WEIRD Bologna and Modena in Italy

Can you tell us how “WEIRD” you are? On a scale of Zeppo Marx to The Donald, for example, where would you place yourself?

Weird what?? Foods unusual to you??

Venues with “world” music? Ethnic markets?

What did you find in Atlas Obscura??? The medical museums looked interesting. Have to check Modena.

Do you like cars?

Something like that: https://arte-4-you.com/2025/09/07/santa-caterina-da-bologna-la-storia-del-corpo-incorrotto/ ?

Or something like that: https://arte-4-you.com/2025/09/07/santa-caterina-da-bologna-la-storia-del-corpo-incorrotto/ ? (the skulls are exposed now at the Archeological museum in Bologna).

Or this museum: https://sma.unibo.it/it/il-sistema-museale/collezione-delle-cere-anatomiche-l-cattaneo ?

What towns does your tour visit??

Try a Greeter free walk in each city and ask each Greeter to show you offbeat stuff. Google. Greeter Bologna. Not sure Modena has such a program.

That's a good idea.....and ask a few locals but maybe you should clarify more what you mean....just saying weird is a little confusing. If it's weird to me it might be "normal" to you!!!

I bet it would be interesting to visit a mortadella maker. I got so interested that I just looked this up and it does seem possible to watch the process.....but is that "weird??"

When does this trip take place? How about watching a matanza (of pig) if it's in late fall??

Obscura is in the distorted mind of the beholder and words will inevitably fail. The Ettore Guatelli museum is at least mind altering and, if you're not disciplined, life altering. My digital camera algorithm begged me to stop taking photos. Not far from Parma.
https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/10/18/the-museum-of-the-every-object-you-can-probably-think-of/

welcome to the Forums - what an interesting first post!

If the Atlas Obscura isn't weird enough for you, can you give us a bit more to go on? What do you think so far?

Have you looked at dark tourism sites? Here's one: https://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/italy

What do I mean by WEIRD? The Clown Egg Registry in London. The HR Giger themed bar in Zurich - or any themed bar. The rotating Kafka head in Prague. The Peculiarium in Portland OR. Robot Restaurant in Tokyo - or any themed restaurant. The Leprechaun Museum in Dublin. The Atomium in Brussels. The Scotch Whiskey Experience in Edinburgh. The War of the Worlds experience in London. The giant eyeball that used to be in Chicago. Anything to do with chocolate anywhere. Scifi, horror, gothic, clowns, jesters, devils, chocolate. Plus wine and whiskey, but unusual. That about sums it up.

Chiesa della Santa in Bologna has the mummified body of Saint Catherine of Bologna on display.

Palazzo Poggi Museum https://sma.unibo.it/en/the-university-museum-network/museum-of-palazzo-poggi

Got it---kind of camp-ish.

Museum of the botton: https://www.romagna.net/santarcangelo-di-romagna/musei/museo-del-bottone/
Museum of the Mask: https://www.reggioemiliawelcome.it/it/castelnovo-di-sotto/scopri-il-territorio/arte-e-cultura/musei-gallerie/museo-della-maschera-di-carnevale
Museums of dolls: https://www.bolognawelcome.com/it/luoghi/musei-e-collezioni-private/museo-delle-bambole---collezione-marie-paule-vedrine-andolfatto
Museum of puppets: https://www.bolognawelcome.com/it/luoghi/musei-e-collezioni-private/museo-dei-burattini
Museo Civico di Modena and its wide collection of different things: www.museocivicomodena.it
Museum of Stickers: fmav.org/museo-della-figurina/
House of Butterflies: https://casadellefarfalle.net/
Manholes museums: https://www.manholemuseum.it/
Tarot museums: https://www.museodeitarocchi.com/
Flipper museum: https://www.tilt.it/flipper_pinball/museo/
Masone's Maze: https://www.labirintodifrancomariaricci.it/
Museum about Napoleon and Maria Luigia: https://www.museoglaucolombardi.it/ (should be visited even the collection of XVIII-XIX century inside the Pilotta).