Modena

Sister cities

• Novi Sad
• Bella
• Linz
• Almaty
• Saint Paul
• Londrina
• Benxi

History

The territory around Modena (, ) was inhabited by the Villanovans in the Iron Age, and later by Ligurian tribes, Etruscans, and the Gaulish Boii (the settlement itself being Etruscan). Although the exact date of its foundation is unknown, it is known that it was already in existence in the 3rd century BC, for in 218 BC, during Hannibal's invasion of Italy, the Boii revolted and laid siege to the city. Livy described it as a fortified citadel where Roman magistrates took shelter. The outcome of the siege is not known, but the city was most likely abandoned after Hannibal's arrival. Mutina was refounded as a Roman colony in 183 BC, to be used as a military base by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, causing the Ligurians to sack it in 177 BC. Nonetheless, it was rebuilt, and quickly became the most important centre in Cisalpine Gaul, both because of its strategic importance and because it was on an important crossroads between Via Aemilia and the road going to Verona. In the 1st century BC, Mutina was besieged twice. The first siege was by Pompey in 78 BC, when Mutina was defended by Marcus Junius Brutus (a populist leader, not to be confused with his son, Caesar's best known assassin). The city eventually surrendered out of hunger, and Brutus fled, only to be slain in Regium Lepidi. In the civil war following Caesar's assassination, the city was besieged again, this time by Mark Antony, in 44 BC, and defended by Decimus Junius Brutus. Octavian relieved the city with the help of the Senate (see: Battle of Mutina). Cicero called it ('most beautiful ') in his Philippics (44 BC). Until the 3rd century AD, it kept its position as the most important city in the newly formed province Aemilia, but the fall of the Empire brought Mutina down with it, as it was used as a military base…

Geography

Modena lies on the Pianura Padana, and is bounded by the two rivers Secchia and Panaro, both affluents of the Po River. Their presence is symbolized by the Two Rivers Fountain in the city's center, by Giuseppe Graziosi. The city is connected to the Panaro by the Naviglio channel. The Apennines begin some from the city, to the south. The comune is divided into four circoscrizioni. These are: * Centro storico (Historical Center, San Cataldo) * Crocetta (San Lazzaro-East Modena, Crocetta) * Buon Pastore (Buon Pastore, Sant'Agnese, San Damaso) * San Faustino (S.Faustino-Saliceta San Giuliano, Madonnina-Quattro Ville) Modena has a humid subtropical climate, with continental influences. It has an average annual precipitation of . Summers are hot and winters are cool, with snowfall. This climate is described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa.

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  631
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  588
• Eurasian Kestrel

  Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  509
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  497
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  457
• Little Egret/Western Reef-Heron

  Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  447
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  444
• Eurasian Moorhen

  Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  407

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2026-08-16
  0 km NE of Casano-Dogana-Isola, Italy
• M 4.2 — 2026-03-26
  6 km NNW of Montale, Italy
• M 4.1 — 2026-03-25
  1 km S of Santo Stefano di Magra, Italy
• M 4.3 — 2026-01-13
  1 km NNW of Fornace Zarattini, Italy
• M 4.6 — 2026-01-13
  2 km N of Fornace Zarattini, Italy
• M 2.5 — 2025-03-04
  2 km NNW of Carrara, Italy