Sassuolo

The territory was inhabited in ancient times by the pile-dwelling terramare civilization, then by an Eastern Ligurian tribe called Friniates during the Iron Age. The Celt Boii settled this land beginning from 400 BC, overlapping with the Friniates. The Boii represent the most powerful and numerous Celtic tribe of Northern Italy, or Cisalpine Gaul. They fiercely opposed to the Roman conquest of Cisalpine Gaul.

The first historical mention of the town dates to 980. In 1078, the consuls of Sassuolo swore loyalty to the commune of Modena. In 1373, the city passed to the Este family at the request of the citizens themselves, who obtained the right to extract water from the river Secchia.

The town was also the capital of the homonymous signoria (which also included the town of Soliera), led by the house of Pio and existing from 1499 to 1599, when it was directly annexed to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio of which it remained a possession until the Italian Unification.[3]

Located in the central-western area of its province, at the border with Reggio Emilia, Sassuolo borders with the municipalities of Casalgrande (RE), Castellarano (RE), Fiorano Modenese, Formigine, Prignano sulla Secchia and Serramazzoni.[4] It counts the hamlets (frazioni) of Montegibbio, Salvarola Terme and San Michele dei Mucchietti.

the Ducal palace of Sassuolo

• The Ducal palace of Sassuolo, designed by architect Bartolomeo Avanzini in 1634. In 1638–56 parts of the interior was frescoed by the French Baroque painter Jean Boulanger. Angelo Michele Colonna, Agostino Mitelli, Baldassare Bianchi and Giovanni Giacomo Monti were also invited by Boulanger to work on the palace decoration. Luca Colombi, Giovanni Lazzoni, Lattanzio Maschio, Guercino, Salvator Rosa, Ludovico Lana also contributed. At ground level is a large pool surrounded by ruins, called il Fontanazzo (broadly "the large fountain").
• The church and convent of San Giuseppe.
• The castle of Montegibbio, originally constructed in 920 and destroyed in 1325 and 1501, only to be then rebuilt in 1636.[5]

The industrial growth of Sassuolo began in the 1950s. Eighty percent of all Italian ceramic tiles are produced here, with more than 300 ceramic factories operating in the Sassuolo district (as Marazzi Group, Refin and Marca Corona,). The city is currently the centre of Italian tile industry and one of the most important tile producers in the world.

• Pierangelo Bertoli (1942–2002), singer
• Andrea Bertolini (born 1973), racing car driver
• Caterina Caselli (born 1946), singer
• Fabrizio Giovanardi (born 1966), racing car driver
• Giuseppe Medici (1907–2000), politician
• Andrea Montermini (born 1964), racing car driver
• Leo Morandi (1923–2009), inventor, ceramist
• Filippo "Nek" Neviani (born 1972), singer-songwriter
• Graziano Pattuzzi (born 1955), politician
• Camillo Ruini (born 1931), cardinal
• Alessandro Conti (born 1980), singer, artist

Sassuolo is the home town of Serie A side U.S. Sassuolo Calcio; it also includes the stadium Stadio Enzo Ricci. However, the team no longer play games in the city, having moved first to Stadio Alberto Braglia in Modena which was Sassuolo's temporary home while playing in Serie B from 2008 and subsequently to Reggio Emilia at the renovated Stadio Città del Tricolore (formerly Stadio Giglio) in a venue-sharing agreement with Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Reggiana.[6] Upon their promotion to Serie A in 2013 U.S. Sassuolo Calcio; joined a select group of teams not belonging to a provincial capital city: Empoli, Legnano, Pro Patria, Carpi and Casale.[7]

Volley Sassuolo is the local volleyball team.[8]

The Memorial Argo Manfredini tennis tournament is played in the city.

• Sassolino – anise liqueur

• Irsina, Italy
• Lucoli, Italy (since 2011)[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sassuolo.

• Visit Sassuolo Tourism Informations
• City homepage
• Sassuolo 2000
• Sassuolo on-line