Modena: Duomo

From the Palazzo Comunale, we walked over to the Duomo di Modena … the cathedral for which the foundation stone was laid in 1099 … and where the funeral of Luciano Pavarotti, a favorite son of the city, was held in 2006.

Together with the Ghirlandina Tower and the Piazza Grande, the Duomo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Geminianus, Modena’s patron saint. The discovery that Geminianus was buried under a church already on the site led to that church being torn down and replaced by today’s grand edifice.

Tradition has it that the Romanesque style that the architect, Lanfranco, chose for the Duomo came to him as a divine inspiration. True or not, it is generally accepted that the construction of the Duomo in this style was the forerunner for the Romanesque art that subsequently flourished.

We entered through the Porta Regia, the monumental entrance that overlooks Piazza Grande. Noticing a staircase to our right, we decided to go up first. Turns out that the stairs accessed the presbytery … admission charged … €3pp. The young woman at the ticket desk explained that the ticket also serves as a voucher for a discount to the cathedral museums. As the voucher is not date-specific, we opted to use it when we return to Modena another time.

The chapels and central apse upstairs were quite interesting. In many ways, the paintings and mosaic work reminded me of Byzantine churches. From the pier that connects the two side aisles, we were able to look down the length of the cathedral below, with an interesting rose window at the far end … different from the ones we’ve seen before.

The Sacristy, also on the upper level, is where one finds the reliquary arm of Saint Geminianus. It is thought that Pope Lucius III took a fragment of the saint’s arm when his tomb was opened in 1184. The reliquary is behind an embossed silver panel in the Sacristy … which is what we saw. The actual reliquary is brought out only on specific occasions.

Under the raised presbytery is the crypt with the sepulcher of Saint Geminianus. Unlike other crypt’s we have visited that are under the church, this one is on the same level as the nave.

After a brief visit to the crypt, we wandered around the rest of the Duomo, stopping to check out the sculptures holding up some of the columns of the pier; the details of the Campione ambo, which dates back to the 13th century; the parapet of the pier, which is decorated with bas-relief scenes from the Passion of Christ … the Last Supper prominently in the center; the 16th century terracotta Nativity; the marble baptismal font that sits in front of a 15th century fresco in the Bellincini Chapel; the 14th century wooden statue of Saint Geminianus … encased in a glass cabinet; and the Altar of Statuettes from the 15th century; and so much more.

Though one would not necessarily call us ‘religious’, before we left the Duomo, Mui lit a candle and we said a prayer for family and friends.

The Duomo of Modena is definitely deserving of its UNESCO-listing. There are so many details for one to search out … a guided tour might have to go on our ‘do-on-our-return list’ for Modena.Læs mere