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All’inizio del governo di Francesco V, il Foro Boario aveva cominciato
a essere occupato dai soldati austriaci che non avevano trovato posto
nella caserma della Cittadella, ma quando il duca ritornò in città dopo
l’allontanamento a seguito dei moti risorgimentali del 1848, confermò
alla Comunità di Modena l’uso del Foro per il mercato del bestiame.
Ma per le truppe austriache in città, si trovò alloggio proprio sotto i
porticati del Foro, rendendo disagevoli le attività commerciali e si co-
minciarono a chiudere i fornici del porticato.
In particolare in una nota che venne inviata al Ministro della Guerra
nel 1876 si legge che “Il 24 settembre 1853 essendosi stabilito in Mo-
dena un presidio di truppe austriaco onde sorreggere il governo Esten-
se, il Comandante d’esse truppe emanò divieto di tenere il mercato
sotto i portici del Foro Boario. Contro tale intimidazione ricorse la
Comunità al Ministero dell’Interno, perché tenendo calcolo allo scopo
pel quale il fabbricato era stato eretto, fosse posta a disposizione del
mercato almeno una parte del portico; ed infatti nel 5 novembre 1853
Modena - Foro Boario | Foro Boario
summer heat and in case of rain. The upper floor can be used as storage
rooms, accommodation, infirmary and, if necessary, as barracks”.
At the beginning of Francesco V’s Government, the Foro Boario was oc-
cupied by the Austrian soldiers that could not find space in the barrack
of the Cittadella. However, when the Duke came back to the city, after
the 1848 insurgence of various renaissance uprising, he confirmed to
Modena’s community the use of the Foro Boario as seat of the cattle mar-
ket. The Austrian troupes found an accommodation exactly under the
Foro’s porticos, with the result of making it difficult to carry out com-
mercial transactions. So, the arches of the portico started to be closed.
In particular, in a note sent to the Ministry of war in 1976 we can read
that: “On September 24, 1853, since an Austrian garrison of troops ar-
rived in Modena to support the Este’s Government, the Commander
of these troops banned the cattle market placed inside the Foro Boario’s
porticos. Modena’s population, as a reaction against this intimidation,
decided to ask for the help from the Interior Ministry in order to leave
at least part of the portico for the market – in light of the purpose for
which it was firstly built-. As a matter of fact, on November 5, 1853
the Ministry issued that in rainy days the Austrian garrison should have
left the area corresponding to the five central arches of the Foro Boario
to the market. From that moment on, a military occupation started in
the complex. It was first closed in some parts by brick walls, and later
in its entirety and all around with the same methods, so it never came
back to its original destination of use”.
Therefore, the Foro lost its original function and even once the Aus-
trian troops left the Dukedom in 1855 the complex was occupied
regularly by passing troops.
Between 1854-55, during the cholera outbreak, the first floor of the
Foro Boario was used as military hospital. In the same years a project was
elaborated to definitively transform the building into barracks – and
for this reason all the arches were walled up.
Luigi Righi, Allegoria del Tempo, 1837-1838
Luigi Righi, Allegoria delle Scienze e delle Arti, 1837-1838