Free Walking Tour Modena: From the Este Dukes to Ferrari

Your Modena Walking Tour Stop by Stop, from Dukes to Engines

1. 1

   Galleria Estense

   

   Begin on the St. Augustine square, at the Palazzo dei Musei. The Galleria Estense fills its top floor, and what you find there is the taste of a single family: the d'Este, who ruled Modena, Reggio and Ferrara from 1289 until 1796. Modena became their capital only late in that story. In 1598 the dukes were forced to hand their seat in Ferrara to Pope Clement VIII, and the court, its collections included, moved here.

   The gallery opened to the public in 1854 under the last duke, Francis V of Austria-Este, and moved from the Palazzo Ducale to this building in 1894. Since 2014 it has belonged to the Gallerie Estensi, together with the Biblioteca Estense, the Estense Lapidary Museum, the ducal palace in Sassuolo and the Pinacoteca Nazionale in the old Este capital. Seen together, they show how the taste of an Italian noble court changed over the centuries.

   Sixteen rooms and four large thematic salons hold mostly Italian painting, but look out for the Flemish, German and French works, from the workshop of van Eyck to Aelbrecht Bouts and Charles Le Brun, and for pieces from Sierra Leone and Iran. The object people remember is the Estense Harp: a mannerist double harp, 148 cm tall, made entirely by hand by five craftsmen from Ferrara and Flanders. It appeared next to Verdi on the Italian 1,000 lire note for twenty years from 1961. Also worth finding: a Madonna and Child and a Telamon by the Modenese sculptor Wiligelmo, an 18th century coral nativity scene and a wooden still life carved to celebrate the accession of James II of England.

   Is it worth going in? If you like art, decorative objects or court history, yes: plan about an hour. The gallery charges entry, with reduced tickets for young visitors. Keep Wiligelmo's name in mind: you meet his work again on the cathedral façade. From here it is 540 m, about 7 minutes, to the Ghirlandina Tower.

   Hours

   Tue–Sat 08:30–19:15, Sun & holidays 10:00–18:00, Mon closed

   Price

   8 EUR full, 2 EUR reduced (18-25), free under 18

   Website

   gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it ↗

   Location

   Galleria Estense on Google Maps ↗

2. 2

   Ghirlandina Tower

   

   At 86.12 metres, the Ghirlandina is the cathedral's bell tower and the symbol of Modena, visible from far away. Together with the cathedral and Piazza Grande it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Look up at the top: the marble balustrade around the base of the octagonal spire carries corner pinnacles decorated with cascading garlands, and those garlands gave the tower its name. In the local dialect it is the Ghirlandèina.

   It grew slowly. Built around 1130 alongside the cathedral to a design by Lanfranco, it first had four storeys on a square base and no belfry. In 1167 builders from Campione were hired to finish it; they added a fifth storey by 1179 and a sixth from 1261. In the following century, partly out of rivalry with Bologna, came the octagonal spire, designed by Arrigo da Campione in the new northern Gothic style. A golden sphere crowned the summit in 1319. Notice the cornices on the outside: the storeys get shorter as they rise, but they do not match the floors inside.

   Inside, at about the level of the first outer cornice, lies the Sala della Secchia rapita, the Hall of the Stolen Bucket. From the 14th century the town kept its documents and the cathedral's relics there, in a room painted like a jewel box with plant patterns and heraldic designs. The bucket in its name came from a fountain on Via San Felice in Bologna, taken by Modenese soldiers at the Battle of Zappolino in 1325, the so-called War of the Bucket. Modena kept it as a war trophy, and its most famous poet, Alessandro Tassoni, turned the episode into verse in 1622.

   Going in costs an entry fee, and if the bucket story makes you smile, it is worth the half hour. The cathedral's façade is only 80 m away, a minute's walk.

   Hours

   Daily 09:30–19:00 (Apr–Sep); 09:30–18:00 (Oct–Mar); Saturdays in August open until 23:00

   Price

   6 EUR full, 4 EUR reduced

   Website

   comune.modena.it ↗

   Location

   Ghirlandina Tower on Google Maps ↗

3. 3

   Modena Cathedral

   

   The Duomo di Modena, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin and to Saint Geminianus, is one of the important Romanesque buildings of Europe. Two churches had stood on this spot since the 5th century. When the burial place of Geminianus, Modena's patron saint, was found, both were torn down and a new cathedral rose by 1099. Its first architect was Lanfranco, a man about whom little else is known. Pope Lucius III consecrated the building on 12 July 1184, and the saint's remains still lie in the crypt.

   Stand in front of the façade and read it as a sequence of hands. After Lanfranco came Anselmo da Campione and his heirs, the Campionese masters, which is why the front mixes styles. Anselmo added the large rose window in the 13th century. The two lions holding up the entrance columns are much older: they are Roman, probably dug up while the foundations were laid.

