Food, Culture And Cars In Modena, Italy 

The home of Pavarotti, Ferrari and balsamic vinegar, Modena may be a small city of just 185,000 people but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in culture and food. As the first stop on our French-Italian road trip, I fell in love with the quaint city which was bathed in sunshine throughout our two-night stay there in early April.

Situated in the Po valley around 100 miles from Milan with Bologna to the south, the ancient city makes up the gastronomic Emilia-Romagna region of Italy so food is a big part of Modena’s identity.

Although there is a splattering of Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, including the three-starred Osteria Francescana run by chef Massimo Bottura, you don’t have to go gourmet. Delicious restaurants are everywhere, hidden in understated back streets and in small eateries which look like they could be somebody’s front room. A bad meal in Modena is highly unlikely.

One of the favourite meals we had was at the popular restaurant, Danilo, where we sampled Modena’s famous lasagne. It was a far lighter dish than I have ever tasted – with countless layers of green pasta followed by a pork dish (the region is famous for the meat). Of course we started it with a platter of cured meat and cheese served with delicious fried puffs of bread called tigella.

One of the most important sites in Modena is its cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The stunning white building dominates the main Piazza Grande and is an important Romanesque structure. Designed by architect Lanfranco, work began in 1099 on the burial site of Saint Geminianus, and was consecrated in 1184.

Although not as grand as some of the other churches we visited during our trip to the region, Modena Cathedral stood out as my favourite. I could feel the history permeating through the internal dark walls and tall arched ceilings.

It also has a number of features which make it unique, including bas-reliefs by 12th century sculptor Wiligelmo, ancient frescos and a bright peaceful crypt. The funeral of Modena native, Luciano Pavarotti, took place in the cathedral.

To the left of the altar we went up some stairs and discovered an impressive room accessible by a corridor which looked down on the street below. The room, used by the clergy, was a breathtaking, historical space with a large, medieval-looking table and huge works of art looking down on us.

Attached to the church is its soaring bell tower which you access separately and can climb up for a 3€ for adults. The Ghirlandina Tower has recently undergone restoration work. Standing at 86 metres tall there are a fair few steps to the top which our three-year-old daughter accomplished with relative ease. At 30 weeks pregnant, I was the one stopping for sneaky breaks.

Once at the top, the views are obscured by grating which was a little annoying especially as it also had glass as a safety measure. Although I couldn’t get a decent photo, it was a good place to get a view of the city from up high.

We also visited the Musei del Duomo to the left of the cathedral. it has plenty more religious artefacts, tapestries and sculptures by Wiligelmo. By this time though, our daughter was pretty fed up (no doubt exhausted by her heroic climb to the top of the tower) so we had a quick look around before continuing our wander around the charming city.
There are a number of other museums to visit and it won’t surprise you to hear Pavarotti’s birthplace also has a decent opera house. There is also a museum celebrating the life of Enzo Ferrari in central Modena but we saved our supercar experience to the excellent Ferrari museum in the town of Maranello which you can read about here.

On the outskirts of town, you can also visit some of the parmesan diaries and the producers of one of Modena’s famous exports, balsamic vinegar (although you do need to book this in advance).

Modena was one of my favourite cities of our Italian tour. Far more compact and much less busy than Bologna, it is a city you can happily wander around taking in its history and architecture. Savour its relaxed atmosphere and safe streets. When you’ve had enough, join the locals for a red lambrusco and some gastronomic delights in the al fresco bars and restaurants which emerge in the narrow streets as night falls.

If you enjoyed this article, you can download it – as well as other city guides – as an app at GPSmyCity.

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