- Address
- viale Berengario, 41121 Modena
- Tag place
Description
Modena, Foro Boario
The Foro Boario started to be built since 1834 on the initiative of Duke Francis IV who wanted to provide the livestock market with an appropriate seat worthy of a State capital. The project was committed to court architect Francesco Vandelli. He imagined a long building formed of two wide colonnade wings framed in high manufacture bodies. The sober and severe profile of the building was refined by some low reliefs representing trophies made by sculptor Luigi Righi and the Genius who protects the Arts by Giuseppe Frugoni. On the central tower of the building there’s the big three quarter-clock realized by a mathematic of Modena, Lodovico Gavioli. In 1853, following the military agreement with the Austrian Empire, the upper part of the building was used as troop accommodation while a few years later, in 1859, the arcade were used as stables for the army. In 1885, the municipality of Modena purchased the abandoned building in order to make it the seat of the cocoon market. From the beginning of the 20th century, the Foro Boario lost this function too and was destined to different uses over the years. It was used as Firefighter seat, Police seat, as an hospital and as a school. In 1992, the whole complex was restored by architect Franca Stagi in order to host some university faculties as well as some temporary exhibitions.
Other pictures
