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Sassuolo (; ) is an Italian
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
, ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'', and industrial centre of the
Province of Modena The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena. It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...
in
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
. Standing on the right bank of the river
Secchia The Secchia (; ; called by Pliny )''Naturalis Historia'', Book 3, chap. xvi. is an Italian river. One of the main right bank tributaries of the Po, it flows through the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is long, and has a drainage b ...
some southwest of
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
, the town is best known for being the centre of the Italian tile industry and for being the home town of
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
side
U.S. Sassuolo Calcio Unione Sportiva Sassuolo Calcio, commonly referred to as Sassuolo (), is an Italian professional football club based in Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna. Their colours are black and green, hence the nickname ''Neroverdi'' (literally "black and greens", ...
.


Etymology

The exact origin of the toponym ''Sassuolo'' is unclear. One theory is that it might derive from the abundant deposits of petroleum found in the area. This is because petroleum was anciently known as "''stone oil''" or "''olio di sasso''" in Italian, from which the composite word Sassuolo (''sasso + olio'') may have been created. Another hypothesis is that the name derives from the Latin words ''saxum solum'' meaning "''rocky soil''". This last theory seems to have inspired both the coat of arms and the town's motto - ''sic ex murice gemmae -'' which is Latin for "thus from the rock, buds".


History

The territory was inhabited in ancient times by the pile-dwelling terramare civilization, then by an Eastern Ligurian tribe - the Friniates - during the Iron Age. The Celt
Boii The Boii (Latin language, Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; ) were a Celts, Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul (present-day Northern Italy), Pannonia (present-day Austria and Hungary), present-day Ba ...
then settled this land around 400 BC, overlapping with the Friniates. The Boii were the most powerful and numerous Celtic tribe of Northern Italy, or
Cisalpine Gaul Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy. Afte ...
, which they fiercely defended from the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
. Although the archeological evidence is scarce, it is hypothesized that a Roman
castrum ''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
may have been built in the area because of its strategic position. The first historical mention of the current settlement dates back to 980. In 1039 the town became part of the domains of
Boniface of Canossa Boniface III (also ''Boniface IV'' or ''Boniface of Canossa'') (c. 985 – 6 May 1052), son of Tedald of Canossa and the father of Matilda of Tuscany, was the most powerful north Italian prince of his age. By inheritance he was count (or lord) of ...
and was thus inherited by his daughter
Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Mathilda (gastropod), ''Mathilda'' (gastropod), a genus of gastropods in the family Mathildidae * Matilda (horse) (1824–1 ...
in 1076. In 1078, the consuls of Sassuolo swore loyalty to the commune of
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
. When Matilda died in 1115, the town became independent both from
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
and Modena. In 1373, the city was given to the Este family at the request of the citizens themselves, in exchange for the right to extract water from the river
Secchia The Secchia (; ; called by Pliny )''Naturalis Historia'', Book 3, chap. xvi. is an Italian river. One of the main right bank tributaries of the Po, it flows through the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is long, and has a drainage b ...
. The town was then ruled by the Este family until 1499, when it became the capital of the homonymous
signoria A ''signoria'' () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city-states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The word ''signoria'' comes from ''signore'' (), or "lord", an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government", "governi ...
ruled by the house of Pio. In 1599 the signoria was directly annexed to the
Duchy of Modena and Reggio The Duchy of Modena and Reggio (; ; ) was an Italian state created in 1452 located in Northern Italy, Northwestern Italy, in the present day region of Emilia-Romagna. It was ruled since its establishment by the noble House of Este, and from 1814 ...
of which it remained a possession until the
Italian Unification The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...
. From 1861 onwards, Sassuolo grew both in size and population. During the Second World War, immediately after the
Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
was made public on 8 September 1943, Sassuolo was swiftly occupied by German troops. The occupation was met with strong resistance from the civilian population, until the town was liberated on 23 April 1945 (
Saint George's Day Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, regions, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Greece, Georgia, Port ...
) by the
Brazilian Expeditionary Force The Brazilian Expeditionary Force (, FEB), nicknamed (literally "the Smoking Snakes"), was a military division of the Brazilian Army and Air Force that fought as part of Allied forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II. It numbere ...
.


