History and Architecture

The first signs of human settlement in the area of Modena date from the Palaeolithic age (about 10,000 years ago), as evidenced by the numerous finds housed in the Museo Civico in Modena.
The first traces of any substantial civilization are of the Etruscans, who between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. founded twelve cities in the Po Valley, one of which was Modena.
Most experts believe that Mutina, the ancient Latin name for the city, derives from Mut, an Etruscan term indicating a small rising of the ground. Others, however, maintain that the name of the city comes from the Celtic term Mouden, very similar in meaning to the Etruscan word and again referring to the city's position at the foot of the hills. In fact the Celts were the next population to settle in the area after the Etruscans.
In 183 B.C. the Romans defeated the Celts and Modena became a Roman colony. With the building in 187 B .C. of the Via Emilia, which connected Rimini to Piacenza and extended for a length of 255 km, the city became an important intermediate station for trade between Rome and the northern regions of the empire.
At that time Modena also boasted a closely-knit network of navigable canals connected to the Po, echoes of which still remain in the names of some of the city’s streets.
These conditions led to a sharp rise in population and large-scale urban expansion throughout the entire area. A powerful set of city walls and numerous residential and religious buildings were built during this period. Not a single building or monument from the Roman era has survived to modern times although a large collection of relics from monuments, sarcophagi, stelae and tombstones is conserved in the Museo Lapidario Estense to bear witness to this former greatness.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, barbarian populations from Northern Europe invaded the area, and from the 5th to the 9th centuries Modena fell into a period of great decline. The devastation caused by the invaders and the damage wreaked by rains and floods almost entirely wiped out the rich relics of the past.
It was only towards the end of the 9th century that the process of reconstruction began, but when it did it was to continue for more than two hundred years.
Around the year 1000 the marshland was drained and the towns and villages were fortified. Trade and the arts began to flourish once again. From this period date some of the most splendid examples of Romanesque architecture to be found in the province.
In the year 1099 building work began on the Cathedral (or Duomo) dedicated to San Geminiano, patron saint and protector of the city. This religious building is regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of Romanesque art to be found anywhere in Europe and has been included in the World Heritage list by Unesco, toghether with Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina tower. The architectural plan and supervision of the building work was assigned to the architect Lanfranco, who was assisted in the decorative work first by the sculptor Wiligelmo and then by the Campionese Masters. The Cathedral's splendid marble facade is ornately decorated with bas-relief figures depicting scenes from the book of Genesis and is the work of Wiligelmo, who also created the central portal, known as the "Pontificia" and the vestibule supported by two lions from the Roman era. Anselmo da Campione of the Campionese dynasty, a line of highly skilled master sculptors who entered the service of Lanfranco and Wiligelmo in 1167 built the splendid rose window in the 13th century.The interior of the Cathedral, built on a nave and two-aisle model, is dominated by the presbytery, which rises from the crypt where the mortal remains of San Geminiano are conserved. Other parts sculpted by the Campionese Masters include the finely illustrated stage, the ambo and the pulpit. The cathedral was consecrated in 1184 by pope Lucius III.
The Ghirlandina tower, which rises to a height of 88 metres beside the duomo and was soon to become the symbol of the city of Modena, dates from about the same period. This too was designed by Lanfranco and completed by the Campionese Masters. It is the result of the harmonious fusion of two architectural styles: the square base is contemporary with the Cathedral and follows Romanesque criteria, while the upper octagonal section and the top pyramid were begun in 1261 by the Campionese and are Gothic in style. Inside the Ghirlandina is kept a replica of the famous "bucket" (the original is to be found in the town hall), a war trophy removed from the city of Bologna in 1325 after victory in the battle of Zappolino. The wars between Modena and Bologna provided material for the famous mock, heroic poem "La secchia rapita" by the Modenese writer Alessandro Tassoni.
The province can boast at least one other great masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, the Abbazia di San Silvestro in Nonantola, about 10 km from Modena. Founded in 752, it was several times destroyed and rebuilt. The last rebuilding project, in Romanesque style, was begun after the earthquake of 1117 and was renewed by restoration work carried out between 1914 and 1917. Of particular beauty is the crypt, with its 64 columns complete with capitals that support the cross-vaults, while the splendid bas-relief figures of the facade are the work of the school of Wiligelmo.
