ART AND CULTURE
The art
Modena has inherited a tradition which began long ago, in the time of the architect, Lanfranco, and the sculptor, Wiligelmus. 900 years ago, these two men were responsible for the building of the Duomo of Modena, that masterpiece of Romanesque art which UNESCO has declared a world heritage site along with Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina tower. Our area has much to offer lovers of Italian art in terms of beautiful monuments: the 17th -century Ducal Palace in Modena, seat of the Military Academy, the summer residence of the Estensi in Sassuolo, the Renaissance-style of the Piazza Martiri in Carpi, and the medieval abbey at Nonantola, which houses the famous 'Charta' of Charlemagne.
The home of bel canto
Modenese people love the theatre and singing, the cinema and good music. The province plays host to 1,500 performances a year, there are 65 cinemas, and there are four theatres in the city of Modena and about ten more in the province as a whole. It is no coincidence that singers from Modena have produced some top operatic performers, including Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni and Raina Kabaivanska.
