The itinerary below covers these main points of interest and is designed to be completed in one day: the Modena Cathedral, the Ghirlandina Tower, Piazza Grande, the Cathedral Museums, and the Palazzo Comunale.
Our advice, which applies to almost any occasion, is to take your time, if you can, so you can fully take in every detail of your visit to the city. But if you don’t have much time, try to set aside at least half a day for your visit to this complex of buildings and museums, even if it means skipping over a more in-depth exploration.
We’d suggest you start your visit in the morning, perhaps after you’ve enjoyed breakfast in one of the cafes in the city center. If you’ve never before heard of a “Modena breakfast”—a fried dumpling that you dip in your cappuccino—and if you’re looking for a unique experience, this is the way to start your day!
Once you’ve had your fill, take in an exceptional example of Romanesque art in the heart of Modena, the Modena Cathedral (the “Duomo”) recognized all over the world. The Duomo is a daring example of architecture that has amazed visitors for centuries. The first stone in its construction was laid on June 9, 1099. Its designer was the architect Lanfranco, a major artist and builder, who relied upon the superb sculptural talents of another enlightened master, Wiligelmo.
Lanfranco and his disciples created the ornamental capitals and corbels, the main door, the panels on the façade that narrate the book of Genesis, the Porta della Pescheria (the Fish Market Gate), on the northern side, and the Porta dei Principi (Princes’ Gate) on the south. It was the so-called Campionese Masters (Anselmo da Campione and members of his school), who subsequently took over the work, who crafted the wide Porta Regia that overlooks Piazza Grande, the large rose window on the façade and, inside the Cathedral, the pulpit. Clad in stone taken from the Roman town of Mutina (the ancient name of Modena), the Modena Cathedral, built to honor St. Geminianus, a bishop, saint, and protector of the city, has been called a “Bible in Stone” for its extraordinary series of sculptures that recounts stories of the Bible and of humankind and which continues to speak to us today, just as it did in the past, of faith and life on earth.
To accompany your discovery of the UNESCO site, get a free copy of the Something for Everyone guidebook, available at the Tourist Information Office on the ground floor of the Palazzo Comunale, at No. 14 Piazza Grande. The guide illustrates the buildings brought under the protection of UNESCO and includes two tactile maps designed for blind or visually impaired visitors.
Just a few steps from the Cathedral, across from the Porta della Pescheria, are the Museums of the Cathedral. Our advice is to enrich your experience of the World Heritage Site by taking time for a stop here.
The Museums of the Cathedral are closely connected to the history of the Cathedral and are divided into two collections: the Lapidary Museum, which houses the famous original “metopes,” eight sculptural reliefs that depict monstrous and fantastical creatures, which were once roof projections of the Cathedral, and the Museum of the Modena Cathedral, which displays artworks and furnishings that testify to the vitality of the Church in Modena over the centuries.
On the top floor, numerous multimedia installations enhance an intuitive and interactive discovery of the evolution of Modena, the history of the Cathedral's construction, the building materials used for the complex, the stories depicted on the portals, and many other curiosities.
When lunchtime rolls around, you’ll have plenty of options as you decide where to enjoy a break—and some delicious food. Modena’s historic center is chock full of more-or-less traditional restaurants where you can take a refreshing pause. Very close to the Cathedral, for example, you’ll find the Albinelli Market, the city’s historic covered marketplace. At the Albinelli Market, you’ll find rows of food stands, and you can take your lunch to one of the café tables outside the Market and watch as the world goes by. Albinelli is a stop you won’t want to miss.
After centuries during which the market was held outdoors in Piazza Grande, the Albinelli Market moved indoors in 1931 and is both the oldest covered market in the city and one of the most beautiful in all of Italy. Built in Art Nouveau style, at its center stands a fountain topped with a splendid figure of a young woman carrying a basket of fruit: the “Fruit Bearer”.
Due to its historical and cultural significance, the Albinelli Market has been entirely renovated over the years and, since 1990, has been recognized as a site of national interest.
Ringing the square, you’ll find small shops that sell meat, charcuterie, and cheeses and, in the market itself, stalls brimming with fruits and vegetables, not to mention the “bakery row,” sweetshops, and others that sell grains and cereals. All of this abundance is served up with the courtesy and attentiveness of “days gone by.” At the Albinelli Market, you can still taste before you decide, exchange recipes and advice, or perhaps even share a joke in the local dialect.
Through the doors of the Albinelli Market lies a magical atmosphere made up of sensations: sounds and scents that evoke the past, an air of relaxation, light, color, and authentic flavors."
Your tour of the art and beauty of the UNESCO site continues after lunch with a captivating visit to the Ghirlandina Tower, deeply beloved by the people of Modena and the city’s unrivaled symbol. “The Ghirlandina,” as you’ll hear her called, is the bell tower of the Cathedral and has played an important role the lives of Modena’s residents for centuries: the sound of its bells marked the rhythms of daily life, signaled the opening of the city’s gates, and alerted the population in times of danger. From its height of over eighty-six meters, you’ll take in a breathtaking 360° view of the city and enjoy a unique, bird’s-eye perspective on Piazza Grande, ever the city’s vibrant heart.
A stroll across Piazza Grande, is delightful at any hour, though each moment of the day has different emotions to offer: in the morning, you’ll experience the bustling energy of a city waking up; in the afternoon, enjoy the slower rhythms as life resumes after the lunch break; and, toward sunset, you’ll be entranced by the light reflected on the Cathedral and the Ghirlandina Tower in hues of pink. Notable sights in the square include the Preda Ringadora, located right in front of the staircase that leads to the entrance of the Palazzo Comunale; and the statuette of La Bonissima, the statue of a female figure installed at one corner of the Palazzo Comunale.
Bring your day to a close with a visit to the Palazzo Comunale, the city headquarters today just as it was in medieval times. Inside, you can find the original of the famous Secchia Rapita (a stolen bucket), the object of a long-standing historical feud between the people of Modena and Bologna. Visitors can also explore the beautiful rooms of a small yet remarkable treasure—the Municipal Vinegar Cellar. Curated by the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Consortium, it houses rows of casks in which precious Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, the city's famous “black gold,” is traditionally aged.
