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technical info
A pan-flat stage running almost entirely along the ss. 9 Via Emilia, on straight and mostly wide roads. As the stage passes through several urban areas, roundabouts, traffic islands and street furniture will be found along the route.
Final kilometres
The final kilometres are raced on city roads. A brace of roundabouts and bends (3 left-handers and one right-hander) leads into the home straight (approx. 900 m), on tarmac road.
start / finish
final kilometres
itinerary timetable
tourist info
Host city:
Modena
Overview
For art, music, the automobile industry, and fine food, Modena is an alluring destination that offers visitors nearly unlimited opportunities. Modena is a shrine of treasures to be discovered without haste, surprising travelers with a magical interweaving of art, gastronomy, music and motors. Located between the Secchia and Panaro rivers, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, the city boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Duomo, Piazza Grande and Torre Ghirlandina) and it’s recognized as an inspiring land, attracting talent and passion, giving birth to celebrities admired all over the world such as Enzo Ferrari and Luciano Pavarotti. Modena is a land of engines with big brands such as Ferrari, Maserati and Pagani and it has also long been known for its cuisine, a reputation earned for authenticity, respect for tradition, and attention to the conservation of genuine flavor, one of the richest in products guaranteed by the “protected designation of origin” or “protected geographical origin” symbol. Modena is the ideal destination for food lovers.
Gastronomy
Synonymous with fine dining, the Modena area is famous all over the world for its cuisine. Its long-standing status as a food capital is due to its commitment to authenticity, its regard for tradition and guardianship of local flavours. The area boasts a wealth of food and wine as well as extensive culinary experience offered by a network of restaurants, trattorias and osterie, as well as farms and artisans that have achieved worldwide recognition thanks to their efforts to safeguard and enhance local products and flavours, such as the Osteria Francescana, recognized as one of the best restaurants in the world.
Excellence, tradition, and flavor: In Modena, three words that describe the ideal menu. Your voyage among local food and wine traditions begins with a delicious antipasto of cured meats, with Prosciutto di Modena as the star attraction. The place of honor among Modena’s first courses is reserved for tortellini, pasta squares folded around a filling of pork, prosciutto, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Meat dishes include cotechino and zampone, a mixture of ground pork flavored with herbs and spices and stuffed into the skin of a trotter. You’re also sure to enjoy Crescentine (known locally as “tigelle”) and Gnocco Fritto, either as side dishes or main courses, two delightful specialties typically served with cheese and charcuterie or various sauces. No table in Modena is complete without traditional balsamic vinegar, a silky elixir that’s unique among the cuisines of the world. “Balsamico” is made from the must of cooked grapes that are allowed to age until acid develops during natural fermentation and is then gradually concentrated in a lengthy aging process. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese serves as a faithful companion, typically enjoyed in thin slices with a drop of two of traditional balsamic vinegar. Such a sumptuous meal pairs naturally with a fine glass of Lambrusco, a sparkling red that is the best-selling wine in the world, the perfect accompaniment to local cuisine. Finish off with a heaping serving of Vignola Cherries or Amarene Brusche preserves, made from the dark-colored sour cherries that grow in and around Modena. The quality of both these local delicacies is guaranteed by the “protected geographical origin” symbol. You’ll also find a wide variety of specialty sweets and baked goods such as the Bensone (a traditional pastry made with flour, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar and sometimes filled with jam), Zuppa Inglese (a trifle made with sponge cake, a red herbal liqueur, and custard), and amaretti cookies. Here’s one piece of advice: Don’t leave the table without ordering a glass of Nocino, a delightful digestif made from walnuts.
