Ferrari 360

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Ferrari 360
Piazza Roma
Modena, May 2024

“The Ferrari 360 (Type F131) is a two-seater, mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari from 1999 until 2004. It succeeded the Ferrari F355 and was replaced by the Ferrari F430 in 2004. Ferrari partnered with Alcoa to produce an entirely new all-aluminum space-frame chassis that was 40% stiffer than its predecessor's which had utilized steel. The design was 28% lighter despite a 10% increase in overall dimensions. Along with a lightweight frame the new Pininfarina body styling deviated from traditions of the previous decade's sharp angles and flip-up headlights. The V8 engine has a 3.6-litre capacity, a flat-plane crankshaft, and titanium connecting rods. The engine generates a power output of 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp). According to Ferrari, weight was reduced by 60 kg (130 lb) and the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time improved from 4.7 to 4.5 seconds.” (Ferrari 360, Wikipedia)

Monumento ai Caduti

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Monumento ai Caduti nella Prima Guerra Mondiale
(Monument to the Fallen in the First World War) by Ermenegildo Luppi, 1929
Parco della Rimembranza
Modena, May 2024

“Monument with a vertical structure higher than 14 meters, formed by a central body made of four marble columns. On the top of the columns there is a large bronze statue, 4 meters high, depicting the Winged Victory, with a severe face, dressed in a long peple with a shield in her left arm and a dagger in her right arm. The columns stands on a travertine socket adorned with laurel wreaths and carved oak and placed on a circular staircase. Around the base, at the four corners, are four bronze sculptures are represent: the Offer, the Farewell, the Fighter and the Sacrifice.” (Monument to the Fallen in the First World War, Statues - Hither & Thither)

Saint Mark and the Lion

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San Marco (Saint Mark)
Corso Duomo
Modena, May 2024

“Mark the Evangelist, also known as John Mark or Saint Mark, was the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Most modern Bible scholars have concluded that the Gospel of Mark was written by an anonymous author rather than an identifiable historical figure, though the topic remains contentious among experts. According to Church tradition, Mark founded the episcopal see of Alexandria, which was one of the five most important sees of early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the winged lion.” (Mark the Evangelist, Wikipedia)

La rovesciata

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“La rovesciata” (The bicycle kick) by Wainer Vaccari, 2018
Corso Duomo
Modena, May 2024

“Inaugurated in September 2018, the sculpture by the Modena artist Wainer Vaccari is intended as a tribute to the Panini family, famous in the world of international publishing for the stickers in the Calciatori album, adhesive cards that have accompanied and raised an entire generation of children and young people. But, before the stickers, the Panini family and, in particular, Olga Cuoghi Panini, sold newspapers in a kiosk located exactly where the sculpture was placed. The accompanying plaque reads: ‘In this place, on 6 January 1945, Olga Cuoghi Panini and her eight children opened the doors of their newspaper kiosk, the first step in an unforgettable adventure that would bring the name of the family and of Modena to the top of world publishing with the legendary Figurine Panini’.” (A statue of the bicycle kick, Modena Today)

Preda Ringadora

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“Preda Ringadora” (Harangue Stone)
Piazza Grande
Modena, May 2024

“In the north-eastern corner of Piazza Grande, very close to the Palazzo Comunale, is the Preda Ringadora (which in the Modena dialect means ‘harangue stone’), a large rectangular marble block over 3 metres long which probably originally belonged to a Roman building. During the Middle Ages, the Preda was used as a stage for orators, but also as a place to carry out death sentences and display corpses (so that someone could identify them) as well as being used as a stone of dishonor: according to what emerges from the Municipal Historical Archive, every insolvent debtor on market day, after having walked around the square with a shaved head and a special headdress, preceded by the sound of a trumpet, had to declare himself as such and then was forced to ‘stay bare-assed on the preda rengadora, which must be well greased with turpentine, three times saying three times cedo bonis, cedo bonis, cedo bonis’, that is, promising to pay off the debt with his assets and this had to happen for three consecutive Saturdays at the request of the creditor who could then evaluate the possibility of getting his money back by recovering it from the debtor's assets.” (Piazza Grande, Wikipedia)