Geography

Located in the central-western area of its province, at the border with
Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...
, Sassuolo borders with the municipalities of
Casalgrande Casalgrande ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about west of Bologna and about southeast of Reggio Emilia. As of 8 January 2017, it had a population of 19,21 ...
( RE),
Castellarano Castellarano ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about west of Bologna and about southeast of Reggio Emilia. Castellarano borders the following municipaliti ...
(RE),
Fiorano Modenese Fiorano Modenese (Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Modena in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about west of Bologna and about southwest of Modena. Neighboring municipalitie ...
,
Formigine Formigine ( Modenese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. As of 2023, Formigine had an estimated population of 34,406. History Formigine originates from the foundation of its castle in 1201 by the Comune of ...
, Prignano sulla Secchia and Serramazzoni. It counts the hamlets (''
frazioni A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...
'') of Montegibbio, Salvarola Terme and San Michele dei Mucchietti.


Main sights

* The Ducal palace of Sassuolo, designed by architect
Bartolomeo Avanzini Bartolomeo Avanzini (1608–1658) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Modena, Sassuolo and Reggio Emilia. The design for the Palazzo Ducale of Modena has been attributed to Avanzini, though between 1631 and 1634 Girola ...
in 1634. In 1638–56 parts of the interior was frescoed by the French
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
painter Jean Boulanger.
Angelo Michele Colonna Angelo Michele Colonna (21 September 1604 – 1687) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in Bologna, northern and central Italy and Spain. He is sometimes referred to as Michelangelo Colonna. Biography He was born in Rovenna. A ...
,
Agostino Mitelli Agostino Mitelli (16 March 1609 – 2 August 1660) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period and best known as a fresco painter of quadratura or illusionistic perspectival architectural frameworks. He was born in Sasso Marconi, Battedizzo, ne ...
, Baldassare Bianchi and
Giovanni Giacomo Monti Giovanni Giacomo Monti (born 1692) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He trained with Agostino Mitelli, the pre-eminent quadratura painter from Bologna. Monti became a colleague of Baldassare Bianchi, Mitelli's son-in-law. This partner ...
were also invited by Boulanger to work on the palace decoration. Luca Colombi, Giovanni Lazzoni, Lattanzio Maschio,
Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as (il) Guercino (), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vigorous n ...
,
Salvator Rosa Salvator Rosa (1615 – March 15, 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticized landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the ...
, 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.


Economy

The industrial growth of Sassuolo began in the 1950s. Eighty percent of all Italian
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
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 Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, Rock (geology), stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, wal ...
industry and one of the most important tile producers in the world.


People

*
Pierangelo Bertoli Pierangelo Bertoli (5 November 1942 – 7 October 2002) was an Italian singer-songwriter and poet. Close to Communism, libertarian communist issues his works told mainly about Environmentalism, environment, laïcité, antimilitarism and social is ...
(1942–2002), singer *
Andrea Bertolini Andrea Bertolini (born 1 December 1973, in Sassuolo) is an Italian professional racing driver currently driving for AF Corse in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory. Bertolini began racing a ...
(born 1973),
racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including ...
driver *
Caterina Caselli Caterina Caselli (born 10 April 1946) is an Italian singer, bass player, record producer and music executive. Biography Caselli was born in Modena but grew up in Sassuolo. She started her music career by playing bass in local clubs. In 1966 ...
(born 1946), singer *
Fabrizio Giovanardi Fabrizio Giovanardi (born 14 December 1966 in Sassuolo) is an Italian racing driver. During his career he has won ten touring car racing, touring car titles, including European and British crowns making him the most successful touring car driver ...
(born 1966),
racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including ...
driver *
Giuseppe Medici Giuseppe Medici (24 October 1907 – 21 August 2000) was an Italian politician and economist. Biography He was born in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena, to Agostino Medici and Ersilia Messori, the second of four children. In 1926, after g ...
(1907–2000), politician *
Andrea Montermini Andrea Montermini (born 30 May 1964) is an Italian racing driver. He drove in Formula One from 1994 to 1996. Career Montermini raced in Formula 3 in 1989, taking second place in the List of Monaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race winners, Mo ...
(born 1964),
racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including ...
driver * Leo Morandi (1923–2009), inventor,
ceramist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While ...
* Filippo "Nek" Neviani (born 1972), singer-songwriter *Graziano Pattuzzi (born 1955), politician *
Camillo Ruini Camillo Ruini (; born 19 February 1931) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who was made a cardinal in 1991. He served as president of the Italian Episcopal Conference from 1991 to 2007 and as Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome from ...
(born 1931),
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
*Alessandro Conti (born 1980), singer, artist


