To be honest my experience was tainted with my personal negative view toward this World Heritage Site, another Italian Romanesque cathedral in another Italian old beautiful renaissance city, everything seemed to be similar with what I already saw in many corners of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. As expected, Modena and its Piazza Grande, main square around the cathedral, were pretty lovely, I decided to have salad and bread with one of the glorious ingredients that Modena gave to the world, Balsamic Vinegar, in one of the cafés around the piazza while looking at the leaning bell tower named Torre Civica, another UNESCO listed element of this World Heritage Site.

The Cathedral, the bell tower or even the Piazza looked dazzling clean and white, hard to believe that these structures were one of the oldest churches in Italy. After another cup of cappuccino, it was time to explore the famous cathedral. I walked around the cathedral, tried to find entrance. The portal main gate at Piazza was quite interesting with pinkish lion (?) statues, the carving was quite unique with knots and unknown symbol of bull, I really regretted of no guide to explain the meanings. Another portal gate nearby had similar lions but the craving around door were really impressive with plants and men motifs. I finally found the entrance which was actually the front door of the cathedral. The main front door had guardian lion statues again, was I at Chinese shrine or Italian cathedral? The interior was really dark, I hardly saw anything, due to some restoration, shades were put to block the light. Inside was really plain, nothing much to see, no wall paintings, I tried to see the mosaic at the apse as well as the crypt, but the priest not allowed me to go inside as there was certain private ceremony. The only thing I found interesting inside was the ray of light from the front rose window directly shrined at the hanging golden cross, really evoking spiritual feeling. I came out and found that this exit door has unique lintel craving of chicken, dog and mythical animal, very interesting. After looked at the leaning bell tower again, I decided to go back to my car and drove to Florence.

Even I found some nice and interesting cravings and strange shape guardian lions, these could not help me to change my idea toward this World Heritage. I could not find anything that really stand out from Modena Cathedral. Its old age as one of earliest Romanesque building of Italy was fine enough to illustrate its Universal Outstanding Value or not? Well unless Italy don’t add more standalone Romanesque or Renaissance cathedral in the list, I am still OK with this Modena exceptional position among UNESCO World Heritage Site.