Vittorio Emanuele II

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Vittorio Emanuele II (Victor Emmanuel II of Italy) by Giuseppe Gibellini, 1890
Piazzale Risorgimento
Modena, May 2024

“Gibellini's most notable commission was the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Modena's Piazzale Risorgimento. Unveiled in 1890, this equestrian bronze statue honors Italy's first king, who died in 1878. Funded by public subscription (raising 45,000 lire), the project took five years due to technical challenges, harsh weather, and refinements. Gibellini collaborated with Bernardo Raggi on the initial roughing of the king's figure, which he then polished extensively. The monument features allegorical elements symbolizing Italian unity and was restored in 2002 to preserve its patina and details.” (Giuseppe Gibellini, Grok)

Ludovico Antonio Muratori

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Monument to Ludovico Antonio Muratori by Adeodato Malatesta, 1853
Via Emilia Centro
Modena, May 2024

“Monument located in via Emilia, exactly in front of Palazzo Montecuccoli degli Erri, dedicated to Ludovico Antonio Muratori, historian, scholar and ecclesiastic born in the province of Modena (1672-1750). The work was created in 1853 by the Modenese painter and sculptor Adeodato Malatesta (1806-1891).” (Monumento a Ludovico Antonio Muratori, TourER)

Compianto sul Cristo morto

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“Compianto sul Cristo morto” (Lamentation over the Dead Christ) by Guido Mazzoni, 1479
San Giovanni Battista
Via Emilia Centro
Modena, May 2024

“Duke Rinaldo I founded the church in 1723, on an edifice built in 1190; and where a second one of the 16th century dedicated to Saint Michael formerly stood. The church takes its name form the Saint John of the Good Death’s Brotherhood, to give assistance to those condemned to death, establishing themselves here in 1774. It’s the only Modenese church which is not annexed to other edifices. The typically neoclassical design is by Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti. The round interior is 22 metres high. The balcony conserves an organ by Agostino Traeri of the 18th century. Near the presbytery, Decollation of Saint John by Francesco Vellani (18th century); in the left chapel, a canvas by Antonio Consetti (1734) commissioned by the shoemakers' guild; in the right one, by the same author, Virgin and Saints (1723), for the coachmen’s guild. The balustrades are by the famous Giovan Battista Malagoli. On the wall, there are many eagles, symbol of the Este family. On the right of the main altar, Madonna della Mercede o delle Catene (1897). However, the most interesting work in the church is the ‘Lamentation over the Dead Christ’ by Guido Mazzoni. It is the oldest in the world, as it dates back to 1479. The terracottas have an intense expressiveness and were probably copied from true persons of the time. In the small room before the sacristy there are many blood-thirsty instruments, once used for capital punishment (the friars drugged and forced the condemned to repent). In the area behind the main altar, high-backed wooden chairs were used by the friars during cerimonies. In the sacristy, reliquaries, coffins and an arras used in processions with the Latin verse from the Qohelet book of the Bible ‘vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas’ (that is «vanity of vanities and every vanity»).” (San Giovanni Battista Church, Modena City Guide)

Santa Maria Immacolata

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Santa Maria Immacolata (Saint Mary Immaculate Conception) by Giuseppe Mazza, 1805
Piazza Grande
Modena, May 2024

“The balcony is instead occupied by a statue of the Immaculate Conception by Giuseppe Mazza, placed in 1805 on the occasion of Pope Pius VII's visit to the city, placed on the base which was already the pedestal for the unfortunate equestrian monument to Francis III in Piazza Sant'Agostino. Vittorio Emanuele III, among others, looked out from this balcony when he arrived in Modena in 1929.” (Palazzo Comunale, La Guida di Modena)

Saint Francis of Assisi

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Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi
Modena, May 2024