   Then look for Wiligelmo, Lanfranco's contemporary. His reliefs show prophets and patriarchs and, above all, the Biblical Stories, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. Scholars single out the creation of Adam and Eve, the original sin and the story of Noah, so start with those panels and follow the narrative from there.

   Entry is free, so go in even if you only have ten minutes, and add time for the crypt. Since 1986 it has been the seat of the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola. Walk 90 m along the side of the building, about a minute, and you are on Piazza Grande.

   Local name

   Duomo di Modena

   Hours

   Tue–Sun 07:00–19:00, Mon 07:00–12:30 & 15:30–19:00

   Price

   Free

   Website

   duomodimodena.it ↗

   Location

   Modena Cathedral on Google Maps ↗

4. 4

   Piazza Grande

   

   Piazza Grande, the Piaza Granda in Modenese dialect, is the main square of the city and the third piece of the UNESCO ensemble listed in 1997, together with the cathedral and its tower. It is free and open at all hours, so you can come back in the evening if you want to see it again.

   From here you see the cathedral's flank and its two side portals, both easy to miss if you only look at the main façade. The porta regia, the royal portal, is the work of the Campionese masters. The porta dei principi, the princes' portal, carries a relief with scenes from the life of Saint Geminianus, carved by a pupil of Wiligelmo. Take a moment to compare it with the master's panels on the front.

   The covered market was built right beside this square, so lunch, or at least a look at the stalls, is only 110 m and about 2 minutes away at Mercato Albinelli.

   Hours

   24/7

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Piazza Grande on Google Maps ↗

5. 5

   Mercato Albinelli

   

   At the end of the 19th century Modena began to think about a dedicated place for selling food. Mayor Luigi Albinelli, in office in the first years of the 1900s, made it happen: he ordered demolitions next to Piazza XX Settembre, beside Piazza Grande, and commissioned the building with its wrought-iron entrance gate and a fountain in the middle.

   Look for that fountain, the girl with a basket of flowers by the sculptor Giuseppe Graziosi. The market itself opened on 28 October 1931, the ninth anniversary of the March on Rome, and today it is listed as a historic monument of national interest. Around 30,000 people come every week to the place locals call a symbol of Modenese tradition.

   Inside you find fruit and vegetables in quantity, but also bread, cheese, fresh fish, meat, milk and eggs, and even a newsstand. Entry is free.

   Five restaurants have seating inside and out and serve both lunch and dinner. If you arrive in the morning, browse the stalls first and come back for lunch. The synagogue is 330 m away, about 5 minutes on foot.

   Hours

   Mon–Fri 07:00–15:00, Sat 07:00–15:00 (extended to 19:00 mid-Sep to end of May), Sun closed (market stalls); restaurants open daily 12:00–15:00 & 18:30–23:00

   Price

   Free

   Website

   mercatoalbinelli.it ↗

   Location

   Mercato Albinelli on Google Maps ↗

6. 6

   Modena Synagogue

   

   On Piazza Mazzini, a few dozen metres from the town hall, stands the Sinagoga di Modena, built by the Jewish community between 1869 and 1873 in an imposing neoclassical manner. Until then the community still prayed in scole and oratories two or three centuries old. A large bequest from Isacco Sacerdoti and gifts from other Jewish families paid for a new temple for the roughly one thousand Jews of Modena.

   The design came from Ludovico Maglietta, who also planned the station of Modena's provincial railway, and Ferdinando Manzini decorated the interior. The size of the building was a statement: Jews had finally won civil and religious freedom, and the temple was meant to show it. Modena was not alone. Across newly unified Italy, cities such as Florence raised grand synagogues in the same years.

   The building had to face east, so its entrance first opened onto Via Coltellini, and a portico was torn down to make room. The square was called Piazza della Libertà until 1911. In the early 1900s some passers-by on the Via Emilia complained that the synagogue was too conspicuous, even though houses in front still hid it. Those houses came down in 1904, the open space appeared and the façade turned towards the square; in the Fascist period trees planted in front partly screened it again. Look at the decoration: monumental Lombard style, and nothing figurative, as Jewish law requires.

   Visits are free but only by prior appointment. With an appointment, half an hour inside is well spent; otherwise take in the façade from the square. From here the route runs 730 m, about 10 minutes, to the Ducal Gardens, and on the way you pass the Museo della Figurina.

   Local name

   Sinagoga di Modena

   Hours

   Mon–Thu 09:00–12:30 by prior appointment

   Price

   Free

   Website

   visitmodena.it ↗

   Location

   Modena Synagogue on Google Maps ↗

7. 7

   Ducal Gardens

   

   After the dense old centre, the route opens up. The Ducal Gardens are a historic public park with real gates, and entry is free.

