Rangone, the heart of this sector, has even dedicated a monument),
engineering (Modena, as well as its province, can be considered the
World Capital of Sporting Motoring with the headquarters of Ferrari
in Maranello, of Maserati in the city, of Pagani in San Cesario sul
Panaro and until a few years ago De Tomaso in outskirts and Bugatti
in Campogalliano. Also about ten kilometers from the city, but
already in the province of Bologna, in the municipality of
Sant'Agata Bolognese is the headquarters of another historic company
in the sector such as Lamborghini). It is also considered the world
capital of ceramics (or tiles), thanks to the leading companies
present in the territories of Sassuolo and Fiorano Modenese. The
textile industry present in the territory of Carpi and the
biomedical one in the municipality of Mirandola are remarkable.
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the city had two docks: one
inside the walls, in the current Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and one
outside (the basin) at the height of the overpass of the Sacca,
buried in 1936. Traces of the canals of Modena remain in the names
of the streets, particularly in the historic center: there are in
fact streets called Canal Grande, Canal Chiaro, Canalino, Canaletto
and so on.
In 1949 an Aerautodrome was built, just outside
the walls, with the functions of an airstrip for commercial use and
a track for international car and motorcycle races and a test track
for the local automotive industries of the time (Ferrari, Maserati
and Stanguellini). It remained in use until 1962, but also far
beyond for motorcycle races and various exhibitions relating to
engines. Now in its place there is a large park dedicated to Enzo
Ferrari.
Modena experienced the reality of a strong earthquake in May 2012. There were two main tremors nine days apart from each other of magnitude 5.9 and 5.8, both with epicenter in the lower Po Valley of the province between the 20 and 35 kilometers from the city. The earthquake destroyed the municipalities near the epicenter. Modena had no major damage other than slight injuries in some old churches including the Duomo, especially following the second 5.8 quake.
The
climate is typically Po Valley, with sub-continental influences:
winters are humid, cold (average minimum temperatures below zero
even for several weeks) and moderately snowy, with an average annual
accumulation of 35 cm. In autumn and winter the phenomenon of fog is
very frequent, often very thick and constant even for several days
in a row. However, it must be emphasized that in the last 20 years,
the climate has largely changed, both in terms of snowfall which was
very thin on the city compared to the past and in some years almost
non-existent, and also as regards the fogs, now very rare in the
city and its surroundings, but still a little more persistent in the
countryside, especially towards the lower Emilia. There is also a
significant temperature range between summer and winter: the summer
months, and increasingly often also those of late spring, are in
fact hot and particularly sultry, with maximum peaks well above 35 °
C. The perception of temperatures, in summer as well as in winter,
is often altered by the high level of humidity.
Due to the
poor ventilation of the Po valley and the high vehicular traffic,
Modena is among the first places among the most polluted cities in
Europe, behind the Italians Turin, Brescia and Milan.
Ancient age and Middle Ages
In ancient times it was an Etruscan
settlement, then Gallic (Galli Boi). In 183 BC. it was founded as a
Roman colony by a thousand cives from Rome led by the triumviri Marco
Emilio Lepido, Tito Ebuzio Parro and Lucio Quinzio Crispino. It became
the capital of the former Cisalpine Gaul and seat of the governor for
two centuries. Subsequently Modena was abandoned between the 5th and 7th
centuries, due to the numerous floods of the Secchia and Panaro rivers,
the inhabitants took refuge in the nearby village further west,
Cittanova. It gradually repopulated around the bishop's seat, which had
taken over the leadership of the city and the bishop Leodoino had it
surrounded by walls in 891. During the lordship of the bishops, the new
cathedral was erected. The episcopal power came to an end with the
municipal autonomy in 1135 but, in 1249, with the battle of Fossalta,
Ghibelline Modena was defeated by Guelph Bologna making the
pro-episcopal party of the Aigoni return to power led by bishop Alberto
Boschetti, in 1288, he surrendered to the Este family of Ferrara. On 15
November 1325 in the battle of Zappolino Modena inflicted a heavy defeat
on the Bolognese until it reached the walls of the city of the two
towers and besieged it. After a week the Modena lifted the siege and
returned to the city carrying as a trophy a wooden bucket stolen from a
well outside Porta San Felice, the "Secchia Rapita" which became the
inspiration for the heroic poem of the same name by the Modenese poet
Alessandro Tassoni.
