Welcome to Modena
From Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population: 175,442 (2003)
Official website:
Modena
Wikipedia:
Modena
Map:
Mapquest
Modena is another city of the plain in
north central Italy, laid out in a grid
of avenues and streets, sitting on the
south side of the River Po at the
intersection of two of Italy's most
important highways,
the Autostrada del Sole (A1),
connecting the north with central and
southern Italy, and the Autostrada
del Brennero
(A22)- through the Brenner pass to
Northern Europe.
The "centro" with
its large, traffic-free piazzas fronted
by majestic buildings, has a kind of
ancient majesty, while the "new city",
spreading round its ancient walls is
modern, busy, and muscular.
The surrounding territory was, and
remains, an important and highly
productive agriculture area, but Modena
is better known as a center for car
design and manufacture. All the
major sports car manufacturers are here:
De Tomaso,
Ferrari,
Lamborghini,
Maserati
and
Paganiare.
Modena's ancient history, from its days
as a
Celtic
settlement,
Etruscan
city and important
Roman military center on the
via Aemilia, is long, complicated
and bloody. The city was
conquered, besieged, sacked,
re-conquered, abandoned, invaded, sacked
again and virtually destroyed by flood.
But it has always rebuilt to regain its
forward momentum.
During the 9th Century AD, Modena
achieved relatively stability. The
first ring of walls was built around the
"old city", and within those walls, over
succeeding centuries, whether as a
"free" comune, or as the capital city of
the powerful Este Dukedom
(1336-1796) Modena's most significant
piazzas, buildings and monuments were
built.
The Duomo, on Piazza Grande,
built in the 12th Century, is an
astonishing example of
Romanesque architecture,
as is the massive, white marble
campanile, about 88 meters high, known
as the Ghirlandina. The
cathedral has been declared a world
heritage site by UNESCO.
The Palazzo dei Musei, housing an
important art gallery, The Estense,
and the famous Biblioteca Estense
(Este library), is a
neo-classical building built between
1753 and 1767. The grand and
imposing Ducal Palace, also on
the Piazza was put up in the 17th
Century. It is now home to one of
Italy's premier military academies.
After the fall of
Napoleon, around 1816,
Modena, unhappy under Austrian
domination, underwent a transformation.
Virtually all its medieval walls were
taken down, and it was laid out in the
grid of streets and avenues that exists
today, with a well-treed ring road round
its periphery. The Modenese
rebelled in 1830 and 1848, only to be
violently suppressed by their Austrian
masters. In 1859, however,
Modena's recalcitrant and patriotic
politicians declared itself part of the
Kingdom of Italy. A year
later, in 1860, the people voted and
confirmed the decision. So,
Italian to the core, Modena was, is, and
always will be.
There are numerous galleries in
and around Modena other than those in
the mentioned. We highly
recommend you visit the Gallery of
Modern Art (Galleria Civica d'arte
contemporanea) whose collection will
wrench you out of Modena's "glorious
past" and put you in touch with
today's
Italy, modern, vibrant and stylish. If you love opera
(this is Luciano's birthplace!) and live
theater, check out what's on offer at
Modena's theatres, particularly the
Teatro Storchi and Teatro
Comunale.
The city brags, with great
justification, about its balsamic
vinegars - subtle to robust - and its
hearty cuisine, made from the bounty of
the surrounding area. Indeed,
Modena hosts an annual culinary fair,
the
Asso di Gusto
every October, making October a great,
off season, time to visit the city.
Whenever you go, try to make time for a
visit to the Nonantola abbey, a
few kilometers from the city, founded in
752 AD, and one of the most important
medieval centers of learning.
by Vian Andrews
November 24th, 2005
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