Modena Cathedral, Romanesque cathedral in Modena, Italy
Modena Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Geminianus, has a pale stone and brick facade with two small towers flanking a central gable and a carved rose window added by Anselmo da Campione in the 13th century. The main portal's columns rest on ancient Roman lions, and Wiligelmo's reliefs run across the front. Inside, a tall nave of dark red brick and lighter stone has brick columns with carved capitals, wooden trusses and a raised apse platform.
Construction started at the end of the 11th century under the direction of architect Lanfranco, who used stones from Roman ruins of the ancient settlement Mutina. Over the following decades the building was expanded and decorated with sculptures by stonemason Wiligelmo.
The entrance on the north side shows carved figures from medieval tales that one can look at directly on the stone frame. These motifs come from stories about King Arthur and his knights, which is unusual for a church of that period.
One can visit the interior daily, with the crypt below the raised altar area being especially well preserved. For details about the stone reliefs a tour with a local guide is recommended, as many scenes are hard to interpret.
The north portal, the Porta della Pescheria, carries a carved archivolt showing King Arthur, Guinevere (named "Winlogee") and Gawain at a castle defended by two towers. It is possibly the earliest monumental sculpture of the Arthurian legend, dated by scholars between about 1120 and 1140.
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