Modern and contemporary age
Modena truly
became the "Este city" only after 1598, when Duke Cesare moved the
capital of his duchy from Ferrara to Modena. A State destined to get by
with ups and downs in the struggles between the Italian and European
powers, and which despite the repeated occupations by foreign armies
(the French in 1702; the Austrians in 1742) will resist until the
unification of Italy, with a only interruption in the Napoleonic period.
The enormous Napoleonic plundering of the duchy of Modena,
collections of works of art, archives and books, but also the glyptic
collection of the Este family date back to this period. During the
French occupation, several works of art made their way to France.
According to the catalog published in the Bulletin de la Société de
l'art français of 1936, of the 20 works of art coming from Modena and
sent to France in June 1796, only 10 returned to Italy after the
Congress of Vienna, while of the 30 raided in October 1796, only 11
returned.
The Risorgimento was able to count on large adhesions
among the Modenesi, including Ciro Menotti and the numerous Mazzinian
and Carbonari groups of the city who voted compactly for the unification
of Italy in the Plebiscite of 1860. Between the end of the 19th and the
beginning of the 20th centuries, Emilia (and in the province of Modena
in particular) became a socialist bulwark first and then a communist
one.
The phenomenon of land occupation was very strong and
collided with fascist violence. After September 1943, Modena and its
municipalities had to endure humiliation at the hands of the German
occupiers and the fascist militia. Despite the repression, the
Resistance had, with ups and downs, an always active presence in the
area. After the war, that area which for the twenty years of the regime
was called "The Black Triangle" (as it was completely controlled by the
fascists) took the name of "Red Triangle" or "Triangle of Death". This
denomination is used by several historians to remember the approximately
2000 killings of civilians and soldiers perpetrated, after the fall of
the fascist regime and particularly in the two-year period 1946-1948, by
some brigades of ex-communist partisans who had given themselves the
name of "Gruppi Partisan Action" (GAP), as a retaliation against those
deemed compromised with the regime.
On 9 January 1950, six
workers were killed by the carabinieri in the massacre of the Fonderie
Riunite in Modena, which took place during a demonstration calling for
the reopening of the Fonderie Riunite.
In the post-war years
Modena experienced an unprecedented period of prosperity with the
economic boom. The success of the city is linked above all to the
affirmation of small industries with unique products in the world, such
as Ferrari or Maserati or Panini, or such as the ceramic poles of
Sassuolo, the textile poles of Carpi and the biomedical ones of
Mirandola, and the enhancement of the typical products of the region .
Sant'Antonio Fair, January 17th.
Fair of San Geminiano, on 31
January, patron saint of the city, during which the body is discovered
in the cathedral and the faithful are given the opportunity to kiss the
arm of the saint, kept in an urn of the same shapes.
"Mak Π 100":
gymnastic recital for the students of the Military Academy of Modena and
grand ball for debutantes one hundred days before the promotion to
officer of the second year students. In the month of May.
Philosophy
Festival: lectures and cultural events related to Philosophy. In the
month of September. Illustrious names and leading university professors
participate.
Antiques market: it is the largest antiques fair in the
Emilia-Romagna region. It takes place every fourth Saturday and Sunday
of the month in Piazza Grande.
Gastronomic and commercial events in
the historic center: international market, Modena in bloom (some streets
in the center are completely covered in flowers, almost as if they were
open-air gardens), Stuzzicagente (a day of tastings in stages in the
historic center of Modena, normally two editions a year in spring and
autumn).
Modena Organ Festival: constitutes a series of appointments
in the most important churches of the city, where valid organists of
international renown perform. It usually takes place in the months June
- September. The festival is organized by the "J.S.Bach" Organ Friends
Association.
Modena Land of Motors. Every year in April or May.
Carnival, on Shrove Thursday with the presence of the town mask,
Sandrone and the Pavironica family.
NODE festival, annual music
festival.
Modena Smart Life, started in 2016, is an annual economic
event at the end of September.
