The fortress and the cherries
On the banks of the Panaro river, where the plain meets the first hills of the Modenese Apennines, Vignola is a small town known for two things: its fortress and its cherries. The Rocca di Vignola is one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Emilia: of medieval origin, it was transformed in the fifteenth century by the Contrari family, feudal lords on behalf of the Este, into an elegant residence, with massive towers, battlements and a drawbridge. Its rooms preserve a precious cycle of late Gothic frescoes, especially in the Contrari Chapel, with scenes of the life of Christ, and in the halls decorated with heraldic animals, such as the Sala dei Leoni e dei Leopardi, the hall of lions and leopards. From the towers, the view sweeps over the town and the valley. The fortress is open and free to visit.
Vignola is the capital of the Ciliegia di Vignola IGP, the cherry of Vignola, grown in the orchards of the Panaro valley, sweet, firm and crunchy, among the most prized in Italy. In spring, at the end of March or in April, the hills are covered with the white blossoms of the cherry trees, and the town celebrates the "Festa dei Ciliegi in fiore"; in late May and June, the cherry festival fills the streets with stalls. Vignola is also the birthplace of Jacopo Barozzi, known as il Vignola, one of the greatest architects of the sixteenth century, and of the Torta Barozzi, a delicious, secret-recipe chocolate and almond cake, created in the early twentieth century in the town's historic pastry shop.
Tip: taste the Torta Barozzi in the pastry shop facing the fortress; visit in early April for the cherry blossoms.
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