Things to see and do Vignola

Terre di Castelli (Land of Castles) was born from the union of eight municipalities of the province of Modena: Castelnuovo Rangone, Castelvetro di Modena, Guiglia, Marano sul Panaro, Savignano sul Panaro, Spilamberto, Vignola, Zocca. The objective: to promote the historical, artistic and gastronomic richness of this territory. You can discover medieval architecture through its castles and ancient villages, the flavours of the famous balsamic, kilometres of cycle paths passing through the river parks of Panaro. The website is rich in information.

The impressive Rocca di Vignola stands on the headland of the Panaro River. Founded by the abbots of Nonantola in the 9th century, it then passed from hand to hand, starting with the bishops of Modena. It was in the 13th century that it became an important stronghold when many disputes existed between the families of Bologna and Modena. The Estensi of Ferrara put an end to these quarrels in the 15th century, when it underwent numerous alterations to be transformed into a stately residence. In the 16th century it became the property of the Boncompagni family who lived there until the middle of the 20th century. The main political and social bodies of the town were developed here: town hall, library... It is now managed by the Vignola Foundation, which is in charge of the delicate work of restoring the magnificent frescoes that decorate most of the walls of the fortress. The latter, a still little-known masterpiece, represents a spectacle worthy of the greatest medieval stages. Unique in their genre, they combine art and military architecture. From the inner courtyard, which can be reached by a drawbridge, you can visit the underground passages, the rooms decorated with paintings, and walk along the parapet walk that connects the massive corner towers.

Opposite the Rocca, Palazzo Boncompagni is an elegant Renaissance palace, built on a project by the architect Jacopo Barozzi, a native of Vignola. Its particularity is its totally suspended spiral staircase.