Modena

The flagstones of Modena’s UNESCO-attested Piazza Grande make for a great meeting point for the town’s tanned locals. They hang out under the timeless profile of the city cathedral, a 1,000-year-old relic that bears enthralling ecclesiastical reliefs and conceals fascinating works by the Campionese Masters. Above, the Ghirlandina Tower looms large, facing the porticos of the grand Town Hall and spiking a skyline that then gives way to the great Ducal Palace, one of the most elaborate Baroque undertakings in all of Italy.

Yet, despite its glorious veneer, very few tourists hit this town on the banks of the meandering Po for architecture and art. No sir, most come to tickle their taste buds with salty zampone sausages, steaming plates of tortellini, viscous cocoa tartlets and of course, that ubiquitous tipple of balsamic vinegar that now bears the city’s name! Others arrive to honour Italian opera (no lesser a star than Luciano Pavarotti was born here in 1935), or on a petrol pilgrimage. This is, after all, the birthplace of Maserati and Ferrari alike; so be sure to ask your Modena tourist guide about the vintage care villages and museums that abound.