There is a very elaborate, highly finished crypt just beneath the main altar of the Modena cathedral. Santo Geminiano is buried here.

One feature is a group of colored terracotta statues called Madonna della Pappa, made by local artisan Guido Mazzoni at the end of the 14th century.

On the right of the Virgin is “Suor Papina,” a nun who blows the soup onto the spoon before offering it to the Baby Jesus who holds a bensone in his hand.

What is a bensone?

It’s one of the oldest desserts of Modena, popular since middle age and during religious celebrations. It may not be as gourmet as torta Barozzi, but a perfect fit for Modena Cathedral.

Precious marbles and thin onyx slabs decorate the symmetric crypt of Modena Cathedral.