the Duomo of Wiligelmo, the Ghirlandina and piazza Grande, the city of the Este after Ferrara, the balsamic vinegar that ages in the attics, gnocco fritto, and a step away Maranello and Ferrari
Modena stands on the via Emilia, between Bologna and Reggio, and its centre is a rectangle of streets and arcades around a square: piazza Grande, with the Romanesque Duomo, the cathedral that Lanfranco began in 1099 and that Wiligelmo carved with the stories of Genesis, and the Ghirlandina, the marble tower that can be seen from the whole plain. The Duomo, the tower and the square have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. In 1598, when the pope took Ferrara back, the Este moved here, and Modena became their capital until 1859: they left the great Palazzo Ducale, today the Military Academy, the Galleria Estense with the family's paintings, and the Pantheon of the Este in Sant'Agostino. It is a city you go round on foot in a day, without hurrying, with the Mercato Albinelli, the covered market, for lunch. But Modena is above all what you eat and what you drive: aceto balsamico tradizionale, the traditional balsamic vinegar, which ages for decades in the attics, tortellini, gnocco fritto, Lambrusco; and Ferrari, which at Maranello, about twenty kilometres further south, has its factory and its museum, and in the city the house where Enzo was born. Around about are Carpi with one of the largest squares in Italy, the abbey of Nonantola, the castle of Vignola, and the hills of Lambrusco Grasparossa.
Sleeping
Stops and overnight stays
In Modena there is no motorhome area run by the Comune. The only area with services belongs to a camper club, at Vaciglio, south of the city, with a bus to the centre; near the walls there is a free car park without services, good for the day. For Ferrari there are two small areas near Maranello.
Area del Camper Club Mutina
strada Collegarola 76/A, 41126 Modena (MO)
the area of an association of motorhome owners, fenced, lit and with cameras, in the countryside south of the city. It cannot be booked, and the website shows the free places in real time. The reception is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 10:30 and from 17:00 to 19:00, on Sundays only in the morning; you can enter until midnight, you pay at the automatic till and you can leave at any hour. For the centre you walk about 900 metres to the village of Vaciglio, where the 3A bus passes, with tickets on board, by card too; you come back by catching it in front of the Teatro Storchi, in largo Garibaldi. By bicycle it is five kilometres, and the reception gives out the map of the cycle paths. A towed car stays outside. At weekends a nightclub a little over a kilometre away keeps the music going until late
The club writes "as per the displayed rate", for 24 hours, with water, emptying, toilets and showers included; in May 2026 people who stopped there paid 22 euros. Beyond 24 hours you pay a quarter of the rate every six hours, and over 9 metres you pay for two bays · 059 4557043 · camperclubmutina.it
the large free park-and-ride car park west of the centre, next to the Parco Ferrari, which the Comune keeps reachable from the ring road even during the hours of the anti-smog bans: it is the car park for a motorhome closest to piazza Grande, a quarter of an hour on foot across the park. It is a place for the day; for the night there is the Camper Club Mutina area
a small campsite west of the city, near the Modena Nord motorway exit, with a bar, a shop and a swimming pool in summer. In 2026 travellers found the toilets old but clean and the owner friendly, and the motorway noise; they use it as a base for going to Maranello rather than for the centre. Phone before setting off, because there is no website with the opening dates
via Fondo Val Tiepido 77, 41053 Torre Maina di Maranello (MO)
a small area in the valley of the Tiepido stream, in the hills south of Maranello, next to the bridge and the nature trail along the river, with an electricity socket for each pitch, a barbecue and a children's playground. The entry is bought online, and the barrier code arrives by email; in cash you pay at the Trattoria Zanichelli, three hundred metres beyond the bridge, closed on Mondays. The Museo Ferrari is about five kilometres away by road. Travellers in 2026 call it quiet and cheap, but not well kept, with a very basic waste dump
ten
ElectricityWaterGrey water
According to the operator 7 euros for the day, with electricity, and 2 euros for emptying only; in August 2026 travellers were still paying 7 euros · 339 2634716 · areacampermaranello.it
Area di sosta Terra dei Motori, a Fiorano Modenese
via Cameazzo 6, 41042 Fiorano Modenese (MO)
the area of the Comune of Fiorano Modenese, run since 2012 by the Camper Club di Fiorano, which has its headquarters opposite: fenced and lit, not supervised, with a barbecue and a children's playground. You arrive by 23:00, and the gate code is requested from the numbers written on the gate. There are no toilets. The Museo Ferrari at Maranello is a quarter of an hour away by bicycle, and the Fiorano track is two kilometres away. Travellers in 2026 praise the operator and the cleanliness, and find the road alongside noisy
eight pitches
ElectricityWaterGrey waterChemical toiletWi-Fi
Parking is free; electricity, water and emptying are paid with tokens; in April 2026 one euro for a hundred litres of water and one euro for emptying the chemical toilet
The centre of Modena is small and you go round it on foot; the motorhome stays outside, at the Vaciglio area or at the Parco Ferrari. In winter, inside the ring road, the anti-smog bans apply.
You arrive by the A1 motorway, exits Modena Nord and Modena Sud, or by the A22 from the Brenner, which ends a little further north. For the Camper Club Mutina area take the Modena Sud exit; for Maranello and Fiorano take the road to Sassuolo or the via Giardini, heading south
The anti-smog bans, from the Comune's ordinance of 17 September 2026: from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, inside the ring road, Monday to Friday and every Sunday from 8:30 to 18:30, which until 31 December 2026 become from 8:00 to 19:00, diesels up to Euro 4 and petrol vehicles up to Euro 2 may not circulate; on SundaysEuro 5 diesels stop too, and so they do on days of emergency measures, Saturdays and public holidays included. On Saturdays there are no ordinary bans. Nor do they apply on 1 November, 8 and 25 December, 1 and 6 January and 31 January, the day of San Geminiano. The fine ranges from 168 to 679 euros. The road from the ring road to the Parco Ferrari always stays open, and the Camper Club Mutina area is outside the ring road
The ZTL, the limited traffic zone, closes the centre with cameras switched on day and night, at thirteen gates: a motorhome has no reason to go in, and the car parks in the centre are underground
The city buses are run by SETA: the 3A passes the Vaciglio area, and the ticket is bought on board
LPG: among the filling stations in the city, the Beyfin at strada Bellaria 95, a couple of kilometres from the Camper Club Mutina area, and the Grazi Petroli at via Giardini 1171, on the road to Maranello
For the surroundings: Spilamberto and Vignola lie to the south-east, on the road along the Panaro; Nonantola to the north-east; Carpi to the north, with the Fossoli camp; Formigine, Maranello, Fiorano and Sassuolo to the south, on the road to the hills. At Nonantola there is a free car park for motorhomes a hundred metres from the abbey
Seeing
Sights
The centre takes a day, on foot, starting from piazza Grande; a second day is needed for the museums of the Este, balsamic vinegar at Spilamberto or Ferrari at Maranello. Many things here can be visited only on certain days or with booking: the Palazzo Ducale at weekends, the Teatro on set dates, the Biblioteca Estense on Thursdays and Fridays. Outside the city, in winter, the Palazzo Ducale of Sassuolo is closed from 1 January to 26 March. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.
