Modena in a half Day

Our tour starts from Piazza Roma, where we will see the Military Academy that until the 19^th century was the Este’s Ducal Palace. It’s one of the most beautiful baroque civilian buildings in Italy. The tour continues with a walk to see some more interesting buildings as the Teatro Pavarotti, the Principe Foresto’s Palace and the College of San Carlo, then we’ll get to Piazza Grande, the main square.

Piazza Grande has been included in the UNESCO heritage in 1997 with the buildings that surround it, as the Cathedral, the Ghirlandina which is the bell tower, and the City Hall. To the locals this square is a real meeting point, and still today a lot of shows, events demonstrations and concerts take place here.

The Cathedral and the Ghirlandina are the symbols of Modena, thanks to their white colour, to their elegance and to the several sculptures that decorate them. The Cathedral is also called Duomo and it’s a real book of stone on which we can read the stories from the Genesis, the ones representing the life of San Geminiano, Modena’s Patron Saint, and several more symbols drawn from medieval and ancient fables. They have been sculpted by Wiligelmo and by the Maestri Campionesi. Nevertheless, the real creator of this masterpiece is the architect Lanfranco. He is mentioned in the inscription placed in the apse.

Our tour ends a few steps away from the square, in the market, the Mercato Albinelli (open in the morning only), where you will see the most traditional food products from here as tortellini, tortelloni, tagliatelle and lasagne, as well as fruits, zampone, vegetables, fishes and more.