I've been wanting to visit the Ferrari Museum as far back as I can remember. For a car guy who focusses on design, Ferraris stir the soul in ways that few cars can. And it is no surprise that Ferraris are from Italy and specifically, the Modena region. The supercar industry is here - not just Ferrari, but Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani and de Tomaso (of 70's Pantera fame) all hale from this area.

And not to be missed, the city of Modena itself is a quintessential Italian town with its Duomo dating from 1099, its Town Hall with its Torre dell'Orlogio (clock tower) from the 15th century and its magical 19th century market. On the edge of town, is the mysterious and haunting Cementerio San Cataldo, a cemetery complex designed by the famous Italian architect, Aldo Rossi . The competition winning drawings from 1972 figured prominently in my architectural education as a primary example of the revival of the 1920's Italian Rationalism with its abstract and geometric forms and alternating solids and voids, dark and light.

This book offers a taste of Modena - the sports cars, race cars, and engines - that tell the story of Enzo Ferrari's bravado, vision, taste and mastery and the intrigue of the town and the deep, dark Cementerio San Cataldo.