Drinks
Known the world over, Lambrusco, the region’s sparkling red wine, boasts a unique flavor profile. Straightforward and genuine, Lambrusco perfectly embodies the character of this part of Italy and serves as one of the bases of the local economy. Depending on the variety of grapes employed in its production, a number of PDO Lambruscos are produced. Lambrusco di Sorbara, also known as Lambrusco della Viola, presents a fresh and delicate flavor and light body to the palate. Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce is fresh, savory, balanced, and moderately tannic in the mouth, an ideal accompaniment for any meal. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro is elegant, balanced, and more full-bodied than other Lambrusco wines; it is soft and fruity on the palate. Finally, Lambrusco di Modena has elegant, floral or fruity notes. Among the typical drinks of the area, Nocino, a very pleasant liqueur obtained from the husk of green walnuts, deserves a mention. It is a product of ancient tradition which is limpid, of a more or less accentuated dark brown color, with an intense flavor with a note of walnut and an aromatic, pleasant and persistent flavor, typical of immature walnuts. Tradition has it that the walnuts are harvested on June 24, the day of St. John the Baptist, when the ripening of the fruit is not yet completed, and the husk is green and tender. The simplest and most traditional way to taste Nocino is to serve it, neat and at room temperature, as a digestive at the end of a meal.
Main sights
Modena is home to architectural gems of such rare beauty that they were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. For lovers of art and culture, Modena is a destination not to be missed.
There’s no shortage of sights to see for a one-of-a-kind experience: an unbelievable voyage through time awaits. Modena’s World Heritage Site, recognized since 1997, includes the Ghirlandina Tower, Piazza Grande, and Modena’s Cathedral, a masterpiece of human creative genius and one of the best examples of Romanesque style in the world; the Town Hall with its historic rooms where the ancient Secchia Rapita and the Acetaia Comunale (a small Balsamic Vinegar production hosted under the roof of the Town Hall) are kept. The seventeenth-century Palazzo Ducale, today home to the Military Academy, used to house the Court of the House of Este, which moved from Modena to Ferrara in 1598. In the imposing Palazzo dei Musei you can visit the Gallerie Estensi, one of Italy’s most important collections of art and stands as a testament to the passion for collecting shared by the Estense Dukes and the Museo Civico which in 2021 celebrates the 150th anniversary of its foundation. The Fondazione Modena Arti Visive (Modena Visual Arts Foundation) offers every year a number of interesting exhibitions dedicated to photography and image and the Museo della Figurina collection, unique of its kind.
For bel canto enthusiasts, the Municipal Theatre of Modena and the Luciano Pavarotti House Museum will be unmissable stops. A deeply rooted tradition, an intimate rapport, and a harmony that can never be disturbed—Modena is music. An extraordinary connection across time links ancient origins and Modena’s musical present. Since the time of the Este dynasty, a love for song has been cultivated in Modena’s schools, musical academies, and theatres and through frequent public events. This deeply felt vocation has brought acclaimed opera singers such as Mirella Freni, Raina Kabainvanska , and Luciano Pavarotti (“the Maestro”) to international fame. Modena was also the Italian capital of “Beat” music with such performers as Equipe 84, Caterina Caselli, and the Nomadi, and is the homeland of singers and musical line-ups like the pop and rock legends Vasco Rossi, Francesco Guccini, Paolo Belli, the Modena City Ramblers, Nek, and many others.
Modena is the ideal starting point for a journey to discover the surrounding region among villages, castles and itineraries immersed in nature, from the valley to the Apennines.
Information, inspiration and activities on: www.visitmodena.it
Cattolica
Overview
Cattolica is located on the border between Romagna and Marche at the foot of
Monte San Bartolo, it is a long standing seafaring and hospitality tradition village founded in 1271. Its vocation for hospitality started in Roman times, developped in the XXth century when rich families from Emila built their holiday villas, and after the second world war Cattolica became the “Adriatic Queen” thanks to its “made in Romagna” vocation for hospitality. Because of its seafaring tradition the harbour area is its flagship and it is strictly realted to the ancient part of the town and to the hills of the Valconca rich in history and culture with its medioeval villages such as Gradara, Montefiore Conca and Saludecio. Cattolica also hosts the Parco Le Navi, the largest aquarium of the Adriatic Coast.
Gastronomy
The “Miacetto” and the “Bilzulà” are traditional food speciailties of Cattolica. The first is a dried fruit oven cooked cake enriched with honey, cytrus peel, sugar and middling, without yeast, it has been known for centuries and is still very important in the local tradition. Its recipe is well known even if each family hands down through the generations its own variation. Miacetto is usually made at home, it is a gift for relatives and friends that strengthens the bonds of affection, however during the Christmas period is also on sale in bakeries and pastry shops.