Sport

Sassuolo is the home town of
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
side
U.S. Sassuolo Calcio Unione Sportiva Sassuolo Calcio, commonly referred to as Sassuolo (), is an Italian professional football club based in Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna. Their colours are black and green, hence the nickname ''Neroverdi'' (literally "black and greens", ...
; it also includes the stadium
Stadio Enzo Ricci Stadio Enzo Ricci is a multi-use stadium in Sassuolo, Italy. It holds 4,008 people. It was used as professional football (soccer), football club U.S. Sassuolo Calcio's home ground prior to their promotion to Serie B in 2008, when it agreed on a mo ...
. However, the team no longer play games in the city, having moved first to
Stadio Alberto Braglia Stadio Alberto Braglia is a football stadium in Modena, Italy. The stadium was built in 1936 and holds 21,092 people. History Stadio Alberto Braglia was named after Alberto Braglia who was an Italian gymnast. Artists that have performed at the ...
in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
which was Sassuolo's temporary home while playing in
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
from 2008 and subsequently to
Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...
at the renovated
Stadio Città del Tricolore Stadio (literally, ''Stadium'') is an Italian pop rock band formed in 1977. The members are Giovanni Pezzoli (drums), Roberto Drovandi (bass guitar), Andrea Fornili (guitar), and Gaetano Curreri (vocals and keyboard). Formation and early reco ...
(formerly Stadio Giglio) in a venue-sharing agreement with
Lega Pro Prima Divisione Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into ...
club Reggiana. Upon their promotion to
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
in 2013
U.S. Sassuolo Calcio Unione Sportiva Sassuolo Calcio, commonly referred to as Sassuolo (), is an Italian professional football club based in Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna. Their colours are black and green, hence the nickname ''Neroverdi'' (literally "black and greens", ...
; joined a select group of teams not belonging to a provincial capital city:
Empoli Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno River, Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Ancient Ro ...
,
Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan, province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Legnano is located in the ...
, Pro Patria,
Carpi Carpi may refer to: Places * Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, a large town in the province of Modena, central Italy ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Carpi * Carpi (Africa), a city and former diocese of Roman Africa, now a Roman Catholic titular see People ...
and Casale. Volley Sassuolo is the local volleyball team. The
Memorial Argo Manfredini The Memorial Argo Manfredini is a tennis tournament held in Sassuolo, Italy since 2000. The event is part of the ''challenger series'' and is played on outdoor clay court A clay court is one of the types of tennis court on which the sport of ...
tennis tournament is played in the city.


Typical products

* Sassolino
anise liqueur Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless and, because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits (e.g. absinthe). The most traditional style of anisette ...
*Tiramolla - caramelized sugar exclusively sold during
Holy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,The day is also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. is ...


Twin towns

*
Irsina Irsina, until 1895 called Montepeloso (in local dialect: or ), is a town, ''comune'' (municipality) and former Latin bishopric in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("T ...
, Italy * Lucoli, Italy (since 2011)


References


External links


Visit Sassuolo Tourism InformationsCity homepageSassuolo 2000Sassuolo on-line
{{authority control Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna