Territory
Acetaia Boni is surrounded by orchards and vineyards in the green hills near Modena. The Estense territory is also rich of history, museums, medieval castles, motor galleries and one of the richest gastronomic traditions in the world.
The Dome
Modena Cathedral is the most important Roman Catholic Romanesque church of Europe, a real masterpiece. The Saint Geminianus’ remains are still exhibited in the Cathedral’s crypt. Also the wonderful Ghirlandina Tower is annexed to the church.
The Ducal Palace
The Ducal Palace of Modena is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. It was the residence of the Este Dukes of Modena between 1452 and 1859. It currently houses a portion of the Italian Military Academy. Sometimes, on Sundays, it is possible to visit the Palace with a guided tour.
Barozzi Palace in Vignola
Vignola’s Barozzi Palace is an excellence in the Emilia-Romagna historical, artistic and architectonic inheritance. Unique is the spiral staircase designed by the famous innovative architect Jacopo Barozzi.
The Rocca di Vignola
The Rocca di Vignola is perhaps the most important, most highly treasured geographic, cultural symbol of the Vignolese identity. The Rocca has five floors. In the basement there are two splendid halls-the Contrari and Grassoni Halls-used for conventions and concerts. The ground floor has reception rooms called the Leoni, Leopardi, Colombe and Anelli halls, which are used for exhibitions. The first floor holds the noble rooms: The Women's room (delle Dame), the Pavilion (Padiglione), the Hall of Standards (Stemmi), the Hall of Tree Trunks (Tronchi d'Albero), the Studio and the Chapel frescoed with prestigious cycles of late Gothic painting by the "Maestro di Vignola". The second floor has spacious rooms used by the troops defending the Rocca and by the servants. The last floor holds the parapet walks surrounding the building and connecting the three towers: Nonantola, Donne and Pennello.
Purchased in 1965 by the Cassa di Risparmio di Vignola Bank, it has since been the object of thorough restoration working on both the architectural structures and the decorations and frescos. Today the Rocca is managed on free loan by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Vignola and hosts various manifestations, ranging from exhibitions to conventions, with a wide a variety of proposals.
Museum of the Elephant and Museum of Venus
These are the two museums in Savignano Sul Panaro. One hosts the skeleton of an elephant that lived to 2 millions years ago. The other hosts a copy of the so-called Savignano’s Venus (Late Paleolithic Period), the Italian most famous prehistoric female figurine. Carved in serpentine this figurine shows a possible mix of symbolic value between the male and female sphere.
Medieval Castle of Spezzano and his Ceramic Museum
The medieval Castle of Spezzano was built around 1200. Originally it was just a fortress; signs of which can still be found in the drawbridge, the moat and the battlement walls. It was enlarged, by order of the Pio Family of Carpi into a castel. It was built around a rinascimentale courtyard. Hidden away in enchanting woodland this splendid fifth century residence is a joy to the eye when visitors once come across it.
he Ceramics Museum, situated on the first floor, documents techniques and various forms of producing ceramics from the Neolithic to the present day. The main floor houses the sixteenth-century apartments of Pio di Savoia, where, on the lintels of the original doors, you can still read the inscriptions in gold letters dating back from Marco Pio.
The Ceramics Museum has eight rooms where visitors can trace the ancient history of ceramic archaeological finds to the most important technological solutions today. The museum in fact, tells the story of the men and women that have led to Modena and outskirts, to be known as the tile capital of the world. Inside there are reproduced ancient kilns for firing pottery. The contemporary section is dedicated to the production of tiles. The museum is completed by the Contemporary Collection, a collection of works of ceramic art, design and technological innovation. The visitor will also find multimedia installations which help to understand the various themes of the museum in a more interactive and engaging way.
The Archaeological Park and Montale Terramara
The museum is located in Montale Rangone within the Archeological Park of Montale, which also includes an archeological area of the Terramare excavations. The Terramare were Bronze Age villages that sprang up in the Emilia area around the middle of the second millennium B.C. The museum is a reconstruction of a part of the Terramare Village, including a moat, Terramare earthworks and two dwellings furnished with crockery, tools, weapons other objects from the period.