The “Bilzulà” was the livelihood of fishermen when they were at sea, a sort of
bisciut-bread they brought with them during long fishing trips. Its doughnut shape was very useful because it was hung first to the belt of the trousers and then high in the hold to prevent a wave, carrying water in the bottom of the hull, soaked it.
It was used as a food reserve at sea, being able to keep for several days and
soaked in wine. The traditional cuisine of Cattolica is rich in sea dishes: Adriatic
sea fishes, strozzapreti pasta, tagliatelle and piadina.
Drinks
The vine heritage of Cattolica spreads from the Adriatic Coast to the Marecchia
and Conca Valley. Among the red grapes Sangiovese is without any doubt both
the main local product and the prince of the Rimini hills. Sangiovese, was
probably cultivated by the Etruscan, and it was very famous among the Romans, who called it “Sanguis Jovis” (blood of Jupiter), thanks to its vigour.
The story tells that Sangiovese grapes were planted here in Romagna by the
Console Gneo Papirio Carbone: his farm infact belonged to the Massa Maritiana
and it supplied direclty Rome. It seems that the amphores travelled along the
river Conca and they left probably from the harbour of Cattolica. Among the
white grapes the most famous ones are Trebbiano, Romagnolo, Biancame and
Rebola, but there are also some ancient grapes such as Vernaccia, Verdetto,
Vernaccina, Ciurlese, Varano, Scroccona, Famoso, Bottaio, Canino, Cargarello. All these wines has obtained the DOC designation (Denomination of Controlled
Origin) since 1996.
The typical wines of Cattolica are: Sangiovese, Albana, Trebbiano, Sauvignon,
Pagadebit, Cagnina and Lambrusco. Among the typical beverages there is the so-called “Brulè wine”: it is generally drunk in winter, above all during the Christmas holiday. It is a hot beverage, made of red wine, citrus fruits, sugar and aromatic spices, usually cinnamon and clove, but you can also add nutmeg and star anice to taste it sweeter. Since past times it is drunk to warm hearts and invigorate the mood.
Main sights
Cattolica town center is full of monuments and other interesting places. The
“Catolica vecia”, the most ancient part of the town, gathers in its narrow streets
many examples of human work: the S. Apollinare church, built at the end of XIII
century, with its marvellous XVI century Laurentini School Crucifixion and its
altar-piece by Baseari depicting Saints Sebastin and Rocco with an image of
Cattolica in the background. The Malatesta fortress , dating back to the period
between 1490 and 1491, built by Lombard workers to protect the town from
probable Turkish and pirate landings on the coast. Thanks to its central
position it had always had the role to control illegal maritime mercantile
activities.
In the ancient part of the town there is also the Regina Museum located in the
XVI century religious building of the former pilgrim hospital. The museum with
its two sections, archeological and ethno-anthropological, tells the story of
Cattolica and its traditions.
The archaeological section contains findings from the city excavations started
in the 60s of the twentieth century that have brought to light material
evidence relating to the Roman age; other findings from an excavation in 2007
revealed the presence of a Bronze Age village dating between 1800 and 1500
BC.
The ethno-anthropological section is dedicated to the material and immaterial
culture of the “People of sea” starting from the birth of the port in modern
age, the developments of the naval shipbuilding, the navigation and fishing
techniques, the daily, religious and social life of maritime communities up to
the transformations linked to the advent of the engine from the 1920s
onwards. During the 1920s the local Proloco started tourist promotion with
public measures to make Cattolica more and more beautiful and functional.
The Sirene fountain is one of the most important works, made by the sculptor
Giuseppe Casalini (1887 – 1957), nowdays one of the town symbols.
It is located in Piazza I Maggio and it was made of reinforced concrete and
finished in cement and copper grit, a material that acquires the shades of
bronze. The structure of the fountain reproduces the forms of three young
women wrapped in a drapery, for which the sculptor took his daughter
Francesca as a model. The Aquarium of Cattolica is located in a modern
rationalist building named “Le Navi” a former navel fleet shape marine hostel,
designed by architect Clemente Busiri Vici in 1931. Its original name was marine
hostel “XXVIII Ottobre” and it was designed to accomodate the children of
Italians living abroad.
