Modena is a city and a comune (municipality) on the south side of the Po valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
An ancient town, it is the seat of an archbishop, but is now best known as "the capital of engines", since the factories of the famous Italian sports car makers Ferrari, Bugatti, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are located there, and all, except Lamborghini, have headquarters in the city or nearby. Additionally, Lamborghini is headquartered not far away in a small village in the adjacent Province of Bologna.
The University of Modena, founded in 1175 and expanded by Francesco II d'Este in 1686, has traditional strengths in medicine and law. Italian officers are trained at the Italian Military Academy, located in Modena, and partly housed in the Baroque ducal palace. The Biblioteca Estense houses historical volumes and 3,000 manuscripts.
Modena is well known in culinary circles for its production of balsamic vinegar. It also is the birthplace of the Panini collectable stickers. Other famous Modenesi are operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and soprano Mirella Freni , born in Modena itself; the Catholic Priest and Senior Exorcist of Vatican Fr. Gabriele Amorth; and the rock singer Vasco Rossi who was born in Zocca, one of the 47 Comuni in the Province of Modena.