Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena

In Modena's Piazza Grande, Romanesque art reaches one of its high-water marks. The cathedral, begun in 1099 by the architect Lanfranco and carved by the sculptor Wiligelmus, pairs with the leaning Ghirlandina tower to form an ensemble proclaiming the power of the Canossa dynasty. UNESCO listed cathedral, tower and square as World Heritage in 1997, and the marble Genesis reliefs on the facade still stop passers-by nine centuries on.