There are places in Italy that perhaps many do not know. Small paradises to visit and discover, rich in history and traditions to be preserved. Among these there is undoubtedly Vignola, a municipality in the province of Modena, known for the production of cherries that made it famous all over the world. A town nestled between the Panaro river and the Modena hills. Let's find out what to visit in this location.
Vignola, a journey through the monuments rich in history
The town of Vignola is about 20 kilometers from Modena. It is characterized by a hilly landscape in great demand for the naturalistic itineraries that can be organized. In fact, Vignola is the starting point for the access roads to the Apennine ridge Guiglia - Zocca - Montese, but also for the centers of Fanano and Sestola on the high Modenese Apennines. And then it is known because it was born there Jacopo Barozzi known as Vignola and Ludovico Antonio Muratori.
Among the monuments to visit is the Rocca. A building of medieval origin. In the XNUMXth century it was then transformed into a residence of the Contrari family on the investment of the Este family. Then inhabited by the Boncompagni Ludovisi family who owned it until the middle of the last century. Then stop at Parish church dedicated to Saints Nazario and Celso which keeps a Bronze Pietà from the twentieth century, the work of Ivo Soli and seventeenth-century paintings by artists such as Elisabetta Sirani, Simone Cantarini, Francesco Stringa. Sanctuary of the Madonna della Pieve it is a Romanesque building. Rebuilt in 1615, so much so that it retains only the apse area of its remnant origin.
Inside you can admire a Madonna enthroned with the Child. Among other places to visit there are Contrari-Boncompagni Palace of the sixteenth century, the Civic Museum of paleontology and mineralogy which houses the Bertarelli Collection with fossil finds from the Italian Pliocene. And still there Church of Santa Maria in Tortiliano characteristic for the particular structure formed by two superimposed cylinders with a hemispherical dome.
The traditional production of cherries
Vignola is famous for its rich cherry production. In fact, among the typical products there are cherries in alcohol. Plus the city it is the seat of the Consortium of Cherry and the typical plum. It is also crossed by the Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori “Città, Castelli, Ciliegi”. Not only cherries, however, but also grapevines. In fact, the name "Vignola" derives from the Latin "vineola", a small vineyard, in Roman times the cultivation of the vine was practiced on the alluvial soils of the Panaro.
After the war, Vignola continued the activity of enhancing the traditional agricultural vocation based on the production of the typical fruit red. To start the production about fifty traders and exporters. And in fact from the cerasiculture traditional was passed to the modern one. Numerous plants are cultivated thanks to the optimal environmental conditions. Among the best known varieties is the Moretta di Vignola, a native variety of sweet cherry typical of the area. It is included in the list of cultivars of the Ciliegia di Vignola PGI.
