Modena lies at 34 meters above sea level and not much is left of the roman city which was built over during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance by a ring structure with narrow streets and open galleries. The pentagonal fortification built in the 15th century has now given way to avenues and gardens beyond which the new suburbs have developed. The most ancient part still holds a rich historic patrimony: the Romanesque Cathedral (11th to 13th centuries) with it’s famous tower called Ghirlandina (87 m), the Ducal Palace (17th century) now the home of the Military Academy, the Estense Gallery, the churches of S. Pietro (15th to 16th centuries), S. Giovanni Battista, S Maria Pomposa, both from the 18th century and the University buildings.