In Spring, nature comes back to life, and it’s the perfect period to enjoy nature walks, relax in the open air, and watch as the world blooms.
Take advantage of the season, all the better to rediscover the Modena area’s relaxing public parks, only a short distance from town.
Here are three terrific stops in the Province of Modena where you can pass some time in rich greenery and in the peaceful, energizing ambience that only nature can offer.
We’ll start off at Villa Sorra one of the most fascinating historic dwellings in the Province of Modena. Nature and culture combine here to create an unparalleled landscape.
The Villa Sorra Park is home to what is considered one of the most representative examples of a nineteenth century “romantic” garden in the Este style. Many say that the Villa Sorra Park is the most important informal garden in Emilia-Romagna.
The park, the romantic ruins, the waterways, and the country garden together inhabit a unique preindustrial landscape that is a testament to the evolution of this part of Italy across the centuries.
The villa is an elegant example of Emilian late Baroque and is characterized by its pyramid form, though the cupola that once stood on the roof terrace was demolished in 1956. Inside, a cloister vault overhangs the large central reception hall, which is embellished with exquisite painted decorations. In addition to the villa, rustic buildings such as the stables, the icehouse, and the dairy, all examples of traditional Emilian rural architecture, await your discovery.
Villa Sorra gives you a chance to immerse yourself in history while enjoying the surrounding beauty. Stroll through the historic garden, explore the buildings, and let yourself be enchanted by an atmosphere that has endured over centuries.
Let’s move on now to Formigine, and the Parco della Resistenza, where you can experience the beauty of Villa Gandini, an extraordinary example of neoclassicism in the Modena area.
The Parco della Resistenza covers more than 100,000 square meters, including the villa’s historic garden, which likely was already in existence by the middle of the nineteenth-century. But it was Count Gandini, a botany enthusiast and passionate gardener, who planted the two colossal Gingko biloba trees, a plant originally from China, on the south side of the villa. In fall, when all the leaves turn yellow, they are a unique and magnificent treat for the eyes.
Here you’ll find some 500 trees of more than sixty species, including majestic beeches, exquisite silver pines, and a Lebanon cedar. Nearby, placid bodies of water are home to swans, ducks, turtles, and fish.
The park is equipped with benches and tables, children's play areas, and even a café.
Open all year long, it’s the perfect place to “unplug” from the daily grind even for only a few minutes.
End the day at the Ducal Park in Sassuolo, adjacent to the Ducal Palace, a “Delizia” or “delight” of Baroque culture and the summer residence of the Este Dukes.
The park that you see today is significantly smaller than the one that was part of the Ducal complex in Sassuolo during the eighteenth century, which spanned well over 1,000 hectares. Its area now is about thirteen hectares of meadow, which extend along the southern side of the palace.
At the center of the park is a wide avenue of tall Lombardy poplars, the beginning of the long straight path that once stretched to the foothills and connected the palace to the Dukes’ hunting lodge, the so-called “Belvedere dei Duchi,” which still offers outstanding vistas today.
Ideal for long nature walks and relaxing moments, the Ducal Park is connected through a “green corridor” to Vistarino Park, another magnificent green area of more than 80,000 square meters.
Walk, run, or ride your bike along paths that lead you deep into nature. Given the beauty of this setting, you might consider visiting the Ducal Palace first and then unwinding with a stroll through the park.
