* Name UNESCO
** UNESCO Geographical Classification change

Piazza Grande ("Great Place") is a plaza built in the ^twelfth century at the entrance of the Cathedral of Modena in Italy in the historical district of the city. Despite its name, the place is actually not very big but it was well known in the Middle Ages , while the seats were much smaller. She is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO since 1997 , with the cathedral and its campanile , the Torre Ghirlandina.

Description of places

The square is surrounded by the Palazzo Comunale (City Hall) of the ^seventeenth century , which, in the Middle Ages, had several towers that were destroyed by an earthquake in 1501. On the west side of the square is the back cover of Arcivescovado (archives) and the South, a modern building occupied by a bank. This building has replaced the old court of the nineteenth ^century who was at that location. The architect Gio Ponti attempted to unify the building with the older buildings of the plaza.

North-east of the square, near the town hall, we find the "Preda Ringadora," a piece of marble rectangular three-meter long vessel owned by a Roman. This stone was used as a platform in the Middle Ages to the speakers but also as the place where the sentence of the convicted were executed.

In a niche of the city hall, one can see a small statue of ^XIIth century called Bonissima. They say it is the representation of a noble woman who called Bona was distinguished by his generosity to the poor. Others think it is Matilda di Canossa which is responsible for building the cathedral. The statue is popular in Modena. They say a person who is interested in everything, including cases that do not concern it, it is like "Bonnissima," the statue that dominates the square and can hear all the chatter taking place.

The place is the location of all the celebrations, the start and finish races and carnivals.

Lucio Dalla , Italian composer and performer, sang a song whose title "Piazza Grande" refers to this place.

Sources

• (It) This article is partially or entirely from the article in Italian entitled " Piazza Grande (Modena) (see the list of authors )