“San Francesco is a Gothic-style, Roman Catholic church in central Modena, Italy. Franciscan friars were present in Modena early, by 1221, when Francis was still alive. But as was their custom, their first monastery and church were located outside of town, in an area prone to flooding. It was decided to move to this site in 1244, and construction began of a monastery and a church dedicated to the recently canonized Francis of Assisi. In 1501, the bell-tower was damaged by an earthquake. Reconstruction occurred in the church starting in 1535, causing the destruction of the lateral chapels and movement of the choir into the apse behind the altar, and covering much of the previous painted decoration. It was used by the Frati Minori, but they were expelled in 1774 by the Ducal authorities, who reduced the city to five parishes. By the late 18th-century had been devolved into use as stables and housing for animals. It was reconsecrated to cult in 1829, with refurbishment and restoration in a Gothic style by Gusmano Soli. A second neo-gothic refurbishment was pursued between 1886 and 1888 by Carlo Barbieri. The exterior brick facade has a large rose window. The 16th-century bell tower has an octagonal base.” (San Francesco, Wikipedia)

Fontana della Ninfa

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Fontana della Ninfa (Fountain of the Nymph) by Giuseppe Graziosi, 1924
Piazzetta San Giacomo
Modena, May 2024

“In the suggestive Piazzetta San Giacomo, in the heart of the medieval city, between the apses of what was the sixteenth-century church of San Giacomo and the porticoed backdrop of ancient buildings, the fountain enlivens an enchanting urban glimpse. The Fountain of the Nymph is named after the bronze statue by Giuseppe Graziosi depicting a Nymph, made by the artist around 1924. Originally from Savignano sul Panaro, a sculptor, painter, and graphic artist active in the first half of the twentieth century, Giuseppe Graziosi, a long-time teacher at the Academy of Florence, is a personality of national fame. The statue is a replica of the work ‘La Sorgente’, which the artist presented at the XV Venice Biennale in 1926; donated by the artist's family to the Municipality of Modena in 1948, it was placed on a fountain in front of the old Palazzo dello Sport; on the occasion of the redevelopment of the square, it was transported here as a precious monument, to increase the charm of this glimpse of ancient Modena.” (The four fountains to discover when visiting Modena, Modena & Dintorni)

Santa Maria delle Grazie

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Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Via Sant'Agostino
Modena, May 2024

“The church was built in the first part of the 18th century. The facade is built in simple bricks with a single portal. The writing ‘Non si pongono arme de' morti’ (literally ‘Don't put coat of arms with the dead’) means that it was not possible to inscribe the family coat of arms on the graves. The bell tower is visible from the rear and it is older than the present church. The interior is more interesting. It has a single nave painted by Forti in the 19th century, with two chapels and two smaller ones. On the left, San Geminiano offre Modena alla Madonna by G. B. Codebò (1600); San Geminiano's chapel has been recently restored. The church is the seat of the 1000 year old Brotherhood of the Patron Saint of the city. In the first little chapel, on the left, is the funeral mask of Saint Anthony of Padua, who died on the 3rd June 1231. On the right, some canvases by 17th century-painters. The choir by Sante Giovanardi was built in 1750. The painting on the altar is a Virgin by the Modenese Francesco Vellani (1724).” (Santa Maria delle Grazie, Modena City Guide)

Fontana del putto con l'oca

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Fontana del Putto con l'oca (Fountain of the Putto with the Goose) by Giuseppe Graziosi, 1931 (copy 1980)
Piazza XX Settembre
Modena, May 2024

“Between Piazza Grande and the Covered Market lies Piazza XX Settembre: an urban “void” that was created by the urban ‘reclamation’ projects undertaken between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, aimed at demolishing blocks of dilapidated and unhealthy buildings with narrow courtyards. Here, until 1903, there was a network of medieval streets close to the square, with houses of minor construction, such as Vicolo del Bue and Via delle Vaccine, whose names convey an ancient activity of buying and selling livestock. Piazza XX Settembre, until a few years ago the site of a permanent market mainly selling clothes, rediscovers its vocation and colour as a place close to the market in the fountain that stands in the western sector, commissioned by the Municipality of Modena for public utility as well as for street furniture: it is the fountain with the bronze statue of the Cherub with goose performed by Giuseppe Graziosi, the well-known sculptor and painter from Savignano sul Panaro, in 1931. The people of Modena have always admired with sympathy the child who tries to save the fish he is holding in his hand from the attacks of the goose, an example of the naturalistic streak of Graziosi, whose vast figurative culture does not extinguish, but rather revives the spontaneity and freshness of the invention. Originally the fountain was in the centre of the square, and consisted of a tall column with a Cherub at the top and a circular basin at the base. The reconfiguration of the fountain then saw the statue placed on a small column, between the two characteristic oval basins taken from the Piazza Grande: the very shape of an old salt cellar, or rather a ‘salino’, from which the dialect nickname of ‘salein’ comes.” (The four fountains to discover when visiting Modena, Modena & Dintorni)

