Emilia-Romagna · Modena
Castelvetro di Modena
A 152-meter hill borgo south of Modena whose checkerboard piazza sits above the slopes that grow Lambrusco Grasparossa.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 45 min from Bologna
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 11,101
Known for
LAMBRUSCO GRASPAROSSA
The deepest and most tannic of the three main Lambruschi, grown on the clay slopes around the town and DOC-classified since 1970.
PIAZZA DELLA DAMA
The checkerboard square at the centre of the borgo, paved in alternating white and black stones beneath the four medieval towers.
SAGRA DELL'UVA
Grape and Lambrusco festival held the last weekend of September, with living-chess matches played on the Piazza della Dama.
CILIEGIA DI VIGNOLA
The commune lies inside the Ciliegia di Vignola IGP production zone.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J8°
- F12°
- M14°
- A17°
- M22°
- J28°
- J31°
- A31°
- S25°
- O20°
- N13°
- D8°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Senesio e Teopompo, 4 January
Why come
Castelvetro di Modena sits on a hill, eighteen kilometers southeast of Modena and at the northern edge of the Apennine foothills. The medieval centro storico rises around the Piazza Roma, paved in alternating white and black stones that earned it the name Piazza della Dama, the checkerboard piazza, framed by the four surviving towers of the old castle. The Grasparossa grape grows on the clay slopes around the town, the sandy soil and the south-facing aspect producing the deepest, most tannic of the three main Lambruschi; Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro received DOC status in 1970.
Above the piazza, the Palazzo Rinaldi houses the Museo del Vino and the Museo dell'Aceto Balsamico, the second tracing the same Modenese tradition that nearby Spilamberto codifies. The municipality holds three institutional signals: Borghi più belli, Bandiera Arancione, Città del Vino. The Sagra dell'Uva e del Lambrusco runs the last weekend of September, when the streets fill with the chess players from the surrounding Lambrusco towns dressed as living pieces on the piazza.
The Sunday letter
Castelvetro di Modena is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Castelvetro di Modena comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Castelvetro di Modena in our articles
The best towns known for what they grow within 45 minutes of Bologna6 towns, Castelvetro di Modena among them.
The best towns you can reach by train within 45 minutes of Bologna6 towns, Castelvetro di Modena among them.
The prettiest villages that eat well in Emilia-Romagna6 towns, Castelvetro di Modena among them.
The 7 best towns inside a nature park that you can reach by train in Emilia-Romagna7 towns, Castelvetro di Modena among them.
How to get there
From Bologna (BLQ), about 41 minutes by car.
Verona (VRN) is about 1h 39m away.
By car from the centre of Parma 1 hour.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Bologna, Verona or Florence?
Coming by train into Modena? Castelvetro di Modena is about 29 minutes away by road.
What to see
Piazza Roma
Checkerboard piazza paved in alternating white and black stones, framed by the four surviving towers of the medieval castle.
Castello di Levizzano Rangone
Tenth-century fortified frazione four kilometers north, with a tower built in the 990s and a fully preserved medieval village.
Museo del Vino
Wine museum inside the Palazzo Rinaldi, tracing the Grasparossa production cycle and the DOC zone established in 1970.
Borgo Antico
Medieval centre on the hill above the new town, with the Torre delle Prigioni, the Torre dell'Orologio and the Palazzo Rangoni Terzi.
Chiesa dei Santi Senesio e Teopompo
Parish church of the borgo, with eighteenth-century rebuilding over earlier medieval foundations and a baroque organ.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Castelvetro di Modena fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Locanda del FeudoRistorante
A spot in the Michelin Guide, at Locanda del Feudo.
Opera|02Ristorante
Opera|02 has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Sagra dell'Uva e del Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetrofood festival
usually held in September. itinerarinelgusto.it
Living here
- Population 11,101
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Bologna, 41 min drive
- Regional capital Bologna, 45 min drive
Common questions
- What is Castelvetro di Modena known for?
- Castelvetro di Modena is a 152-meter hill borgo south of Modena whose checkerboard piazza sits above the slopes that grow Lambrusco Grasparossa.
- Where is Castelvetro di Modena?
- Castelvetro di Modena is a comune in the province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna, at 152 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Castelvetro di Modena?
- Bologna (BLQ), about 41 minutes by car.
- Can you get to Castelvetro di Modena without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Parma to Castelvetro di Modena?
- About 1 hour by car.
- When is the best time to visit Castelvetro di Modena?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 12 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Castelvetro di Modena?
- Yes. Sagra dell'Uva e del Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro. September is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Castelvetro di Modena?
- Vignola, Oria and Ispica.
- How many people live in Castelvetro di Modena?
- 11,101 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 152 m
- Population: 11,101
- Surface area: 49.78 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Featured on
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