1
Piazza Grande
Square · free entry · 44.64598, 10.92590
piazza Grande, 41121 Modena (MO)
the square of the market and of justice, between the side of the Duomo, the Ghirlandina and the Palazzo Comunale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the cathedral and the tower. On the corner of the Palazzo Comunale is the Bonissima, the stone statue linked to the market; in front of it, the Preda Ringadora, the great stone from which people addressed the crowd, where debtors who did not pay were made to sit naked, after it had been smeared with turpentine: it is the story children remember. The tourist office is at number 14
one of the great Romanesque cathedrals of Europe, begun in 1099 by Lanfranco with stone taken partly from Roman Mutina. On the facade the reliefs of Genesis by Wiligelmo, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, read like a comic strip; on the side facing the market the Porta della Pescheria has the twelve months of the year carved on it. Inside, the pontile, the raised screen with its lions, above the crypt where San Geminiano is buried, the terracotta nativity by Antonio Begarelli, from 1527, and the inlaid choir. From the raised presbytery you look down on the nave. On 31 January, for the patron saint, visits stop during the celebrations
Opening hours according to the tourist office, in October 2026, Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 to 19:00, on Mondays from 7:00 to 12:30 and from 15:30 to 19:00; tourist visits on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00, on public holidays from 13:30 to 16:30, never during mass. The raised presbytery and the sacristy Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, on Sundays from 13:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays · the church is free; the raised presbytery and the sacristy 3 euros, free with the Musei del Duomo ticket · 059 216078
next to the Duomo, two museums in one. In the lapidarium are the metopes that stood at the top of the cathedral's buttresses, with the strange creatures carved by Wiligelmo's masters, among them the two-tailed mermaid; on the floor above, the cathedral treasury
Opening hours according to the museum, in 2026, Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00, Saturdays and Sundays until 19:00; closed on Mondays · 6 euros with the raised presbytery and the sacristy of the Duomo, reduced 4; free up to 6 · 059 216078 · museidelduomodimodena.it
the bell tower of the Duomo, the symbol of the city, which can be seen from the whole plain. You climb on foot, about two hundred steps and no lift, up to the Sala dei Torresani, on the fifth floor, where the keepers lived, with its carved capitals: you do not go to the top, for safety. The groups are of 25 people, and the visit lasts about three quarters of an hour; minors climb only when accompanied. Here the Comune kept its documents and the Secchia rapita, a copy of which is in the tower. The websites that still say 3 euros are out of date
Opening hours according to the tourist office, in 2026, from October to March every day from 9:30 to 18:00, with entry in groups from 9:45 to 17:15; from April to September until 19:00. Closed on 25 December and on the morning of 1 January · 6 euros, reduced 4 from 13 to 26 and over 65; free up to 12. You book, free of charge, and pay on the spot · 059 2032660 · torreghirlandina@comune.modena.it
the rooms of the town hall, on the first floor, with a lift. In the Camerino dei Confirmati is the real Secchia rapita, the stolen bucket, the wooden bucket taken from the Bolognese in 1325. The Sala del Fuoco has the frescoes by Nicolò dell'Abate, from 1546, and the fireplace where in winter the embers were made for the merchants of the square; then the Sala del Vecchio Consiglio and the Sala degli Arazzi, with paintings imitating tapestries. The municipal acetaia in the attic, where the balsamic vinegar ages, has been closed since 19 October 2026 for works, and the reopening has not been announced
Opening hours according to the tourist office, in 2026, the historic rooms Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays from 13:00 to 15:00, on Sundays and public holidays in groups with a short guided tour from 15:15 to 18:15; always with booking · free Monday to Saturday; 5 euros on Sundays and public holidays, free up to 12 · 059 2032660
the city's covered market, from 1931, a stone's throw from piazza Grande, with the fountain of the little girl carrying fruit in the middle. You go in the morning, when all the stalls are open: cured meats, parmesan, fresh tortellini, vinegar, the farmers' fruit and vegetables. At midday the stalls where you can eat are the simplest solution for a family
Opening hours according to the market, from 14 September to 31 May, the stalls Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 15:00, on Saturdays until 19:00; the restaurants inside the market every day from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 18:30 to 22:30 · mercatoalbinelli.it
San Giovanni Battista and the Compianto by Guido Mazzoni
Church · free entry · 44.64739, 10.92435
piazza Matteotti, via Emilia Centro, 41121 Modena (MO)
