1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000
A tower on the Gourmet Road, the cathedral of Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena.

2
00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:13,760
This is Modena, a city in northern Italy with a population of around 170,000 people. It

3
00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:20,760
still retains much of its medieval character. The Emilia Road, the Via Emilia, built around

4
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:28,160
2 BC, has been the primary route connecting the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts. Modena

5
00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:35,360
is located halfway along the route. Its old city square, the cathedral and the bell tower

6
00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:46,000
are inscribed as World Heritage. This cathedral was built in the 12th century and is regarded

7
00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:52,240
as a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque architecture. The central window is shaped in the form of

8
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:59,240
a rose flower. The marble brick wall is carved with reliefs portraying scenes from the Bible.

9
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:12,760
They depict the fears, hopes, faith and spirituality of medieval people. The belfry is 88 metres

10
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:19,880
high and is also made of marble. It served as a landmark to travellers on the Emilia

11
00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:26,960
Road while announcing the time to the citizens of Modena. Cities along the Emilia Road are

12
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:34,480
known for producing high quality produce. The road is also known as the Gourmet Road.

13
00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:40,920
Parma is renowned for quality ham and Bologna is renowned for its salami, both towns neighbour

14
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:47,920
Modena. Balsamic vinegar is one of the local specialities. It originated in Modena more

15
00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:55,320
than 1,000 years ago. Balsamic vinegar is made using a special kind of grape known as

16
00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:03,160
Treviano. The variety has both large and small grapes in one cluster. Traditional balsamic

17
00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:13,360
vinegar must be stored and aged in barrels for over 12 years. It only goes to market

18
00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:19,240
after rigorous screening. Balsamic vinegar hundreds of years ago was highly valuable

19
00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:26,240
and occasionally was used for medicinal purposes. Balsamic means a fragrance from a tree. For

20
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:35,280
a long ageing period the vinegar is reduced to 1% of the original weight of the grapes.

21
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:41,520
The Emilia Road has always been known as the Gourmet Road, an area where splendid market

22
00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,680
produce has been traded and transported from Roman times to the present day.