The Archivio Abbaziale (the abbey archive) is found inside the Abbazia. It is a documentary source of great value (amongst the most important in Europe) including parchments and certificates signed by Charle Magne, Ottone I, Matilde di Canossa, and Frederic Barbarossa. The treasure, composed of a series of liturgic objects, such as the Stauroteca (gold and silver reliquario of the XI century of Santa Croce) and the Evangelario of Matilde di Canossa ( XIII century).
Through the course of the middle ages Modena was subjected to various forms of government, from the reign of the countess Matilde di Canossa (1076-1115) to autonomy as a city-state (1126-1288), from independent republicanism (1306-1307) to the dominion of the Bonacolsi family (1311-1328).– 1307) al potere della famiglia Bonacolsi (1311 – 1328).
Meanwhile the city expanded and took on an increasingly elaborate urban structure. In 1188 a new set of city walls was erected. The main section of the Palazzo Comunale and the annexed Torre Civica, of which only remains survive today, date from 1194. The palazzo Comunale, situated in the Piazza Grande behind the Duomo, is a highly complex building, whose separate parts belong to many different periods.
Inside, a sixteenth century loggia leads into the most important room of the building, which is ornately decorated with tapestries and paintings by the most illustrious of Modenese artists, including Bartolomeo Schedoni and Niccolò dell'Abate.
The thirteenth century also saw the building of the churches of San Francesco, Sant'Agostino and San Domenico. In 1289 the ferocity of the power struggles between various factions of the Modenese nobility led some of them to offer control of the city to Obizzo d'Este, Lord of Ferrara. This was the first time the Este family had come to power in Modenese territory, a dominion soon however to be interrupted by the republican uprising of 1306 which forced Obizzo to flee the city.
In 1336 power returned once and for all to the hands of the Este family, and from this year onwards the history of the city and of her possessions was inseparably bound with that of the Signoria of Ferrara.
For many years to come, however, Modena was overshadowed by the splendour of the court of Ferrara. Written accounts from the times still describe the city as a jumble of narrow, smelly streets, while earthquakes and epidemics were the constant scourge of the inhabitants. As a result, very few important buildings date from this period.
It was not until the middle of the fifteenth century that Modena began to re-emerge. Through the efforts of Borso d'Este, who rose to power in 1450, Ferrara became one of the most illustrious centres of Renaissance art and culture in Italy, and Modena also benefited through its close association with Ferrara. Borso d'Este's name is also remembered in connection with the extremely valuable inscribed Bible, which is now kept in the Biblioteca Estense in Modena.
Towards the end of the fifteenth century building work began on the church of San Pietro, the one real masterpiece of Renaissance art in Modena.The church was designed by the architect Pietro Barabani from Carpi, who was inspired by the work of Biagio Rossetti, the illustrious architect who created the town-planning structure of Ferrara. A special feature of the building is the use of terracotta both as building material and for decoration.
From 1481 dates the construction of the Torre dell’orologio, which was originally built in 1262 and is part of the Palazzo Comunale complex. A new clock was installed and the tower was subsequently completed in 1508 with the building of the octagonal cupola designed by Bartolomeo Bonascia.
The restructuring of one of the most beautiful and monumental squares in Italy, Piazza Borgogioioso in Carpi (now renamed Piazza Martiri), took place in the Renaissance period. Carpi, which is about 15 km from Modena, was at that time governed by the Pio family. The square, one of the largest in Italy, is 276 metres long and 56 metres wide. It was transformed by wish of Alberto III Pio towards the end of the sixteenth century. Its surface was paved with cobblestones and important modifications were made to the buildings around its perimeter.
The Castello, erected on foundations dating from the tenth century, owes its present form to Alberto III Pio, who commissioned a new staircase and courtyard with 28 marble columns.