Santa Maria della Pomposa

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Church of Santa Maria della Pomposa
Piazza della Pomposa
Modena, May 2024

“The church of Santa Maria della Pomposa in Modena, Italy, is an ancient church in the city, once located at the edge of the city walls. Its name derives from the Pomposa Abbey located near the delta of the Po River. A religious building at the site was documented by 1153. In 1716, the Duke of Modena, Rinaldo I grants the building to his librarian Ludovico Antonio Muratori (1762 - 1750). Deconsecrated in 1774, along with the Aedes Muratoriana was granted by Duke Ercole III to the confraternity of St Sebastian. The church was reconsecrated in 1814. In 1922 Muratori was buried in the church, with a monument by Ludovico Pogliaghi. Among the works inside are a series of canvases depicting the ‘Life of St Sebastian’ by Bernardino Cervi and an ‘Enthroned Virgin with saints Sebastiano, Rocco, and Geminano’ by Giovanni Boulanger, copy of a Correggio painting now in Dresden. The adjacent museum celebrates the life and works of Ludovico Antonio Muratori.” (Santa Maria della Pomposa, Wikipedia)

Chiesa del Voto

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Chiesa del Voto (Votive Church)
Via Emilia Centro
Modena, May 2024

“The church of Chiesa del Voto or Votive Church of Modena is a Baroque style church in the city of Modena, Italy. It is located near the town center, and was built to give thanks for the cessation of the plague of 1630. Older texts cite a full name of the church of the Madonna Santissima del voto della Città. Work on the structure began in 1634, under the direction of Cristoforo Malagola, also called il Galaverna. The church is modeled after the church of San Salvatore in Bologna. The dome recalls the Basilica of the Basilica della Ghiara in Reggio.” (Chiesa del Voto, Wikipedia)

Monument to Alessandro Tassoni

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Monument to Alessandro Tassoni by Alessandro Cavazza, 1860
Piazza della Torre
Modena, May 2024

“Alessandro Tassoni (28 September 1565 – 25 April 1635) was an Italian poet and writer, from Modena, best known as the author of the mock-heroic poem ‘La secchia rapita’ (‘The Rape of the Pail’, or ‘The stolen bucket’). He was born in Modena, to a noble family, from Bernardino Tassoni and Sigismonda Pellicciari. Having lost both parents at an early age, he was raised by the maternal grandfather, Giovanni Pellicciari. It was with Giovanni that, according to tradition, he first visited the bucket, which was later to inspire his major work, in the belfry of Modena's Cathedral.” (Alessandro Tassoni, Wikipedia)

Monument to Ciro Menotti

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Monument to Ciro Menotti by Cesare Sighinolfi, 1880
Piazza Roma
Modena, May 2024

“The neoclassical and naturalist training of the sculptor Cesare Sighinolfi emerges forcefully in the figure of Ciro Menotti. The gigantic statue (3.77 meters high) in white Carrara marble enhances the romantic image of the hero who, after defeat and extreme sacrifice, lives in the right ideals marching towards inevitable victory. The monument is enriched by a powerful square base, also made of white marble, where the medallions with the effigies of four other Modenese martyrs are placed: Don Giuseppe Andreoli (1789-1822), accused of Carbonari, convicted and executed in 1822; Vincenzo Borelli, hanged together with Ciro Menotti; Anacarsi Nardi (1800-1844), secretary of his uncle Biagio Nardi (1768-1835) head of the provisional government after the revolts of 1831, exiled in Corfu, joined the Giovine Italia and took part in the ill-fated expedition to Calabria of the Venetian brothers Attilio (1810-1844) and Emilio Bandiera (1819-1844) and with they were shot on 25 July 1844 in the Vallone di Rovito; Giuseppe Ricci (1796-1832), count and noble guard of Duke Francesco IV, who was condemned to be shot in 1832 on the false accusation of having plotted to kill the duke.” (Monument to Ciro Menotti, Regione Emilia Romagna)