As the ancient capital of the Este domains, the court cuisine of the
city has decisively influenced the development of Modena and Reggio
cuisine. The best known case is that of balsamic vinegar, whose
diffusion beyond a small circle of aristocratic families occurred with
the dispersion and sale of the ducal vinegar factory during the
Napoleonic occupations. But even the court recipe books had a profound
influence on the development of local preparations, and today some
restaurants offer dishes inspired by the Este recipes of past centuries.
There are numerous dairies dedicated to the production of
Parmigiano-Reggiano, and cured meats and pork-based preparations are of
great importance in the city's cuisine. Two typical dishes of the winter
season, but which can be found for most of the year in trattorias as
well as in Modenese homes, are zampone, made with minced pork stuffed
into the rind of the front leg, and cotechino, with a rather similar
process , but different in shape and rind.
But from pork you also get
the essential lard for the typical fried dumplings: a square fried
focaccia that goes very well with cured meats. Originally from the
Apennines (but enjoyed willingly in the city) is instead the
crescentina, commonly (and improperly) called tigella. Alongside the
traditional trattorias, there are now numerous establishments in the
city known as "tigellerie" or "crescenterie" for the take-away
consumption of this product.
Traditionally disputed with the
ancient and eternal rival Bologna is the tortellini, a square of puff
pastry folded over minced pork, ham and Parmigiano Reggiano (although
the recipes often vary from family to family).
Center of the
production of Lambrusco, the city also represents the ideal border
between the production areas of Grasparossa (produced on the hill) from
the Lambrusco Sorbara and Salamino (produced in the plain).
In
Modena there is the Osteria Francescana, three Michelin stars and L'Erba
del Re, one Michelin star.
The carnival
The aspect of the
Modenese character is well represented by the mask of the city: the
Sandrone ("Sandròun"): and it is certainly no coincidence that among the
many traditional events, the carnival is the one that still retains the
greatest visibility. There are various theories about the origin of
Sandrone. It seems that at every carnival the duke invited a peasant to
the court celebrations for the sake of making fun of his gullibility and
coarseness. However, things changed when a certain Alessandro Pavironi,
from Bosco di Sotto, was called to court, who answered the embarrassing
questions of the guests, devised precisely to ridicule him, answered
with a wit and common sense that remained memorable. Since then the
figure of the "Sandrone" became the emblem of the wisdom of the peasant
world, as opposed to the sophistries of the city, of the rich and the
nobles.
The legend is similar to that of many popular fairy
tales. What is certain is that the character of Sandrone was already
popular in the first half of the 19th century, brought to the stage by a
dynasty of actors and puppeteers who also performed successfully at the
Este court.
Even today, according to tradition (kept alive by the
"company of Sandrone"), Sandrone arrives in Modena every year on Shrove
Thursday. His wife, the robust Pulonia, and his son Sgorghìguelo
accompany him: together the "Pavironica family" parades from the station
to Piazza Grande, where the people of Modena flock to watch the "rant":
the speech of the three (pronounced no less than from the balcony of the
Palazzo Comunale and strictly in Modena dialect!), full of witty
comments on city life and good-natured criticism of the administration
and entertaining.
Automotive industry
Especially in the 1950s and 1960s, many
companies in the automotive sector (bodies and engines) were born and
developed in Modena.
Among these were Medardo Fantuzzi's Fantuzzi
body shop, Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini's Neri & Bonacini body
shop, Sergio Scaglietti's Scaglietti body shop, Piero Drogo's Sports
Cars body shop, Vittorio Stanguellini's Stanguellini.
All over
the world these companies are considered among the excellences of the
sector.
In the province of Modena there are several car
manufacturers: Ferrari, Maserati, Pagani and for some time Bugatti was
also based there.
There is also the headquarters of the PM mobile
crane manufacturer.
Crafts
As far as craftsmanship is
concerned, Modena is renowned above all for the production of musical
instruments, including violins and cellos, thanks to the ancient art of
lutherie.
Food industry
Modena also has an important food
production which contributes to the size of its economy. The main items
exported to every part of the world are types of stuffed pasta
(tortellini and similar), cured meats of all kinds (including zampone
and cotechino), cheeses (primarily Parmigiano Reggiano) and above all
wines (of which the most characteristic is Lambrusco).