When people refer to Modena as the city
of the Romanesque, they are normally thinking of the Cathedral
built by Lanfranco and Wiligelmo. Given the historic and artistic
importance of this building and its creators, they are certainly
justified, but this view is really an over-simplification when
we consider the number of Medieval churches and abbeys dotted
all over the Province of Modena. There is heated debate about
the problem of restoring these buildings, as some people consider
that any restoration work, however well done, is still an imitation,
while others maintain that painstakingly correct repairs can ensure
that important buildings survive the ravages of time.
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