Modena

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Balsamic vinegar barrels in a Modenese attic - Modena, Emilia-Romagna

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Overview

If Italy were a meal, Modena would be the main course. Here, on the flat plains of the slow-flowing Po, lies one of the nation's great gastronomic centres, the creative force behind real balsamic vinegar, giant tortellini stuffed with tantalising fillings, and sparkling Lambrusco wine. It boasts backstreets crammed with some of the best restaurants no one's ever heard of, and one, Osteria Francescana, that everybody's heard of – it was awarded top spot on the coveted 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' list in 2016, and again in 2018, the first Italian restaurant to nab the honour.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Duomo

Modena

Modena's celebrated duomo combines the austerity of the Dark Ages with throwback traditions from the Romans in a style known as Romanesque. The church…

Torre Ghirlandina

Modena

Rising behind the cathedral is this early-13th-century 87m tower topped with a slender Gothic spire, named after Seville's famous 'Giralda' in the early…

Palazzo Ducale

Modena

Construction began in 1634 on this massive palace, a baroque masterpiece that absolutely dominates the northeast end of Modena's historic centre. Today,…

Abbazia di San Pietro Apostolo

Modena

Reconstructed between 1475 and1518, the San Pietro Apostolo monastery is one of the city's most important Renaissance relics and notable for several…

Casa Museo Luciano Pavarotti

Modena

Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti's final home is prettily perched in the Modenese countryside 8.5km southeast of the city. The building was turned into a…

Museo Enzo Ferrari

Modena

While Maranello’s Museo Ferrari focuses on the supersonic cars, this museum near Modena's train station, inaugurated in 2012, celebrates Signor Enzo…

Acetaia Giusti

Modena

Modena's oldest balsamic vinegar producer (since 1605) is also one of the best and most dependable to visit, with six one-hour English tours daily (9.30am…

Maserati

Modena

Maserati's sleek showroom displays a few oft-changing cars (historic and new), several engines and body frames, a scale-model of the brand's evolution and…

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