a small round church from the eighteenth century, on the via Emilia, which holds a masterpiece: the Compianto sul Cristo morto, the Lamentation over the dead Christ, by Guido Mazzoni, made between 1477 and 1480: the terracotta figures, life-size, weep around Christ with their mouths open. Whoever walks in finds them in front of them, almost among them. The hours are limited: it is best to go in the morning
Opening hours according to the tourist office, on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 12:00, on Fridays from 16:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00 · 059 236327
the church that from 1662 the duchess Laura Martinozzi transformed into the Pantheon of the Este, with the stucco statues and busts of the queens, empresses and saints of the family along the walls. Inside there is also a Compianto, a Lamentation, by Antonio Begarelli. Closed after the 2012 earthquake, it reopened in 2018. It is opposite the Palazzo dei Musei
Opening hours according to the tourist office, Monday to Saturday from 6:40 to 12:30 and from 16:00 to 19:15, on Sundays from 8:00 to 19:00; no visits during mass
the picture gallery of the Este dukes, on the top floor of the Palazzo dei Musei, with a lift. The pieces to look for are the bust of Francesco I d'Este by Gian Lorenzo Bernini the portrait of the same duke painted by Velázquez and the small triptych by the young El Greco; around them the painters of Ferrara and Emilia that the Este brought with them
Opening hours according to the museum, in 2026, Tuesday to Saturday from 8:30 to 19:15, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry half an hour earlier; closed on Mondays, on 25 December and on 1 January. Open on 7 and 8 December 2026, and closed on Wednesday 9 · 8 euros, 2 from 18 to 25, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month; 10 euros with the Palazzo Ducale of Sassuolo · 059 4395711 · gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it
the family library, which came from Ferrara in 1598, with illuminated codices and the papers of Ludovico Antonio Muratori, on the second floor of the Palazzo dei Musei. Its treasure, the Bible of Borso d'Este, is not on display: it is shown on very rare occasions, and you can leaf through it online in the digital library. The rooms can be seen only on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, so not at a weekend
Opening hours according to the museum, in 2026, the historic rooms are visited every half hour on Thursdays from 14:30 to 17:00 and on Fridays from 10:00 to 13:30 · 059 4395711 · gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it
in the Palazzo dei Musei, the city museum, from prehistory to today, with the plaster cast gallery and the Roman lapidarium. For children the right door is the immersive room "Avia Pervia", which tells the story of Modena with images. On the ground floor, under the portico, the Lapidario Estense, from 1828, the city's first public museum: the sarcophagi and inscribed stones of Roman Mutina, reused over the centuries by the noble families. There is a bar, open every day
Opening hours according to the museum, from 1 September 2026, Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:00; closed on Mondays · 6 euros, reduced 4 from 65; free up to 18 and on the first Sunday of the month. The Lapidario Estense, under the portico, is free · 059 2033125 · museocivicomodena.it
the palace of the Este, begun in 1634 to a design by Bartolomeo Avanzini, with its long facade on piazza Roma. Since 1859 no duke has lived there, and today it is the seat of the Military Academy: you go in only with a guide, an hour and a half through the Cortile d'Onore, the grand staircase, the rooms of the Academy museum and the State Apartment with the Salone d'Onore. The rules are those of a barracks: an identity document matching the one used for the booking, no backpacks or animals, no photographs, no shorts or flip-flops; wheelchairs cannot go. The Academy may cancel the visit at the last moment. The tourist office does not write the price: you ask when booking
Opening hours according to the tourist office, only with the guided tour on Saturdays and Sundays, booked with the name of each person; it leaves from the tourist office at piazza Grande 14 · 059 2032660 · info@visitmodena.it
the garden behind the Palazzo Ducale, with three entrances on corso Cavour, viale Caduti in Guerra and corso Vittorio Emanuele, and the seventeenth century Palazzina dei Giardini, which today houses exhibitions. It is the place to let the children run between one museum and the next
the city's opera house, from 1841, named after the two singers from Modena, Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. The visit, an hour and a half, goes through the stalls, the stage and the foyer, and two places that are not usually seen: the costume workshop and the scenery workshop, one of the oldest in Italy still in its original home, where the sets are painted that leave for theatres all over the world
