To visit Modena we contacted a local guide from the city and the meeting point was the small square in front of the Duomo entrance. As we arrived before the indicated time, we made a visit first on our own since the entrance to the Duomo is free, and then when we repeated it with the guide we realized that we had missed a lot of details, so I recommend you to do the visit with a local guide The façade has remarkable reliefs that include portraits of prophets and patriarchs, and many of the Biblical stories, which together form a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. The guide told us how the creation of Adam and Eve, original sin and the story of Noah are represented. The cathedral is located on the place where the sepulcher of San Geminiano, the patron saint of Modena, was located. Previously, from the fifth century, two churches had been built on the same site, but both had been destroyed. The remains of the Saint are still on display in the crypt of the cathedral.

Wonderful cathedral, beautifully maintained. Much plainer inside than, say, the Duomo at Parma, but immensely atmospheric. The Piazza Grande is also amazing, as is the bell tower, and both are well worth a visit.

Beautiful church in the centre with some amazing architecture throughout worth stopping by to have a look it doesn’t take long as it’s not massive but it is very nice

Municipal honeypot. They trick you into driving down a pedestrian zone with cameras and then send you an 88 Euro ticket, six months later, that you can't pay online and have to spend $50 extra to wire them money. Stay away. Nothing special about this Duomo anyway. Modena is all marketing. Over priced balsamic vinegar and sports cars.

This monument absolutely blows you away soon as you approach it. I had no plans to visit any attractions whilst in Modena but so glad I decided to take a walk one of the attraction highlights of my trip!

Like all the churches in Italy, this is an absolutely wonderful church. The region, wow, don’t miss hitting one of the balsamic vinegar places. Not a store but drive into one of the farms with a store (shed like). I got a small tour of the old barrels. No the barrels are not what you think. The balsamic barrels are only 20 liters in size. Not the normal 205 liter drum we think about.

While there are touches of later styles, there is no doubt that this beautiful building is originally Romanesque; in fact along with the Cathedral in Toulouse in France perhaps the purist Romanesque church I've see. If you've had enough of the many Baroque churches in Northern Italy this would be a remedy. Many beautiful objects set off by it plain brick expanses. And of course a lovely exterior with high quality sculptures. Definitely the defining tourist destination in Modena and not to be missed.

We wanted to visit the Duomo and the related museum, but had a very bad surprise: both are closed for lunch (from around 1pm till 3:30pm). So was the tourist office. Since we had only a few hours to spend there, we just had the chance to see the facade. This is a Unesco site, I understand Modena is not Rome, but I really think it's insane to close a museum and a CHURCH for lunch.

This Duomo is really a jewel of Romanesque architecture and fortunately it has not been carelessly "modernized" over the centuries like some churches. Lots of the exterior stonework and sculpture was removed at one time to preserve it from environmental deterioration but it is conserved in the Museo del Duomo next to the church. (well worth a visit if the church enchants you like it did us.) Be sure to visit the very lower level of the church, devoted to the patron saint Geminiamo. The columns in the crypt have gorgeous Romanesque capitols, no two alike, each one a treasure in itself. This Duomo needs more than one visit, it is almost too big a feast to digest, the detail is endless, inside and out. A stately edifice, it was the church where Luciano Pavarotti's funeral was held.

This cathedral is wonderful. Now (10/2012) is still under cleaning externally, but the interior is gorgeous: it is one of the few place in Italy were you can see romanic sculpture with its original policromy (colored sculpture): dated 1100. In fact, since the romanic sculpture often lost part of their color along 900 years of time the church manager, along the years, almost always decided to completely clean the sculptures of of their paint. In this church also happened but some still have their color and ... you have to see them. The architecture, with the old altar much higher than the assembley place is suggestive with the big cross suspended on top of the transect. The cripta is also suggestive. You can also observe some people of Modena that pray to San Geminiano (Gemignano, Gimignano) that they think can transmit their prayer directly to God. Two are their favorites places for their prayer: the wonderful statue of the saint near the entrance on the left and the tumb of the saint in the cript. This is one of the first places in the world were the sculpture is born again after the fall of the roman empire.