64 TRAVEL+LEISURE | SEPTEMBER 2019
EXPERIENCES
visitors: bucket-list types tend to drop in
to town only to sample the region’s
famous balsamic vinegar and cash in
their coveted reservation at Modena
native Massimo Bottura’s world-famous
restaurant, Osteria Francescana (osteria
francescana.it; tasting menu $325).
Because of this drive-by approach,
the city hasn’t had any luxury hotels—
until now. Casa Maria Luigia (casa maria
luigia.com; doubles from $510), a
sophisticated new inn from Chef
Bottura and his wife and business
partner, Lara Gilmore, opened in May.
The couple acquired the 19th-century
estate, located about 15 minutes outside
of town, in 2017 and set about turning it
into a 12-room guesthouse, sourcing
eclectic furniture from antique fairs and
H
OME OF PAVAROTTI and Parmigiano,
Modena, in the northern Italian region
of Emilia-Romagna, has much to
recommend it. The historic center is replete with
cobblestoned streets and ocher-shaded buildings,
and the city’s roster of culinary pleasures includes
balsamic vinegar, tortellini en brodo, and various
types of traditional salumi. Its lived-in charm is
due in part to its relative dearth of international
A classic Emilian
breakfast at Casa
Maria Luigia, in
Modena.
MASSIMO, MODENA, AND
A NEW GAME IN TOWN
With their destination restaurant Osteria Francescana, chef Massimo Bottura
and his wife, Lara Gilmore, became the heart and soul of Modena tourism.
Now the pair have debuted an inn nearby that provides a great base for
discovering the northern Italian town’s many culinary attractionsÑseveral of
which the couple shared with T+L. BY PETER J. FRANK
DAVIDE PIFERI DE SIMONI/COURTESY OF CASA MARIA LUIGIA
