Modena
Modena is part of the Rete Nazionale Città di Motori (National Motor Cities Network), since it is a true cradle for “four-wheeled works of art”. As Enzo Ferrari's birthplace, it was the home of the fortunate automobile company, today celebrated at the Museo Enzo Ferrari. Since the late 1930s, it has also been home to the Maserati factories, and just outside the city, the Umberto Panini Museum, which collects historical models of the “House of the Trident”. However, Modena’s connection with motors has much deeper roots. In fact, Casa Stanguellini, in 1900, was the first to link Modena’s name to motors. In addition, the city was home to the De Tomaso plant, a particular Aero-Autodrome and, today at its doorstep, it hosts a newly constructed Autodrome. Finally, within its province, still stand the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Pagani Automobili, and the private Righini collection.
Modena has been inhabited since ancient times and was founded in Roman times. After a long period of abandonment during the early medieval period, it re-populated becoming a municipality and gracing itself with a new cathedral, the current Duomo, a masterpiece of the Roman age. Ending up under the rule of the Estense, Modena became the capital of the Duchy in 1598 until the unification of Italy with a few interruptions inbetween.
The UNESCO sites
Modena’s Roman cathedral is a milestone of medieval architecture. Together with its civic tower, (known as Ghirlandina) and Piazza Grande, it has been UNESCO heritage since 1997.
The Estensi areas
Modena preserves different witnesses from its long stint as capital of the Estense State. The Duke’s Palace, once the living quarters of the Dukes, is now site of the Military Academy. On the contrary, the Estense Gallery exhibits paintings and artwork belonged to the Este family.
The Museums
Apart from the Estense Gallery, Modena’s museum offer includes the Lapidario Estense Museum, the Roman Lapidario, the Civic Art Museum and the Civic Ethnological Archeology Museum. All of them are inside the “Palazzo dei Musei” (Palace of Museums) building. In the basement of the same building, it is possible to visit the Giuseppe Graziosi Gipsotheque. In a different site you can find the Museo della Figurina (Sticker Museum). Founded in 2006 from the Giuseppe Panini collection of stickers, it is a unicum in terms of quantity and quality of the heritage it preserves.
Contemporary Art
Modena Civic Gallery is a historic centre of cultural production through the set-up of art and photography exhibitions. This second artistic area is also valued by the activities of the Fondazione Fotografia Modena (Foundation of Modena Photography), a centre for exhibitions and training activities. Finally, a new cultural space has recently opened to the public: it is the MATA, created from the redevelopment of the Ex Manifattura Tabacchi (former tobacco factory).
The places of Luciano Pavarotti
The famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti was born in Modena. Now his villa has become a Museum Home open to the public to introduce the more familiar and daily aspects of “Big Luciano”. Moreover, the municipal theatre of the city, built in 1841, has been named after him. The theatre still has an active programme and can be visited upon booking.
Modena and the places dedicated to engines
Modena hosts the Museo Enzo Ferrari, an involving and emotional place where the Drake’s past mixes with the Ferrari models that made history, all of it in a particular framework: a futuristic structure in the shape of a Ferrari bonnet and the workshop of his father Alfredo, restored to original appearance. (http://museomodena.ferrari.com/it).
Just outside the city, the agricultural company “Hombre” hosts the Umberto Panini Collection: it is one of the most complete Maserati collections in the world (www.paninimotormuseum.it).
Talking about Maserati, in Via Divisione Acqui 19 (Modena) you can find the Trident factory and showroom. The industrial works can only be visited upon booking and depending on availability by sending a request to factorytour@maserati.com. The showroom visit, open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, allows visitors to appreciate the technical characteristics and the design of the entire selection on show. www.maserati.com factorytour@maserati.com info@modenatur.it
Finally, the Modena racetrack can be found in the area of Marzaglia, and it's the ideal place to try out your own car or sports motorcycle. The racetrack is a year-round site of events connected to the motorsport world. (www.autodromodimodena.it).
Enogastronomy
Modena is the Italian province that is the richest in DOP and IGP products, and is famous all over the world for its excellent cuisine. For a “greedy tour”, the ideal place to go is the Albinelli Indoor Market, historical market a few steps away from the Duomo, opened in 1931, where it is possible to find all the products of the region accompanied by aperitifs and tastings.
The flagship product is the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, rendered special by use of a century-old procedure. The only ingredient is cooked grape must from local grapes, aged in “batteries” of several wooden barrels through a precise procedure of decanting and earthing up. One of the traditional vinegar cellars is kept in the attic of the Town Hall.
The territory of Modena is part of the Parmigiano Reggiano production area, the king of cheeses. As for wine, the area’s speciality is Lambrusco, produced in four DOP variations. Light and sparkling, it enhances the tasty cuisine of Modena.
The processing of pork meat is another matter of pride of the city, which is famous for its hams and salamis. Among them the Modena Prosciutto DOP (ham), the Zampone Modena IGP (pig's trotter stuffed with seasoned mincemeat), and the Cotechino Modena IGP (large pork sausage that requires cooking). Amongst the first courses, Tortellini get a special mention: little puff pastry squares folded over a pork meat filling, ham and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Last but not least, the desserts: Bensone, Zuppa Inglese (dessert layering custard and sponge cake), Amaretti and the Amarene Brusche of Modena (black cherries), all of it washed down with a glass of Nocino, traditional liquor made from walnuts.
