Starting from 1099 the Romanesque cathedral of Modena was erected at the place of a previous building. In 1997 the cathedral together with the Torre Civica and the Piazza Grande was included into the UNESCO world heritage list.

In the 11th and 12th centuries Nonantola was one of the most powerful and most influential abbies in North Italy. Founded in 752, the abbey with its architectural fabric and its numerous preserved artefacts, is a unique testimonial of the Romanesque époque.

Traditionally said to have been founded by Castaldo dei Longobardi in the mid-eighth century. The Pieve di Santa Maria, a parish church, was built in the early twelfth century, over the ruins of a previous, Longobard building, and was consecrated in 1184, since which time it has been called "La Sagra".

The cathedral of Ferrara explores traces of different historical phases. The magnificent façade with its unique three-divided body was started in Romanesque style. The large entrance portal (1135) with its wonderful relieves goes back to its beginnings.

The imprint left by the Middle Ages on the city of Parma are still significant and quite visible. From an urban-planning standpoint, in the twelfth century the structuring of religious presence was emblematic, choosing the location of the ancient, early Christian cathedral.