Cathedral of Modena: Romanesque masterpiece of Emilia

The Cathedral of Modena, also known as the Duomo of Modena, is the city’s main place of worship, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, and a symbol of civic pride and spirituality. A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, the cathedral was built by architect Lanfranco on the site of the ancient tomb of Saint Geminianus, patron saint of Modena. In the cathedral’s crypt lie the saint’s relics, preserved in a simple 4th-century urn covered by a stone slab and supported by reused columns.

The sarcophagus, kept inside a glass case, is opened each year on the saint’s feast day, and the saint’s remains—dressed in episcopal garments with the pastoral staff beside them—are displayed for the devotion of the faithful. Next to the cathedral stands the bell tower known as the Ghirlandina, named for the two railings at its summit that resemble garlands.

Together with the Civic Tower and Piazza Grande, the Duomo of Modena was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997. It is also part of the Council of Europe’s Transromanica Cultural Route.

Cathedral of Modena: Romanesque art and spirituality

The Modena cathedral features a gabled façade in white Carrara marble, with projecting sections that reflect the internal structure and a large central rose window flanked by sculptures of two lions. The façade is adorned with numerous reliefs of saints, especially by Wiligelmo, placed above the portals adjacent to the interior naves.

The interior, laid out in a Latin cross with three naves, impresses with its balanced proportions and solemn spaces. The naves, separated by alternating clustered piers and columns, are covered by ribbed cross vaults. The central nave leads to the raised presbytery, beneath which lies the crypt housing the urn of Saint Geminianus. At the entrance to the presbytery stands the famous statue by Agostino di Duccio depicting the miracle of the patron saint saving a child who fell from the Ghirlandina by catching him by the hair. In the southern nave is a clear and evocative fresco of a Madonna with a golden halo, standing out between Saints Jerome and Bernardino of Siena, presumably attributable to Piero della Francesca.

The crypt is a true underground church with nine naves and four bays, accessible from the cathedral’s central nave by descending a few steps. Except for the section containing Saint Geminianus’s tomb, which was modified in the 1700s, it has remained unchanged since it was built in the 12th century by Lanfranco.

Photo credit: Mongolo1984 – Own work, Wikipedia
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