In Modena, a vinegar may only carry the name tradizionale after at least twelve years of maturing and ageing. Not twelve months. Twelve years, written into the rules that govern how it is made.
Other things here are measured the same way. The cathedral was begun in 1099, and its tower was finished in 1319. The covered market opened in 1931 and still trades. We named a family of Crazy Horse leather cases after Modena, because a waxed leather that darkens with use is a small lesson in patience too. This is the city behind the name.
Our Modena cases are named after Modena, a city in Emilia-Romagna whose best-known things take years: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP must age for at least twelve, and the cathedral and its tower took from 1099 to 1319. The name is an idea, not an origin. They are Crazy Horse leather, a waxed finish that marks, darkens and smooths where you hold it. Crazy Horse is a finish, not a horse: on the iPhone cases, the hide is cow.
- Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP must mature and age for no less than twelve years, with nothing added except the "madre".
- The cathedral (begun 1099) and its tower, the Ghirlandina (finished 1319), kept the city building for more than two centuries. With Piazza Grande, they joined the UNESCO list in 1997.
- The covered Mercato Albinelli opened on 28 October 1931 and still has 49 stalls.
- The cases take the city's name and an idea, never its origin.
- There are three Modena pieces: a top-grain and a full-grain iPhone case, and an AirPods case.
How long did Modena Cathedral take to build?
More than two centuries. Work began in 1099 under the architect Lanfranco, on the site of an earlier Christian basilica. The cathedral holds the remains of San Geminiano, the fourth-century saint who is still the city's patron, and sculptures by Wiligelmo cover its outer walls and capitals.
The tower, the Ghirlandina, was begun early in the twelfth century and finished only in 1319, when its octagonal top was added. Piazza Grande was laid out in the second half of the twelfth century. In UNESCO's account, building the two monuments occupied the city from 1099 to 1319.
The style is Romanesque, not Gothic. Cathedral, tower and square joined the World Heritage List together in 1997. The whole site covers just 1.2 hectares.
Why must traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena age for twelve years?
Because its rules say so. The official code for Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP requires maturing, ageing and refining for no less than twelve years. Nothing may be added except the "madre", the bacterial colonies that start the process.
The code also sets what the finished vinegar must reach: a total acidity of at least 4.5 grams of acetic acid per 100 grams, and a density of at least 1.240 at 20 °C.
One distinction matters: the Tradizionale DOP is a different product from Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP. The twelve years belong to the Tradizionale.
What is the Mercato Albinelli?
The city's covered food market. It opened on 28 October 1931 and is named after Luigi Albinelli, mayor from 1900 to 1908, who wanted it built. A wrought-iron gate marks the entrance, and at the centre stands a fountain by Giuseppe Graziosi: a young girl with a basket of flowers.
Today it has 49 stalls, five restaurants and a historic bar, and by its own count it had 1,600,000 visitors in 2025. Its website opens with "In bicicletta verso il Mercato": by bicycle to the market.
It keeps the city's words for its food: tortellini are Turtléin, Lambrusco is Lambròsch, the local prosciutto crudo is Parsùt crûd, and there is Torta Barozzi, a Modenese cake. The tourism office adds a correction: the little breads often called tigelle are properly crescentine. A Modenese meal, it says, begins with gnocco fritto and tigelle, with cured meats and cheeses.
What happens in Modena on 31 January?
It is the feast of San Geminiano. Market stalls fill the historic centre from 8 am to 8 pm, there is a historical procession, the Ghirlandina opens to visitors and the Museo Civico is free. The feast has its own road race too, the Corrida di San Geminiano, over 13.35 km. In 2026 it reached its 52nd edition.
September brings the festivalfilosofia, across Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo. Its 26th edition, on 18 to 20 September 2026, took "chaos" as its theme, with free entry throughout.
Which opera singers were born in Modena?
Two, in the same year. The soprano Mirella Freni was born in Modena on 27 February 1935, and the tenor Luciano Pavarotti on 12 October 1935, the son of a baker who sang in the city's Corale Gioachino Rossini. The two shared the same wet nurse.
Freni made her debut at home, at the Teatro Municipale, on 3 March 1955, as Micaëla in Carmen, a few days after her twentieth birthday. Both died in Modena: Pavarotti in 2007, Freni in 2020.