I percorsi che passano da Modena
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Modena > Circuits -
Modena > Emilian sports cars The valley where motors are born
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Modena > F1 and races Formula Italy: the protagonists of great competitions
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Modena > Made in Italy Italian motors to conquer the world
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Modena > Museums Motors on display
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Modena > Great drivers and racers On the trail of champion drivers
Le storie
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Modena > Alfieri Maserati and his brothers
Alfieri Maserati was born in 1887: founder of the Maserati carmaker, he was assisted in his feat by many of his brothers...
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Modena > The story of Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari led an intense life, and spent it travelling from Modena to Maranello, Turin and Milan with a single goal i...
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Modena > Stanguellini, small vehicles for a great carmaker
The story of Stanguellini Automobili, the first carmaker in Modena: a pursuit of extreme lightness and maximum aerodynam...
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Modena > The history of the Prancing Horse
Ferrari’s symbol is the famous Prancing Horse, the emblem of the aviator Francesco Baracca, chosen by Enzo Ferrari as sy...
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Modena > Maserati moves to Modena with the Trident brand
Maserati, founded in 1914, moved from Bologna to Modena in 1937, and here continued its history of luxury, racing and Gr...
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Modena > Auto Avio Costruzioni, the beginning of the Ferrari legend
Enzo Ferrari started his Modena Auto Avio Costruzioni in 1939: this was the first step towards the company that will rev...
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Modena > Maserati's victories at the Indianapolis 500
Maserati is the only Italian carmaker to have won the Indianapolis 500, no less than two years in a row. One of Trident’...
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Modena > The first Maserati road car
The first Maserati road car was built. It was the A6 model, designed by Pinin Farina and produced in just 58 exemplars.
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Modena > The Modena runway-racetrack
In 1949 a racetrack that incorporates an airstrip was built in Modena, and remained active until 1962: now the site is a...
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Modena > Maserati’s first F1 victory
Racing driver Manuel Fangio has won he most races in F1: from the first one in Monza in 1953 to the Drivers' Championshi...
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Modena > Maserati retires from the races after Fangio’s victory
In 1958 Maserati retires from the races due to financial problems caused by the political crisis in Argentina: before th...
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Modena > Alejandro de Tomaso, from Buenos Aires to Modena
Apart from starting his own carmaking company for sports vehicles in Modena, Alejandro de Tomaso bound his history to Ma...
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Modena > The Maserati cars named after the winds
In 1963 Maserati unveiled its tradition of calling some of its sports models by wind names. The first one was Mistral, f...
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Modena > The Umberto Panini collection, temple of Maserati cars
In 1996 Umberto Panini bought a collection of 19 vintage Maserati cars, thereby saving it from being auctioned in Englan...
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Modena > The Maserati factory today
In 2003 Maserati’s historic factory in Modena was enriched with a new business district: the total surface is now 50,000...
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Modena > Maserati returns to the races
In 2004 Maserati returned to the world of races with a line-up of two MC12 in the FIA GT championship: Trident recommenc...
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Modena > The Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena
The Enzo Ferrari Museum opened in Modena in 2012 using the two spaces: his birth home and his father's historic workshop...
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Modena > The new racetrack in Modena
A new racetrack was opened on the outskirts of Modena in 2012: it hosts free practice rounds, tests on two and four whee...
Curiosità
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Modena > Joe Bastianich, Gordon Ramsay and Ferrari
Among Ferrari's affectionate clients there are two Michelin-starred chefs, Joe Bastianich and Gordon Ramsay.
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Modena > Engine world events in Modena
From March to September, Modena hosts a range of motoring events beyond the usual schedule of events at the racetrack.
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Modena > Maserati and the Orsi family
Modenese Adolfo Orsi is the person who took over Maserati in 1937, ensuring its move to Modena: having started from noth...
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Modena > Maserati colours
Blue and red, blue only, white and blue: colours always hide different symbols, here are the ones hidden behind the shad...
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Modena > Trident and the movie camera
A journey through Italian and foreign movies, all with different kinds of Maserati cars on set, from “Story of a Love Af...
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Modena > Enzo Ferrari’s purple ink
Among the peculiarities of Enzo Ferrari there’s also his choice to use only purple ink for his written correspondence: a...
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Modena > Ferrari and cinema
An overview of the Ferrari models most loved by cinema stars, from Marcello Mastroianni to Peter Sellers, exhibited at t...
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Modena > Maserati and world-famous personalities from Modena
From Luciano Pavarotti to Massimo Bottura: two famous personalities from Modena who chose Maserati cars for themselves.
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Modena > Musicians driving Ferrari cars
Jay Kay, John Lennon, Eric Clapton... all lucky owners of Ferrari cars. Their favourite models have been exhibited in th...
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Modena > Among Maserati F1 drivers, there’s even a woman
Villoresi, Nuvolari, Moss, Fangio: among its drivers, Maserati has renowned names, including that of a woman, Maria Tere...
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