Sassuolo | Gallerie Estensi

A small Versailles in the heart of Emilia.

A few kilometres from Modena lies a place described as the ‘Este delight’: the Sassuolo Ducal Palace. This site, near the Emilian foothills and the river Secchia, was chosen not just due to the presence of an old castle on which the plan of the palace was based, but also for its healthy climate and waters. To this day Sassuolo is a thermal resort.

In line with the baroque tastes of the period, the Este family modelled their country seat on the principal palaces of Europe, which from the 17^th century became symbols of the Absolutist age: vast in scale, magnificent, with rich decorative schemes and large open spaces around them, designed as parks and hunting grounds.

To this day, the Ducal Palace at Sassuolo has a strong presence in the city: as well as being Sassuolo’s greatest attraction, it is also a green lung, with its vast park open to the public.

Palazzo Ducale di Sassuolo

Sassuolo

The story of the Palazzo goes back in time, probably dating back to the time of Matilde of Tuscany. During the thirteenth century, it was recorded as part of the Della Rosa kingdom until the Este conquest of 1373. It was the Marquis (and later Duke) of Ferrara himself, Borso d’Este, who initiated the works to convert the Palazzo from a fortified manor into a court residence which included the fres...

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