Opening hours it can be visited only with a guide, at 15:00 and 16:30, on the days set by the tourist office: 31 October, 14 and 21 November, 20 December 2026; 9 and 23 January, 20 and 27 February, 13 March, 3 and 17 April, 8 and 15 May 2027. It goes ahead with at least six people signed up · 10 euros, 8 from 6 to 12
the church of the Benedictine abbey, founded in 983 and rebuilt between 1476 and 1518, with a terracotta facade and a frieze of sea horses. Inside, on the piers of the five naves, the terracotta statues by Antonio Begarelli, and his Altare delle Statue; Begarelli is buried here. It is ten minutes on foot from piazza Grande, heading south
Opening hours according to the parish, in winter, every morning from 8:00 to 12:00, on Saturdays from 8:30 to 12:30 and on Sundays until 12:30; in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Fridays from 16:00 to 18:30, on Wednesdays from 16:30 to 18:30, on Saturdays from 15:30 to 18:30, on Sundays from 16:00 to 19:30 · 059 236218 · sanfrancescosanpietro.it
the country house, south of the city, where Pavarotti lived his last years: the rooms as he left them, the stage costumes, the photographs and the films, on four floors with a lift. In front there is a large unattended car park that the museum declares suitable for motorhomes too: you arrive with your own vehicle, because there is no bus from the centre
Opening hours according to the museum, in 2026, every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00; closed on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January · 12 euros, reduced 10 from 12 to 18 and over 65; free under 12. The audio guide is included · 059 460778 · casamuseolucianopavarotti.it
The Museo del Balsamico Tradizionale, at Spilamberto
Museum · paid entry · 44.53338, 11.02253
via Francesco Roncati 28, 41057 Spilamberto (MO)
in a villa at Spilamberto, the museum of the Consorteria, the brotherhood that for sixty years has looked after aceto balsamico tradizionale. In an hour you understand how it is made: the cooked must, the batteries of small casks in different woods, from the largest to the smallest, the transfers every year, the 12 and 25 years of ageing, and at the end the tasting. With Modena's municipal acetaia closed, this is the balsamic vinegar visit to make. Booking is needed
Opening hours according to the museum, on Tuesdays and from Thursday to Sunday from 10:30 to 17:30, on Wednesdays until 13:30, with guided tours at 10:45, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:30; also open on 1 November, 8 and 26 December · 10 euros with the tour and the tasting, 8 over 65 and for university students, 7 from 11 to 17, free up to 10 · 059 781614 · museodelbalsamicotradizionale.org · info@museodelbalsamicotradizionale.org
the Benedictine abbey founded in 752 by Saint Anselm, brother-in-law of the Lombard king Aistulf, about ten kilometres from Modena. The doorway was carved by Wiligelmo and his workshop, like the Duomo, and under the church there is a crypt with 64 small columns. In the museum the treasury, the codices of the scriptorium and a gospel book of Matilda of Canossa. For motorhomes and coaches there is a free car park in piazza Alessandrini, a hundred metres away
Opening hours according to the abbey, the basilica every day from 9:00 to 18:00, with no visits during mass; the museum Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 to 12:30, on Saturdays and Sundays also from 14:30 to 18:00, closed on Mondays · the basilica is free; the museum charges, and the price is not published · 059 549025 · abbazianonantola.it · info@abbazianonantola.it
at Carpi, about twenty kilometres to the north, one of the largest squares in Italy, with the long portico on one side and on the other the castle of the Pio, lords of the city, with a front of more than 160 metres. Inside are the Museo del Palazzo and the city museum, and the Castello dei Ragazzi, the library and play centre for children. A few steps away, in the attic of Palazzo Scacchetti, there is a municipal acetaia that can be visited on the second Saturday of the month, from 9:30 to 12:30, except in August, by booking on 331 6949443
Opening hours according to the tourist office, in 2026, the courtyard Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 19:00, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00; the museums on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00, closed at Christmas and New Year · the museums 5 euros, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month; the square and the courtyard are free · 059 649955 · musei@comune.carpi.mo.it
piazza dei Martiri, Palazzo dei Pio, 41012 Carpi (MO)
inside the castle of the Pio, the Memorial Museum of the Deported, from 1973, designed by the BBPR studio with Renato Guttuso: thirteen bare rooms with graffiti by Picasso, Léger and Guttuso on the walls and sentences from the letters of the members of the Resistance condemned to death, and in the courtyard sixteen concrete stelae six metres high with the names of the camps. It is a place for older children
Opening hours according to the tourist office, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00; closed on 1 January, 25 and 31 December · 3 euros, reduced 2; free on the first Sunday of the month · 059 688272 · info@fondazionefossoli.it