Modena, measured in years
| Date | What happened | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1099 | Work begins on the cathedral | Cathedral and tower: 1099 to 1319 |
| 1319 | The Ghirlandina is finished | More than two centuries after the first stone |
| 1931 | The Mercato Albinelli opens | Still trading, with 49 stalls |
| 1935 | Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti are born | Freni's debut in the city: 1955 |
| 1997 | Cathedral, tower and square join the UNESCO list | A site of 1.2 hectares |
| Each 31 January | The feast of San Geminiano | The road race reached its 52nd edition in 2026 |
| Every bottle of Tradizionale DOP | The vinegar earns its name | No less than twelve years |
What does Modena have to do with a leather case?
The city gives the cases their name and a way of thinking, nothing more.
The idea is patience that shows on the surface. A phone case does not count in decades, and we would rather say that plainly: it counts in weeks and months. Crazy Horse is a waxed finish, not an animal (on the iPhone cases, the hide is cow). It marks easily, many light marks fade when you rub them with your fingers or with warmth, and each use darkens and smooths the places you touch most.
Our article on leather patina explains why, and our leather guide sets Crazy Horse beside oil-wax, pull-up and Nappa.
Which Modena case should you choose?
There are two Modena iPhone cases and one for AirPods. Their product pages describe the two iPhone cases differently.
| Modena Crazy Horse | Modena Pull-Up | Modena AirPods | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather, as described | Top-grain Crazy Horse cowhide | First-layer full-grain Crazy Horse cowhide, rich in natural oils | Crazy Horse leather, waxed finish |
| Coverage | Half-wrapped: back and sides, slim | Full cover, slightly raised edges at screen and camera | Inner shell and soft lining |
| Magnets | Integrated; works with MagSafe chargers and magnetic accessories | Internal magnet for magnetic charging | Not applicable |
| Details | Metal buttons, microfibre lining | Metal button covers, microfibre lining | Charging port left open |
- For the slimmest case: the Modena Crazy Horse. It covers the back and sides without turning the phone into a block.
- For full grain and more coverage: the Modena Pull-Up. Our guide to full-grain, top-grain and genuine leather explains the labels.
- If you charge on MagSafe every night: on both cases, frequent use of magnetic chargers can leave a visible ring where the magnet sits. It is the oil-rich leather reacting, not a defect, but weigh it if you want an even surface. See leather cases and MagSafe.
- For full-grain leather tanned in Italy: look at the Ferrara, whose story we told in the city behind our bestselling case.
The AirPods case has the same finish, so it marks and builds patina the same way. Select your AirPods model on the product page. Both iPhone cases are in our iPhone collection.
How do you care for a Modena case?
- Wipe, do not scrub. A soft, dry cloth. A slightly damp one is fine on the Pull-Up.
- No alcohol or aggressive cleaners.
- Rub out light marks with the warmth of your fingers.
- Expect slight colour transfer at first if your hands are very sweaty. The colour settles and deepens where you touch it.
- Keep the AirPods case away from excess moisture.
For rain and deeper marks, see our care guide by leather type.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the case called Modena?
Modena is the name of the case and the idea behind it. A city that measures good things in years, for a leather that gets better with them.
Is Crazy Horse leather made from horses?
No. Crazy Horse is a waxed finish. On both Modena iPhone cases, the hide is cowhide.
What is the difference between the Modena and the Modena Pull-Up?
The Modena Crazy Horse is described as top-grain cowhide in a slim, half-wrapped design. The Modena Pull-Up is described as first-layer full-grain cowhide in a full-cover design with raised edges. Both have metal buttons and magnets.
Will MagSafe leave a mark on a Modena case?
It can. Frequent magnetic charging can leave a visible ring in the magnet area: oil-rich leather behaving naturally, not a defect.
What is the difference between the Modena and the Ferrara?
Both are Crazy Horse cowhide. The Ferrara is full-grain leather tanned by Mastrotto in Vicenza, Italy, in a full-cover case with a built-in MagSafe magnet. The Modena line adds a slim half-wrapped option and a full-grain Pull-Up option.
What is worth seeing in Modena?
The cathedral, the Ghirlandina and Piazza Grande, then the Mercato Albinelli. If you can choose your date, 31 January, when the centre fills with stalls for San Geminiano.
Written by the Capini Firenze team. We work with these leathers every day and update this guide when our materials change. City facts from UNESCO, the DOP production code, the Comune di Modena, the Mercato Albinelli, Visit Modena and festivalfilosofia.
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