   After a gallery, a tower, a cathedral, a market and a synagogue, this is the place to sit down for ten or fifteen minutes before the last stop. From the gardens it is 600 m, about 8 minutes, to the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari.

   Hours

   Daily 06:30–23:30 (summer / daylight saving time); 07:00–20:30 (winter / standard time)

   Price

   Free

   Website

   modenaparchi.com ↗

   Location

   Ducal Gardens on Google Maps ↗

8. 8

   Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari

   

   You will recognise it at once: a bright yellow building shaped like a car bonnet. Yellow was the colour Enzo Ferrari chose as the background for the Prancing Horse badge, and it is also the official colour of the City of Modena. Next to it stands the house and workshop where Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and where he later worked; both are part of the museum.

   The idea came from a foundation set up in 2003 by the city, the province, the Modena Chamber of Commerce, the Automobile Club d'Italia and Ferrari, to preserve the history of Modenese motoring. The architect Jan Kaplicky designed the project but died suddenly before it was finished; his assistant Andrea Morgante completed the work and signed the interiors. Construction began in 2009, cost around 18 million euros, and the museum opened on 10 March 2012.

   The complex covers 5,000 m² including the courtyard, of which 3,000 m² hold the exhibition, an event hall, a classroom, a shop and a café. The large glass front lets in daylight, and the building runs on geothermal heating and recycles its water. After a short closure for reorganisation in early 2014 it reopened on 18 February that year under Ferrari's direct management, paired with the company's historic museum in Maranello.

   Is it worth the ticket? For anyone interested in cars, Enzo Ferrari's life or the story of Modena as a motor town, yes: plan about an hour and a half. This is where the walk ends, and the GPS navigation can take you back to the start if you need it.

   Local name

   Museo Enzo Ferrari

   Hours

   Daily 09:30–19:00 (Apr–May & Sep–Oct); 09:00–19:00 (Jun–Aug); 09:30–18:00 (Nov–Mar)

   Price

   32 EUR full, 24 EUR reduced (May-Sep); 27 EUR full, 22 EUR reduced (Oct-Apr)

   Website

   ferrari.com ↗

   Location

   Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari on Google Maps ↗

Shorter ways to walk Modena

Not every day has room for an art gallery, a tower and a car museum. These three cuts of the route keep the stops close together and the walking short.

The UNESCO core in an hour or two

Stops: 2, 3, 4, 5

For a short visit or a stopover: tower, cathedral, square and market lie within 280 m, so the walking takes about 4 minutes. Only the Ghirlandina Tower charges entry; the cathedral, Piazza Grande and the market are free.

The old town without the Ferrari museum

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

For art and history lovers who don't care about cars: 1.15 km and around 16 minutes of walking, ending at the synagogue. Entry applies at the Galleria Estense and the Ghirlandina Tower; plan the synagogue as a visit by appointment.

From the market to the motor museum

Stops: 5, 6, 7, 8

For motor fans who want lunch first: 1.66 km and about 23 minutes of walking from Mercato Albinelli via the synagogue and the Ducal Gardens to Enzo Ferrari's birthplace. The only ticket you need is for the Ferrari museum.

How Long Does This Modena Tour Take on Foot?

The pure walking time is 34 minutes over 2.5 km, and the longest leg, from the synagogue to the Ducal Gardens, takes just 10 minutes. The time goes into the interiors: about an hour in the Galleria Estense, half an hour each in the tower, the cathedral, the market and the synagogue, a short pause in the gardens and an hour and a half at the Ferrari museum.

If you start at the gallery at 08:30, you reach the tower at 09:37, the market at 10:51 and the synagogue at 11:26, which leaves enough room for an appointment there. After the gardens you arrive at the Ferrari museum at 12:29 and finish shortly before 14:00. The UNESCO core variant takes about an hour and a half with the tower and the cathedral, the old town variant around three hours, the market to museum variant around two and a half hours including lunch.

Before you set off in Modena

• Start and finish: The recommended start is the Galleria Estense on the St. Augustine square; you can join the route at any stop. It ends at the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, and the GPS navigation in your browser leads you back to the start if you want.
• Best day: A weekday in the middle of the week works best: the Galleria Estense, the synagogue and the market stalls do not all open on the same days, and the synagogue receives visitors only by appointment.
• Time of day: Start in the morning: that way you reach the synagogue and the market stalls while visits and trading are still going on, and you have plenty of time for the Ferrari museum at the end.
• Synagogue visit: Arrange your appointment before the day of the walk; without one you see the building from Piazza Mazzini only.
• Entry costs: The route itself is free. You pay entry at the gallery, the tower and the Ferrari museum, which is by far the biggest ticket of the day; the cathedral, the market and the gardens cost nothing.

Common Questions about Walking Modena