Concordia sulla Secchia is in the northernmost part of the Modena Province and extends to the border with the Mantova Province.
Concordia sulla Secchia owes its origins to an ancient group of floating mills in the Secchia River that shaped the town’s social, economic, and political point of view for almost five centuries. This important historical legacy has been harnessed through the restoration of the milling tradition, and the “windmill promenade” on the banks of the Secchia River, along with related research and cultural programs are worthy of note.
Concordia sulla Secchia is known both for its full calendar of cultural programs and events and for its residents, who reacted with notable strength and determination to the tragedy of the earthquake that struck Emilia-Romagna in 2012. The town is now being completely rebuilt.
Much of Concordia sulla Secchia’s cultural and historic monuments, including churches, the Teatro del Popolo, and the Palazzo Municipale (built by the Corbelli family in 1600 and used as the city hall starting in 1860) suffered serious damage in the earthquake of May 2012.
The historic old town deserves a visit for its unusual layout, and particularly for the long portico on Via della Pace that flanks the bank of the Secchia and crosses the oldest part of town. From there, you can see the rebuilding that is taking place in order to bring new life to this community.
Val di Sole
The Oasi Val di Sole is located in the hamlet of Fossa and covers an area of 25 hectares between the rivers Po and Secchia. The Oasis is frequented by a rich bird life and is an important resting and nesting area for water birds and ducks. There are over 200 species that frequent the Oasis, some even at risk of extinction.
Secchia River Earthworks
Concordia sulla Secchia is easy to reach from the Secchia River Earthworks, which was added to the route of the “Eurovelo 7” bikeway that crosses Central Europe from north to south. The bikeway takes groups of cycling tourists through Concordia on their way to popular stops such as Verona and Florence. On each June 2nd, during the Festa della Repubblica, Concordia sulla Secchia is a stop on the 100 km “Secchia in Festa” cycling trip, a non-competitive ride that follows the Secchia River from Casalgrande (Reggio Emilia Province) to Quingentole (Mantova Province).
