Modena Cathedral

Modena Cathedral is one of the key buildings of European Romanesque, and it is unusual in that we know the names of the two men who made it: the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmus. Begun in 1099 over the grave of the city's patron, St Geminianus, and consecrated by Pope Lucius III in 1184, it stands on Piazza Grande beside its bell tower, the Ghirlandina. Cathedral, tower and square together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The west front carries Wiligelmus's reliefs of Genesis, from the creation of Adam and Eve through the Fall to the story of Noah. They are counted among the masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture, and the figures are heavy, direct and full of feeling. The two lions at the main portal are Roman, probably dug up during the foundations and put back to work. The great rose window and other additions came in the 13th century from Anselmo da Campione and his family, the Campionese masters, which is why the façade mixes phases.

The side doors are just as rewarding. The Porta dei Principi shows scenes from the life of St Geminianus, and the Porta Regia faces the piazza. On the north side, the Porta della Pescheria has the months of the year on its doorposts and, on its arch, a scene of knights attacking a castle, labelled with names including Artus de Bretania, Galvagin and Winlogee: Arthur, Gawain and, it seems, Guinevere. Dated to roughly 1120–40, this is probably the earliest monumental sculpture of the Arthurian legend, older than the first surviving Arthurian romances on the Continent.

Inside, the crypt still displays the saint's remains. The marble parapet between the nave and the crypt, carved by Anselmo da Campione with the Passion and the Last Supper, and a pulpit by Arrigo da Campione are the highlights, together with two famous terracotta nativity groups: Guido Mazzoni's of 1480 in the crypt and Antonio Begarelli's of 1527. The funeral of Modena's most famous son, the tenor Luciano Pavarotti, was held here.

Getting there

The cathedral stands in the centre of Modena on Piazza Grande; the railway station is about 500 m north of the centre, with fast trains to Bologna and Milan. The nearest airport is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ), about 31 km away in a straight line, with a direct bus to Modena taking about 50 minutes, or connections via Bologna city. By car, leave the A1 motorway at Modena Nord or Modena Sud.