Modena WALLking Tour

It might seem that 90% of the city was built in the 1900s, so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Modena is a new, modern city, entirely redeveloped.

But if we try to interpret a map of the city—letting ourselves be intrigued by street names, or simply pausing to observe the shape of certain buildings, the curved lines of some roads and the orthogonality of others—we can sense the presence of a fundamental natural element: water.

Since the earliest times, beyond domestic use, the water conducted into the city allowed people to move easily, transport goods, and start various economic activities. It even helped in defense, supporting the walls that once surrounded the medieval city.

How was a walled city organized? How did one enter? Who was allowed in?

Perhaps it makes little sense to ask—it’s better to experience it.