On its north side, the square is bordered by the Duomo, which was designed by Peruzzi, clearly influenced by the Bramante project for the basilica of San Pietro in Rome. Construction work began in 1514 but was not completed until 1767.
Next to the Castello stands the Teatro, built much more recently (mid 19th century) on a design by the architect Claudio Rossi from Carpi. The year 1598 marked a turning point in Modenese history. The previous year Alfonso II d' Este had died without leaving an heir and a clause dating from 1501 stipulated that if the direct line of descent of the Este family should be interrupted, Ferrara was to pass under the control of the Papal State. Alfonso's successor, his cousin Cesare d'Este, was therefore obliged to leave Ferrara and seek a new capital for his duchy elsewhere. His choice fell on Modena, which thus became the capital of the Este state and remained so, apart from brief intervals, right up to Italian unification in 1860.
At the time of the new lord's arrival, Modena was going through one of the most difficult periods in her entire history. For several years a severe famine had been decimating the population, and the permanent open-air canal system was serving as a breeding ground for all kinds of epidemics, culminating in the terrible plague of 1630 in which some 40% of the population perished (a census carried out in 1581 set the population at 18,000 inhabitants). These episodes made the rulers resolve to take the town-planning structure of the city in hand.
During the 17th century almost all the canals were covered and there was a profusion of urban building work. During the reign of Francesco I d'Este, in particular, some of Modena's finest buildings were constructed.
Francesco I invited the baroque architect Bartolomeo Avanzini from Rome and commissioned a new court palace and a summer residence in Sassuolo from him.
Building work on the new Palazzo Ducale, which now houses the Military Academy, started in 1635. Beginning with Avanzini's original plan, it would appear that the masters of baroque architecture Francesco Borromini, Gian Lorenzo Bemini and Pietro da Cortona also contributed to the construction work. The palace is as elegant as it is imposing, with a long three-storey facade crowned by a marble balustrade ornately decorated with statues portraying the virtues and mythological characters. Three imposing towers, of which the central is the highest and architecturally most complex, divide the building into its two sections. The big clock, still in use today, was installed in the upper section of the central tower in 1756. The statues that flank the main entrance and portray Hercules and the consul Aemilius Lepidus date back to 1560 and are the work of the sculptor Prospero Spani from Reggio Emilia, known as "Il Clemente”. They were given to the duke Rinaldo d'Este in 1724. The eastern facade, on the other hand, is neoclassical in style and was completed in 1819 by the architect Gusmano Soli.
The interior of the palace presents some architectural features of great value and beauty, including the splendid courtyard, surrounded by the elegant open gallery on two floors, and the imposing staircase, embellished with numerous Roman statues taken from the Villa Este in Tivoli.
As previously mentioned, Avanzini also worked in the province, designing the summer residence of the dukes, the Palazzo Ducale di Sassuolo (18 km from Modena), unquestionably one of the greatest artistic achievements seen in Emilia in the early seventeenth century. The inner rooms in particular, the work of a team of great masters including Boulanger, Colonna, Mitelli and Cittadini to name but a few, are a triumph of scenic effects, frescoes and decorations portraying the pantheon of Olympian gods. Also worthy of mention is the extraordinary pool (the Peschiera, also known as the Fontanazzo) built next to the palace in the style of a great ruin depicting the Teatro delle Fontane.
Also from the early seventeenth century is the Palazzina del Giardino Ducale in Modena, commissioned by Francesco I from the Emilian architect Gaspare Vigarani and built between 1634 and 1656. The building is made up of a long curved section crowned at the centre by an octagonal tower with a cupola. The facade is decorated with statues of Roman emperors. The gardens, designed by the Roman architect Girolamo Rainaldi, were opened to the public in 1752 by wish of the then lord Francesco III d'Este. The building is now owned by the municipality and used to house important art exhibitions.
The inhabitants and ecclesiastical establishment of the city also played their part in this great ferment of building activity.
The restructuring of the Piazza Grande dates from this period, with the building of the spacious and harmonious portico that was designed by Raffaele Rinaldi (also known as Menia) and unites the two original sections of the palazzo Comunale. The Piazza Grande has always been at the centre of the city's community life, serving as a meeting point and a trading area where the weekly market was held until 1931 (it has now been transferred to a covered building in Via Albinelli).