Point of interest · free entry · 44.83018, 10.90280
via Remesina Esterna 32, 41012 Fossoli di Carpi (MO)
six kilometres from Carpi, in the countryside, the camp built in 1942 for prisoners of war which from 1944 the SS used as a transit camp to the Nazi camps. Primo Levi passed through here. After the war the Nomadelfia community lived there, and then the refugees from Istria and Dalmatia. The huts remain in the meadow, one of them restored. You walk inside in silence, in a wheelchair too
Opening hours according to the tourist office, on Sundays and public holidays during the opening hours, which it does not write; until 31 March a free group visit every Saturday at 14:30. Phone first, especially in December · 059 688272
at Vignola, on the Panaro, about twenty kilometres south of Modena, just beyond Spilamberto, the castle of the Contrari, on five floors, with the chapel frescoed in the fifteenth century by the Master of Vignola and at the top the sentry walks between the three towers, which children like. Many websites still give it as free: today you pay. The car park is in via Zenzano, with the underpass to the square. Vignola is the city of cherries, and in April of the cherry blossom festival
Opening hours according to the castle, in 2026, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 to 13:30 and from 15:00 to 18:30, with last entry an hour earlier · 10 euros with the audio guide, 6 under 18, free under 12 · 059 775246 · roccadivignola.it · info@roccadivignola.it
the hill village among the vineyards, about twenty kilometres south of Modena, with the Touring Club's Bandiera arancione, the orange flag for small towns. Piazza Roma is called piazza della Dama, the draughts square, for its chequerboard paving, between the Torre dell'Orologio and the Torre delle Prigioni, with the view over the hills. It is the land of Lambrusco Grasparossa
a castle from 1201, on the road between Modena and Maranello, later of the Pio and the Calcagnini. In the keep there is a museum with multimedia installations by Studio Azzurro, and in the park you see from above the remains of the old parish church. The castle park is a good place for children, before or after Ferrari
Opening hours according to the Comune, in November, January and February only on Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00; in December on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00; also open on 1 November, 8 and 26 December, 1 and 6 January from 15:00 to 18:30, closed on 25 December. The park is open every day except Monday · 4 euros, reduced 3 under 25 and over 65 · 059 416145 · visitformigine.it · castello@comune.formigine.mo.it
the Este villa for country holidays, the "Delizia", transformed from 1634: the rooms frescoed by Jean Boulanger, the Galleria di Bacco, the duke's apartment, and paintings from the storerooms of the Galleria Estense. In front, the Peschiera, the ornamental fishpond, and the park. In winter, from 1 January to 26 March, it cannot be visited: in December it can
Opening hours according to the museum, in 2026, from 27 March to 31 December Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry an hour earlier; open on 7 and 8 December and closed on the 9th. Closed from 1 January to 26 March · 8 euros, 2 from 18 to 25, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month; 10 euros with the Galleria Estense · 389 2673365 · gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it
Modena's winter begins with chocolate on the via Emilia and ends with the patron saint: in between, the Christmas market in piazza Grande and the two January fairs, which fill the centre with stalls. In May the engines go by, in September the philosophers, and in autumn, around Spilamberto, balsamic vinegar opens its acetaie, the attics where it ages.
Next: Sciocolà · 29 Oct - 1 Nov
29 Oct › 1Nov
Sciocolà
the All Saints' long weekend
the chocolate festival, with the stalls of chocolate makers and pastry cooks along the via Emilia, in corso Duomo and in piazza Grande, the chocolate factory in the square, wooden games and, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, free workshops for children from 5 to 12. Entry is free. In 2026 from 29 October to 1 November, on Sunday until 20:00
20-22Nov
Play in the City
a weekend in November
the festival of games, designed for children and families: tables of games to try, workshops and talks, at the Collegio San Carlo and in the church of San Carlo. Entry is free, and many workshops are booked online. In 2026, the second edition, from 20 to 22 November
20 Nov › 6Jan
Tyrolean Christmas market
from the second half of November to Epiphany
the wooden chalets in piazza Grande and piazza Torre, Father Christmas's village for children in piazza XX Settembre, with letters and workshops, and every evening, at sunset, the lights projected onto the facades of the square. In 2026 from 20 November to 6 January. In December the lights in the centre are switched on, and at the Parco Novi Sad there is the ice rink
17Jan
Fair of Sant'Antonio
17 January
