Duomo
by croisbeauty
The magnificent cathedral of Modena, along with the Ghirlandina (its bellfray) and the adjacent Piazza Grande, was declared by UNESCO part of the World Heritage.
The building was begun on 9th June 1099 in predominantly Romanesque style with some Gothic elements added two centuries later. The city already had its own Cathedral, however, authorities with the citizens' approval decided that another be built in order to contain the remains of the city's patron Saint Geminianus, Bishop of Modena in the 4th century.
Well, if only a mighty, shiny...
by oja
Well, if only a mighty, shiny car is your idea of true art, don't waste too much time among architectural gems, but head straight to the nearby Maranello - yes, the home of Ferrari! The street leading towards Galleria Ferrari where all (or most of) their cars are exposed is a Disneyland for older kids - full of souvenir shops where you can buy virtually anything vaguely connected with Ferrari: official F1 team cap, racing car models, 1001 posters of Michael Schumacher (often with Enzo Ferrari smiling like a guardian angel in the air :-)), even model engines of all sizes. To let you see its treasures, Galleria Ferrari will ease your wallet for about 10 EUR. I decided I wasn't such fan after all.
Modena’s Duomo: A Romanesque Masterpiece, Part V
by von.otter
The interior of the Cathedral is built of plain brown brick, lending the space an initial drab appearance. Look closely though; there are fascinating details throughout the church. Look at the column capitols (see photo #5) and the floor supports (see photo #3) for some columns.
The central nave is divided from the two side aisles by eight bundle pillars; the nave covered by ribbed cross vaults (see photos #1 and #2). The presbytery, which rises from the crypt where the mortal remains of San Geminiano are conserved, dominates the interior.
Other parts sculpted by the Campionese Masters include the finely illustrated stage, the ambo and the pulpit. Between the central nave and the crypt is a polychromed marble parapet portraying the Passion of Christ, including the Judas Kiss (see photo #4).
Pavarotti’s funeral was held at the cathedral.
Tribute to Alessandro Tassoni
by von.otter
“He was a brave and gallant knight A philosopher a poet and a moralist, A devil out of the fight, A meek guy when close to peril. He often claimed he had killed a giant, which was then discovered to be a chicken, and for this the kids, seeing him approaching, would follow him shouting ‘Long live Martano!’ He had two hundred armed men, hungry and lousy; but he claimed it was an army of two thousand famous knights; his coat of arms was a peacock, his armour silver; on the head he wore an helmet decorated with feathers and horns.”
— from “La secchia rapita” (“The Rape of the Bucket”) by Alessandro Tassoni (1565-1635), Modena’s poet laureate.
Alessandro Cavazza (1824-1873), a sculptor from Modena who studied at the city’s Art Academy, was selected by Modena officials to design and carve a monument to Modena’s native son, Alessandro Tassoni (1565-1635) writer, poet and secretary to Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy. Cavazza presented Tassoni in Renaissance dress.
Located to one side of the duomo in Piazza Torre, the 1860 sculpture, fashioned of Carrara marble, was cleaned and repaired during the 2003 restoration sponsored by Lions Club.
Portici di Modena
by von.otter
“This petty duke of Modena is a man of about fifty, and said to be the greatest tyrant after Don Miguel in the world. The prisons are full of suspected traitors: one hundred and thirty of the best families of the dutchy are banished for liberal opinions; three hundred and over are now under arrest (among them a considerable number of ladies); and many of the Modenese nobility are now serving in the galleys for conspiracy. He has been shot at eighteen times. The last man who attempted it, as I stated in a former letter, was executed the morning I passed through Modena on my return from Venice.”
— from “Pencillings By The Way: Written During Some Years of Residence and Travel in France, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, Turkey, and England” 1849 by Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867)
Although not as numerous as the porticoes of Bologna, Modena, too, has covered walkways in its historic center, often with beautiful artwork overhead. Porticoes make it easy to walk in Modena on rainy days and hot, sunny ones, too.
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Palazzo dei Musei, Modena, May 2010
Palazzo Comunale, Sala del Fuoco, Modena, May 2010
Palazzo Ducale, Courtyard, Modena, May 2010
von.otter and Columns of Modena’s Duomo, May 2010