To bear witness to the important role played by the square in the civic life of the city, there remains to this day the so-called "pietra ringadora", set in front of the steps of the Palazzo Comunale in the northeast corner of the square. It had various functions, serving as a pulpit for speeches (its name derives in fact from the word "arringa" or, literally, "harangue") and a place for the public humiliation of debtors.
Another feature of the square is the so-called "Statua della Bonissima", a statue standing on the outside corner of the Palazzo Comunale. It apparently depicts a benefactress of the populace during the famine of 1178. Erected in the square in 1268, it was moved to its present position some two centuries later. Even today, the Piazza Grande is used for exhibitions that play an important part in the life of the city such as the celebrations for the patron saint of Modena, San Geminiano (31st January). Many churches were built or restructured during the seventeenth century. These include the Chiesa and Collegio di San Carlo, both designed by Bartolomeo Avanzini, the Chiesa del Voto, built in thanksgiving for the end of the plague of 1630, and the churches of Sant'Agostino and San Biagio.
However, this flourish of urban renewal was short-lived most probably due to the preference shown by the Modenese nobility of the times to live in their country residences, since their landed estate and its use were their chief source of income. For this reason, civil building work in the city remained inevitably in a state of stagnation, and very few buildings for private use were erected in the seventeenth century. The few important examples include Palazzo Molza, now the seat of the Modena Chamber of Commerce and Palazzo Boschetti.
During the following century, however, the urban structure of Modena was to undergo a radical change, chiefly through the efforts of the Duke Francesco III, who rose to power in 1737, and those of his son and successor Ercole III.
It was in fact in the eighteenth century that Modena acquired the urban features that distinguish her today, with the characteristic harmony between different architectural styles. A large number of new buildings were erected and many others renovated. Entire streets and quarters were demolished and rebuilt according to a new town planning scheme which took into account the functional and aesthetic needs of the capital of a duchy.
The Via Emilia and other important streets in the city centre were widened and some of the city's most important buildings were constructed, including the Palazzo dei Musei, the Ospedale Vecchio, the Palazzo dell'Università, the Palazzo delle Belle Arti and many others.
While on the subject of Francesco III d'Este, it should not be forgotten that, despite being a munificent patron of building work, he also figured in one of the most infamous episodes in the history of artwork collection. In 1746, floundering in debt, the duke sold 100 of the most beautiful paintings in the Estense art collection to the Elector of Saxony. In this way many priceless works of art by artists such as Tiziano, Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, Correggio, Raffaello and Giorgione were lost both to Modena and to Italy.
The Estense collection, then housed in the Palazzo Ducale, developed around a nucleus of paintings originally assembled at the court of Ferrara and then in part transferred to the new capital. Subsequent rulers enlarged the collection to varying degrees and in particular by Francesco I, who was a great art lover and connoisseur. After the episode of the "Dresden sale", Francesco III, as if wishing to make amends for his misdemeanour, in 1761 opened the Galleria Estense to the public. In the course of the following decades the collection grew through new acquisitions and gifts, even though further painful losses were still to be incurred, especially in the Napoleonic age. Since 1884 this collection of paintings, sculptures and other artistic objects, one of the most important in Italy, has been housed in the Palazzo dei Musei.
