HISTORY OF MODENA:
In ancient times, the area of Modena was settled by the Etruscans, and later was occupied by the Boii, a Celtic tribe attested in Cisalpine Gaul. After Hannibal's invasion of Italy, in the 3rd century BC, the settlement was abandoned, and refounded as a Roman colony in 183 BC under the name of Mutina. Read More [...]
Until the 3rd century AD, Mutina was the most important center in Cisalpine Gaul, because of its strategic importance, but after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the town collapsed before the barbarians.
In the 7th century, due to the numerous floods of the Secchia and Panaro rivers, Modena was abandoned, and many of the inhabitants moved further west, in Cittanova. Around the end of the 9th century, the town was refortified by the bishop Leodoino, and it was repopulated again.
Later, the town became part of the possessions of the Countess Matilda of Tuscany, and a free comune starting from the 12th century. In the wars between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX, Modena sided with the emperor.
The Duchy of Modena and Reggio was created in 1452 and ruled since its establishment by the noble House of Este. In 1598, Duke Cesare moved the capital of the duchy from Ferrara to Modena. The Este rule continued until 1796.
In 1796, Modena was occupied by the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte, who created the Cispadane Republic. After 1815, the area was dominated by the Austrian Empire. The city was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont in 1860, and to the newly created Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
GEOGRAPHY OF MODENA:
Today, Modena is a city of about 185,000 inhabitants in the Province of Modena, part of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The city lies on the southern side of the Po Valley, and is bounded by the Secchia and Panaro rivers, both affluents of the Po River. Read More [...]
Modena is located 25 kilometers east of Reggio Emilia, 40 kilometers northwest of Bologna, 65 kilometers southwest of Ferrara, 115 kilometers west of Ravenna, 135 kilometers northwest of Florence, 150 kilometers northwest of Rimini, 170 kilometers southwest of Venice, 180 kilometers southeast of Milan, 220 kilometers east of Genoa, 420 kilometers northwest of Rome, and about 620 kilometers northwest of Naples.
TRANSPORT TO MODENA:
The closest airport is the Guglielmo Marconi International Airport, located about 40 kilometers away, on the outskirts of Bologna. Read More [...]
To get from the Bologna Airport to Modena, you can take the special train Marconi Express to the Bologna Centrale railway station. Then, from the railway station, you can take a train to Modena. The trip takes about 25 minutes, and the cheapest ticket costs 4.30€.
By train, you can get to Modena from Rimini in about two hours, from Milan in about two hours and a quarter, and from Venice in about three hours. The cheapest train ticket from Rimini costs 12.80€, from Milan is 15.65€, and from Venice costs 16.35€.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN MODENA:
The Cathedral of Modena, built between 1099 and 1184 and dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to Saint Geminianus, Torre della Ghirlandina, the bell tower of the Cathedral, and Piazza Grande, the main square of the city, were inducted into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997. Read More [...]
Besides these, other important tourist attractions are the Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the seat of the House of Este between the 17th and 19th centuries, the Town Hall (Palazzo Comunale), built starting in the 17th century on a pre-existing structure, the Estense Gallery (Galleria Estense), one of the most important art collections in Italy, and the Enzo Ferrari Museum (Museo Enzo Ferrari), which includes Enzo Ferrari's birthplace and an exhibition gallery.
