Art, food and Ferrari

Uniting culture, history, art and gastronomy, the road which, from Modena leads to Parma, via Reggio Emilia, offers travellers tantalizing treats for all the senses.

Trophies, tunnels and test tracks

Our journey starts 18kms south of Modena, in Maranello, where Enzo Ferrari created his car factory. An amazing showroom, in the Ferrari Gallery, you get to see the cars which have made Italian motor racing history - as well as the trophies and cups won by the Ferrari team.
Maranello is also home to Renzo Piano's impressive Wind Tunnel, designed for the aerodynamic development of Formula 1 one-seaters. The Wind Tunnel is part of Ferrari's innovative "Formula Uomo" project - designed to provide highly functional buildings and the best possible working conditions.
At Fiorano Modenese, you can experience the thrill of driving on the private test track created by Enzo Ferrari in 1971.

This part of Emilia Romagna, at the feet of the Apennines, is also known for its production of a superb DOP balsamic vinegar. At Spilamberto, you can visit the traditional vinegar distilleries and a museum dedicated to the highly prized condiment!

Made in Modena

Travelling northbound, we soon come to Modena, where to stroll beneath the beautiful arcades of Canal Chiaro and past the boutiques, world-famous restaurants and artists' studios which line the fashionable Via Emilia.
Much of the city's social life gravitates around the Piazza Grande, square which, in 1997, was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is where to find the Palazzo Comunale and Palazzo dell'Arcivescovado, maximum expression of the Romanesque architecture of the Po valley.

The city of artists

A surprising number of artists were born in Reggio Emilia, situated halfway between Modena and Parma.The list of the town's illustrious citizens includes the painter Correggio (1489 - 1534) and the poet and dramatist, Ludovico Ariosto (1474 -1533).
Today Reggio nell'Emilia is an important cultural center, home to the Romolo Valli theatre, one of the largest playhouses in Italy, on the stage of which Luciano Pavarotti made his debut.

On your way to Parma, make a brief detour to Canossa, the land of Matilda, Great Countess of Tuscany, and the Castle where the historic confrontation between Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII took place, in 1077

Parma on your plate

Parma is synonymous with good, quality food. Site of the head quarters of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma lies at the center of an important agro-alimentary network renowned for its high quality dairy and products.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, but also excellent cold meats such as Prosciutto di Parma, culatello, salame, spalla, and langhirano: Parma's gastronomic specialities are famous throughout the world

Ancient capital of the Dukedom of Parma and Piacenza, Parma conserves numerous traces of its glorious past. Among these we find the 16th century Palazzo della Pilotta, an impressive complex of edifices built during the last years of the reign of Duke Ottavio Farnese, and which now houses the National Gallery and invaluable artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Parmigianino and Antonio Canova.