the great fair of stalls that opens the month of the patron saint: more than four hundred stalls, from 8:00 to 20:00, in piazza Grande, along the via Emilia and in the squares around, with street artists. The centre is closed to cars. In 2027 it is on Sunday 17 January
31Jan
Feast of San Geminiano
31 January
the feast of the patron saint: in the morning the procession from the Palazzo Comunale to the Duomo with the candles and the oil for the lamp in the crypt, the relics on display, and all day the fair, almost five hundred stalls from the via Emilia to piazza Roma; at 14:30 the Corrida sets off, the running race through the streets. In 2026 the Museo Civico was free, and the Ghirlandina and the rooms of the town hall could be visited free with booking. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday
6-14Feb
Modenantiquaria
nine days in February
the antiques fair at the Modena exhibition centre, in viale Virgilio, one of the best known in Italy, with paid entry: it is something for adults. In 2027 from 6 to 14 February
6-9May
Motor Valley Fest
four days in May
the festival of the engines of the Motor Valley in the centre of Modena: the cars and motorbikes of Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Ducati, Pagani and Dallara in the courtyard of the Military Academy and in piazza Roma, parades through the streets and a concours d'elegance for historic cars. In 2027 from 6 to 9 May
17-19Sep
Festival Filosofia
a weekend in mid-September
the philosophy festival, about fifty lectures by philosophers in the squares of Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo, around a different word every year, with exhibitions, concerts, workshops and philosophical dinners, all free. In 2027 from 17 to 19 September, on the word "mito", myth
26Sep
Acetaie Aperte
the last Sunday of September
open acetaie: the balsamic vinegar makers of the province open their attics with the batteries of small casks, with visits and tastings of aceto balsamico tradizionale
to be confirmed
2-3Oct
Mast Còt at Spilamberto
the first weekend of October
the festival of the cooking of the must for balsamic vinegar, at Spilamberto, around the museum of the Consorteria. In 2026 it was on 3 and 4 October
to be confirmed
This year's dates are not out yet
New Year's Eve in the square
the night of 31 December
the Comune's free party, with music and a show, which last time was held in piazza Roma, in front of the Palazzo Ducale, with an aerial circus hanging from a crane. Fireworks and bangers are banned in the city. The programme comes out in December
Cherry Blossom Festival
in mid-April, at Vignola
when the cherry trees along the Panaro come into flower, the festival in the streets of Vignola, with food stands, floats, florists and games for children, free. In 2026 it was from 11 to 19 April
The 1000 Miglia passing through
a day in May or June
the race of historic cars crosses the centre, with the stamp in corso Duomo and in piazza Grande and the lunch stop in piazza Roma, and you watch it free from the pavement. In 2026 it came through on 10 June; in 2027 the centenary race is from 22 to 29 May, and whether it passes through Modena the race website does not yet say
Fair of San Giovanni at Spilamberto
around 24 June
the fair of the patron saint of Spilamberto, during which the Consorteria of aceto balsamico tradizionale awards the Palio di San Giovanni to the best home-made balsamic vinegar. In 2026 from 24 to 28 June
Remember
Useful tips
The municipal acetaia in the attic of the Palazzo Comunale has been closed since 19 October 2026, and the reopening has not been announced: to see how balsamic vinegar is made go to the museum at Spilamberto, book a visit to an acetaia in the province, or go to the municipal acetaia in Carpi on the second Saturday of the month
The Ghirlandina must be booked, free of charge, and you climb in groups of 25 people: up to 12 you do not pay, and you do not reach the top
Many visits have their own days: the Palazzo Ducale only on Saturdays and Sundays, with a guide and an identity document; the Biblioteca Estense only on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings; the Teatro Comunale on set dates; the Compianto in San Giovanni Battista with limited hours. Put them in order before setting off
Young people get in free up to 18 at the Museo Civico, and under 18 at the Galleria Estense and the Palazzo Ducale of Sassuolo; up to 12 at the Ghirlandina, and under 12 at the Casa Museo Pavarotti
The anti-smog bans: a diesel motorhome up to Euro 4 may not go inside the ring road Monday to Friday and on Sundays, and on Sundays a Euro 5 diesel may not either. On Saturdays there are no ordinary bans, and it is the good day for moving around, except when Arpae declares emergency measures
In winter the Palazzo Ducale of Sassuolo is closed from 1 January to 26 March, and the castle of Vignola opens only Friday to Sunday
In the recipe the source does not say how much water or milk is needed, what fat to fry in, at what temperature or for how long, nor what shape to cut the sheet into
Modena · part two
and then?
What to do, what to taste, and where to go tomorrow.
Experiences from here
What we did starting from here, ordered by driving time.
