All Palaces in Modena

Palazzo Ducale is a large palace in Modena, located in Piazza Roma, in the northern part of the historical center of the city. The Ducal Palace of Modena, one of the most important Baroque structures in Italy, was the seat of the House of Este between the 17th and 19th centuries. Subsequently, since the Italian unification, Palazzo Ducale housed the prestigious Military Academy of Modena (Accademia Militare di Modena).   SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO DUCALE Palazzo Ducale was built starting with 1634 on the site of the ancient Este castle, which during the Middle Ages stood on the city limits and was connected to a navigable canal. The works, initially entrusted to the architect Gaspare Vigarani, were later continued by Bartolomeo Avanzini. The project was supervised by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. On June 25, 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Giuseppina Beauharnais, after their coronation as sovereigns of the Kingdom of Italy, entered Modena in triumph and lodged in the Ducal Palace, renamed during their visit as Palazzo Nazionale. Napoleon stayed only one day in the palace, but appropriated numerous works of art and goods from the Este collections. On September 8, 1943, during the Second World War, the building was Read more [...]