Our Modena-Toano tour is perfect for a day out discovering the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Emilia. Once you reach Modena, we suggest that you leave your camper in Piazza Giovani di Tien An Men and walk for 20 minutes towards the beautiful historic centre of the city. You should visit the Cathedral, Piazza Grande and the Palace of the Musei: this last attraction offers guided tours on Sundays that you can book at the Tourism Office under the collannade. If you continue along the road, you reach another symbol of the city, Piazza Roma and you should also visit the Ducal Palace and the famous Military Academy.
A morning of walking through the city discovering its treasures will obviously sharpen the appetite for a lunch, and we recommend the typical Emilia dishes. The city centre offers a wide range of restaurants and trattoria where you can enjoy the classic cold cuts with tigelle, accompanied by a glass of red wine. Back at the rest-area, now we set out again: our route takes us through many smal towns like Rubiera, Castellarano, Casalgrande, and Cerredolo, and the first two have camper rest-areas with discharge facilities.
Pieve Romanica of Santa Maria in Castello, Toano
90 minutes travel, and we reach Toano: park your camper in the carpark at the Ugo Foscolo primary school. A brief walk takes you to the splendid Pieve Romanica di Santa Maria in Castello: built 1000 years ago at 944m above sea level, in the Medieval period the Pieve was inside the Castle walls built by Bonifacio of Canossa, Matilde’s father. One of the most beautiful examples in the Appenninese, the Pieve was very close to the hearts of local people and not just as a place of worship: unfortunately, during WW2, German troops set fire to the building as they withdrew, destroying the roof, furniture and interior features, and even today you can see traces of the damage. Restored and reopened in 1951 as a place of worship, the interior and exterior are both very simple in design, and it is a place for quiet prayer: the local greenery is absolutely stunning. For those who still have some time left, you can proceed onto the Castle at Carpineti, and find the rest area. Little is left of the castle, but some parts are still open to visitors, and you can find all the relevant details at www.castellodicarpineti.it
From the Castle, go back onto SS 63 and head back to Reggio Emilia: this route is perfect for lovers of the history and nature of our beautiful Emilia.