Monumento alla Libertà

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Monumento alla Libertà (Monument to Freedom) by Marino Quartieri, 1972
Piazza San Domenico
Modena, May 2024

“The monument is composed as follows: a bronze statue, depicting a young woman who symbolizes redeemed Italy who, having broken the chains of slavery, seems to call to read the commemorative epigraph of the patriots, is placed on a granite boulder in front of a tall and powerful truncated obelisk made of large blocks of vermilion granite, placed on a square base with three steps. The proposal to raise a monument to the patriots of the Risorgimento uprisings of 1821 and 1831 was put forward by the illustrious Modenese Gaetano Moreali (1795-1889) in December 1886 and immediately accepted by the Municipality which identified the square in front of the church of San Domenico as the most suitable place for the placement of the work. Moreali undertook to have the work carried out at his own expense. The conception and execution of the monument were entrusted to Silvestro Barberini from Modena who, having obtained the consent of Moreali, the mayor and the municipal council, began work in the first months of 1888. The monument consisted of the original three-metre-high bronze statue by Barberini which depicted Italy in the most traditional iconography of the late nineteenth century: a sumptuous female figure covered in abundant Roman-inspired drapery and her head surrounded by a turreted crown. The sculpture was placed on a granite boulder in front of an obelisk, placed on a square base. The inauguration took place on June 2, 1899. The statue of Silvestro Barberini was removed in 1942 and melted down to obtain war material. The beautiful figure of a young woman that replaces the original one is a work from 1972 by the Modenese sculptor Marino Quartieri (1917-2002) who remained faithful to the same theme, but carried it out with admirable personal style.” (Monument to the Martyrs of 1821 and 1831, Regione Emilia Romagna)

Tempio Monumentale di San Giuseppe

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Tempio Monumentale di San Giuseppe
(Monumental Temple of St Joseph)
Via Piave
Modena, May 2024

“The Tempio Monumentale San Giuseppe (Monumental Temple of St Joseph) or simplified as Tempio San Giuseppe was constructed in Modena, Italy, as a memorial for the 7237 fallen Modenese soldiers in the First World War. It is a Roman Catholic parish. It is located on Piazzale Natale Bruni, just off the Northwest corner of the Este Ducal Gardens, now the University of Modena Botanical Gardens. The names of the fallen are inscribed in gilded letters on the walls of the crypt. The cornerstone was laid onq December 8, 1923, in a ceremony with king Vittorio Emanuele III and Monsignor Natale Bruni, bishop of Modena, presiding. The church was inaugurated on 3 November 1929. The church was designed by Domenico Barbanti and Achille Casanova. The façade decoration however was not completed till 1931 with engraved bas-reliefs by Adamo and Rubens Pedrazzi. The on lunette over the portal was frescoed by Evaristo Cappelli, and depicts the ‘Resurrection of Christ and the Nation takes the dead soldiers in its arms’.” (Tempio Monumentale San Giuseppe, Wikipedia)

La Fanciulla con Canestro di Frutta

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“La Fanciulla con Canestro di Frutta” (The Maiden with a Basket of Fruit) by Giuseppe Graziosi, 1931
Mercato Albinelli, Via Albinelli
Modena, May 2024

“Nearby, in the historic Albinelli Market, the Maiden with a Basket of Fruit (La Fanciulla con Canestro di Frutta) is on display. Built in 1931 as Graziosi's first local public contract, the bronze statue was built to provide water to clean fruit and vegetables purchased in the market. The maiden stands within a basin, a basket of fruit under her right arm and a sheaf of wheat in her left hand. ‘The Maiden with a Basket of Fruit’ remains a charming and important presence in the Albinelli Market, the temple of Modena’s culinary traditions.” (The Maiden with a Basket of Fruit, VisitModena)