Modena is one of the provinces of Italy with the most PDO and PGI products, and the first is aceto balsamico tradizionale: cooked grape must, aged for at least twelve years, or twenty-five for the extravecchio, passing from one small cask to the next in the attics, and sold only in the 100 millilitre bottle; aceto balsamico di Modena IGP, the one in the supermarket, is something else. At table there are tortellini in broth, gnocco fritto, the puffed fried dough, and crescentine, the small flat breads cooked between hot discs that many here call tigelle, with cured meats, parmesan and lardo; in winter zampone and cotechino, the pork sausages, with lentils, beans or mashed potato. People drink Lambrusco, the sparkling red wine, in four PDOs, from Sorbara to Grasparossa di Castelvetro. From the Apennines comes the borlengo, a very thin crêpe, and from the bakeries amaretti and bensone, the cake for dunking; at the end of the meal nocino, the walnut liqueur. Gnocco fritto, in a motorhome, needs only a frying pan.
piazza Grande on a rainy October evening, with the Duomo, the Ghirlandina and the Palazzo ComunalePhoto: Lara zanarini, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the side of the Duomo on piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina, the marble tower that can be seen from the whole plainPhoto: Mongolo1984, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0piazza Grande seen from the Ghirlandina, beyond the roof and the turrets of the DuomoPhoto: SIG SG 510, Wikimedia Commons, CC0the Duomo and the Ghirlandina on Christmas evening, with the tree lit upPhoto: Marzia58, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the reliefs by Wiligelmo on the facade of the Duomo, with the creation of Adam and Eve and original sinPhoto: Mongolo1984, Paolo Villa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Porta della Pescheria on the side of the Duomo, with King Arthur's knights carved in the archPhoto: Sailko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the month of October carved on the jambs of the Porta della PescheriaPhoto: Mongolo1984, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the nave of the Duomo with the hanging crucifix and the pontile at the endPhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the pontile by the Campionese masters with the stories of the Passion, above the arches of the cryptPhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the top of the Ghirlandina and the statue of the Bonissima on the corner of piazza GrandePhoto: Annovi.frizio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the statue of Alessandro Tassoni in the snow, at the foot of the GhirlandinaPhoto: Alien life form, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the Palazzo Comunale with the clock tower at dusk, next to the facade of the DuomoPhoto: Altei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the Camerino dei Confirmati in the Palazzo Comunale, with the Secchia rapita in the glass case at the endPhoto: Paolo Pugnaghi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0chestnuts, porcini mushrooms and artichokes on a stall at the Mercato Albinelli in OctoberPhoto: El Mono Español, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the nave of Sant'Agostino, the Pantheon of the Este, with the stucco statues between the columnsPhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Compianto sul Cristo morto by Guido Mazzoni, in terracotta, in the church of San Giovanni BattistaPhoto: Edisonblus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the bust of Francesco I d'Este carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, at the Galleria EstensePhoto: FennMT, Wikimedia Commons, CC0the portico of the Palazzo dei Musei with the sarcophagi of the Lapidario EstensePhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the facade of the Palazzo Ducale on piazza Roma, today the seat of the Military AcademyPhoto: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the auditorium of the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni, with the boxes and the chandelierPhoto: Annovi.frizio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the central nave of San Pietro, with the terracotta statues by Antonio Begarelli on the piersPhoto: Giorgio Ingrami, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the terracotta facade of the abbey of Nonantola, with the doorway of the school of WiligelmoPhoto: sailko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0the crypt of the abbey of Nonantola, with its rows of columnsPhoto: William.lugli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the Palazzo dei Pio on piazza dei Martiri in Carpi, on a January eveningPhoto: Sailko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0the Fossoli camp, with a restored hut and the walls of those left in ruinsPhoto: William.lugli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the castle of Vignola at night, with the snow of March 2018Photo: Luca Nacchio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0piazza della Dama in Castelvetro in the snow, with the Torre dell'OrologioPhoto: Luca Nacchio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the castle of Formigine lit up for Christmas, with the tree and the chalets in the squarePhoto: Syrio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the facade of the Palazzo Ducale of Sassuolo, the delizia, the country residence of the EstePhoto: Viaggiamocela, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0the small casks of a battery of aceto balsamico tradizionale, with the brand burned into the woodPhoto: Pug Girl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
