Modena, Cathedral

(2 photos)
This is a typical Italian city, with peeling paint, crumbling stucco, and some of the most fascinating, interesting buildings imaginable. The magnificent Cathedral in Modena, the purest Romanesque in Emilia, is built in the Romanesque-Lombard style, characterized by elaborate exterior brickwork. The 289 foot high Duomo campanile (called La Ghirlandina) next to the Cathedral leans inward slightly. Pisa has not cornered the market on leaning towers in Italy. Many towers in Italy were built to lean, just to prove they could.

Next to the Cathedral in Piazza Grande we heard a background murmur in the air, and discovered many old men standing around in groups, sitting at sidewalk cafes, drinking coffee, talking, or reading a newspaper, and the sound of their prattle could be heard all over Modena’s plaza. The only stores open this Sunday morning were newsstands and sidewalk cafes.

In the downtown shopping area of these cities many of the buildings rest on arcades that make an interesting sight, and protect the shopper from both sun and rain. Many stores in Italy have a rolling metal shutter like a rusty, dusty, banged-up garage door, covering the front of the store. A street is alive and colorful with bright window displays while the stores are open, but it becomes drab and colorless outside of shopping hours.
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The Cathedral in Modena was very dark inside. It is a surprise to see that this photo came out as good as it did.