The eighteenth century saw a strengthening of the tradition, which had originated in the previous century among families of the nobility, of building sumptuous summer residences in the countryside around the city. While varying enormously from their architectural point of view, they do have several features in common. They are frequently preceded by avenues lined with long rows of Lombardy poplars that serve to frame the facade and make the buildings stand out from a distance.Another common feature is the open or closed roof-terrace, a direct descendant of the medieval watchtower. Some Estense residences, such as those at Bellaria and Pentetorri, have not survived to modern days, but other splendid examples which are still standing include Villa Messerotti-Benvenuti at Villanova, Villa delle Rose at Albareto, Villa Cesi at Ponte di Navicello, Villa Sorra near Nonantola and Villa Agazzotti at Marzaglia, though the list could be much longer.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries Modena underwent a long series of political upheavals. The uprisings, which followed in the wake of the French revolution and of Napoleon Bonaparte’s descent into Italy, sent the sovereign Ercole III d'Este to his heels. Under the aegis of France, the city joined Bologna, Ferrara and Reggio to form the Cispadane Republic (which among other things produced the three-coloured banner which was later to become the flag of the unified Italian state). Very soon, however, Napoleon's abuse of power destroyed all illusions of political autonomy for the city. After 1814, Austria restored Modenese territory to the Habsburg-Lorraine branch of the Este family in the persona of the Duke Francesco IV. The former institutions of the duchy were re-established and the republican laws abolished. Despite the restoration, the new ideas of autonomy strongly lived on among the civilian population. The year 1831 saw an anti-Austrian uprising that was crushed by Francesco IV, who sent the Modenese patriot Ciro Menotti to the gallows. The Menotti monument, erected in 1879 in the square in front of the Palazzo Ducale (now Piazza Roma), still stands in remembrance of this episode.
Regarding the city's town planning, a reconstruction project that aimed to improve the still very dubious sanitary conditions of most of the quarters and buildings belongs to this period.
Under Austro-Estense rule, the architecture was strongly influenced by the neo-classical style. The features of this stately style are particularly visible in the Teatro Comunale, the Foro Boario (both of which are the work of the architect Francesco Vandelli) and the Palazzo Sandonnini (previous seat of the Questura (Police station).
After the unification of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, Modena found herself no longer the capital of a duchy, but just an ordinary provincial city in a kingdom. From that moment onwards, building work took on a more functional and residential character. The population of the city grew from 35,000 inhabitants in 1861 to 67,000 in 1901. At the turn of the century, the city walls were once and for all razed and replaced by wide tree-lined avenues. Entire blocks were demolished to make way for new squares, such as Piazza Mazzini and Piazza XX Settembre. This period also saw the restructuring of Largo Garibaldi, the big square that joins the historical centre with the rest of the city. From 1886 dates the construction on its north side of the Teatro Storchi, designed by Vincenzo Maestri, and from 1938 the central Fontana dei Due Fiumi, work of the Modenese architect Giuseppe Graziosi, which symbolises the two rivers that flow past the city, the Secchia and the Panaro.
During the 1920s the Tempio Monumentale was e-rected in Piazzale Bruni in memory of those who fell in the First World War. This imposing church (53 metres high) was designed by Domenico Barbanti.
Many of the city's historical buildings suffered damage during the Second World War. In 1944 bombs damaged several parts of the cathedral, which were rebuilt shortly after the war.
The same happened to the Chiesa dei Servi and the Palazzo S. Chiara; the latter dates from the first few decades of the nineteenth century and has recently been purchased by the city council and restored by the Bolognese architect Pier Luigi Cervellati. During the last fifty years Modena and her province have seen a substantial increase in population and large-scale urban expansion.
Being an important industrial and agricultural area, the entire province has seen the arrival of several waves of immigration, one of which, during the sixties and seventies, was from Southern Italy, and another, in more recent years, from the Third World.
Industrial building has gone through a period of great expansion, and this has favoured the growth of large residential quarters in the city, developing from the centre towards the outskirts. This growth, however, has not made Modena any less pleasant a city in which to live - public parks and sports grounds cover an area of more than 40 square metres per inhabitant, one of the highest amounts in Italy.
During the last two decades, both in Modena and in the other important centres of the province, much attention has been dedicated to the renovation of historical centres and buildings. Rebuilding and restoration work is always carried out with the utmost respect for the original architecture.
Suffice it to mention the Palazzina della Casiglia in Sassuolo, once the Duke of Este's country residence, which has been restored in pain staking detail by Gae Aulenti and converted as the headquarters of the national ceramic tile and refractory manufacturers association (Assopiastrelle) and the San Cataldo Cemetery, designed by Aldo Rossi, which has already found an important place in the most prestigious books on contemporary architecture.