ITER.DIFFUSO | Shared Historical Memory in Modena Neighbourhoods
What is the difference between a 14th-century church and an old disused factory from the early 20th century? What do these two places tell us about our city? And most importantly, why do we choose to preserve the first and abandon the second?
It’s a matter of meanings and visions, often opposing. Take, for example, a guided city tour and what is offered as tourist highlights: you will see how it begins and ends within the city walls, in the historic center. As if nothing else exists beyond, as if the city’s history had stopped at a certain point in time. The choice of which era to value is, of course, a political decision. Yet, those of us who live Modena know that the city is rich in other meanings, but especially elsewhere. We only need to widen our gaze.
The cultural itinerary series focused on the city’s peripheral neighborhoods, called ITER.DIFFUSO | Paths on the Historical Memory of the Neighborhood, aims precisely to look at that “elsewhere,” focusing attention on the other city—the city that escapes, that runs along the railway and develops in working-class and popular districts. For the first time, Free Walking Tour Modena offers two routes centered on District 2 and the northern area of the city.
We will start with a walk on the water, an important development axis of the proto-industrial city, before railways and road transport. The tour is named in honor of the Darsena di città, today a parking lot beyond the railway. In fact, with the construction of the railway, Modena’s port area was moved from Corso Vittorio Emanuele to its current location. The surrounding neighborhood grew and developed with the manufacturing and industrial sector that arose along the waters and the “port.” The first date is set for Sunday, June 6 at 6:00 p.m. (the second on June 20), starting from Piazza Roma, in front of the Accademia. We will be joined by volunteers from Modena Sobborghi, a youth association engaged in urban regeneration of the area, and architects from G124—the working group led by Senator Renzo Piano focused on suburbs and the city of the future—who will present the recently completed project for the redevelopment of Parco XXII aprile.
From the water, we will move to the railway tracks, telling the story of industrial and working-class Modena. This itinerary along the railway aims to recount Modena’s industrial heritage, made up of old buildings as well as new urban regeneration projects. It is a part of the city where not only architectural gems hide but also history and memories that resurface at every corner. The former Manifattura Tabacchi, Pallamaglio, Popolarissima, the old Frigoriferi Adami, Garage Ferrari, and the former Oleificio Benassati will be just some of the places touched by the tour.
Path nr.1: Cith Harbor
Path nr.2: The Industrial Town
