The castle of Montegibbio stands in the hamlet of the same name, in the hills of Sassuolo. It was built in 920 and at first used by the canons of Parma Cathedral to defend themselves from Hungarian raids. It then passed to Boniface of Canossa and his daughter Matilda, and later to the Della Rosa, lords of Sassuolo. In 1325 it was destroyed by the Mantuan Ghibelline Francesco Bonaccolsi, and the following year the Della Rosa rebuilt it; in 1375 it was ceded to the Este and in 1499 to the Pio di Savoia.
What to see
The courtyard has the shape of an irregular ellipse, and around it the various parts of the complex can be made out: the rectory with the bell tower, the church of San Pietro Martire, the marquis's palace and the castle tower. There are also a dovecote and the service house, used as a hayloft and store; at the far end is a kitchen garden.
At the entrance is the building that now houses Sassuolo's municipal balsamic vinegar loft, and on the left the cemetery of Montegibbio.
Visiting
Since 1971 the castle has belonged to the municipality of Sassuolo. Openings, visits and events should be checked on the website of the castle or the municipality.
Our editors' tip
In 1501 the castle was destroyed by an earthquake linked to the Salsa di Montegibbio, the local mud volcano, and lay abandoned for more than a century: it was rebuilt only after 1636, when the fief passed to the Boschetti of Modena, and it was renovated by the Borsari of Finale Emilia, owners from 1851.
