The belfry tower of the
Duomo di Modena Cathedral.
Its name means "small wreath", perhaps because of the double order of stonework "wreaths" surrounding its top; it is the symbol of
Modena (
Italy).
Almost 90 meters high, the Ghirlandina was built to its current shape in different periods: the square lower body was built at the same time of the
cathedral, while the
upper octagonal part and the pointed top (which are built in the gothic style, contrasting the original
romanesque style) were added in the years 1261-1319 following the design of Arrigo da Campione.
Inside the Ghirlandina, an exhibit shows the famous 'Abducted pail': a wooden pail, a trophy conquered by Modena during a war against
Bologna (one of several), in 1325. 'The Abducted Pail' ("La Secchia Rapita") is also the title of a 'Heroic/comic' poem that Alessandro Tassoni - Modena's poet laureate) composed in 1622 about this war. A monument commemorating to Tassoni can be seen, in front of the Ghirlandina, on piazza Torre, the square that connects the duomo complex with the
Via Emilia