It would be easy to dismiss Modena Cathedral as just 'another European church' on the World Heritage List, but I actually found it to be very interesting. It's the fusion of art and architecture that makes it stand out from many of the others - particularly the way the original sculptures are incorporated into the fundamental design of the cathedral, with the ones added later inspired by the same ethos.

Obviously the cathedral is small but there are a lot of details to take in. It's not about the grandness of the site so its size should not matter. In fact, it's the smaller and more intricate features that are the most impressive, particularly the pontile with its carving of the Last Supper.

In hindsight, I made a mistake by not going equipped with a list of the church's artistic treasures because it was only later, when I was writing an article about the site, that I realised I had missed a couple of important ones. When it's these artworks (and how they blend with the architecture) that are the most interesting thing about the cathedral, it's a shame not to see them all.

Modena itself is a lovely town, and it's easy to spend the day doing a balsamic vinegar tasting, seeing a few of the other historic sights, and even visiting the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Although I did it as a day trip from Bologna, you could happily spend the night here or use it as a base to see other parts of Emilia-Romagna.

If you were to compare Modena to the other World Heritage Sites in Emilia-Romagna, I don't think it's as impressive as Ravenna's churches with their dazzling mosaics. But I did find it more interesting than Ferrara, which didn't really stand out to me as particularly different to many of the other cities in the region. (And the porticoes of Bologna, well, I'm not sure there's a fair comparison there...)