Modena

With the resurgence of sun and warmer weather, Luigi, Simo, and I were inspired to get out and do something a bit different on Sunday. We decided to make a quick trip to Modena to see Enzo Ferrari’s house-turned-museum, and take a walk in Modena’s historic town center. We started off at the Ferrari museum, which is focused on the history of the Ferrari brand (there is a second museum at the Ferrari headquarters in nearby Maranello) and features a collection of new and classic Ferraris. I learned

about Enzo and the progression of the most well-known car brand in the world over the past 100 years.

the showroom

The "Enzo" model

See the resemblance with Nonno's "Ferrarina"!!

We then spent the next part of the afternoon strolling through the historic center of Modena. The center of the town is no doubt the Modena Cathedral (or Duomo in Italian). It was originally constructed in 1184 and is considered the best example of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Romanesque architecture was the predecessor of Gothic architecture, and the two styles do have many similarities (thick stone walls, large arches, lots of exterior inscriptions, etc.). What I enjoyed about visiting the cathedral was that I got to experience a building we had talked about in Art History class first hand. It was a great feeling to be able to appreciate such an amazing building beyond just its aesthetics. 

We then proceeded to check out the Ducal Palace. The palace housed the Dukes of Modena for over 400 years, but is now home of the Italian Military Academy (Italy’s version of West Point). After walking through Modena’s picturesque streets for a little bit longer, we turned back for Carpi and capped off the beautiful day with a gelato. 

Ducal Palace