Churches and religious buildings
The Sanctuary was built in 1745 to house a venerated image of the Madonna. The artifact, painted on wood and dating probably to the seventeenth century, was found among the stones (or sassi) on the banks of the Secchia River—hence the name “Sassola.” The Sanctuary houses an extraordinary collection of ex-votos from the 1700s to the present.
The Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Castle, a magnificent example of Baroque architecture, dominates the hill of Fiorano, in the place where the ancient castle stood, near the old town. It is the symbol of the town and a visual reference point for anyone arriving from the surrounding plain.
The façade of this now restored church-oratory has a single door. Inside, over the main altar, there is a rich baroque frame holding the sacred image painted by Giusti.
The abbatial church as it stands today was consecrated in 1518 and the wonderful Cloister of the Columns was added in subsequent years. The wealth of art works from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries inside the church include six large terracotta sculptures depicting the Virgin Mary of Conception and various saints by Antonio Begarelli, together with his last work, the Apogeo Begarelliano in the ninth chapel, and the Pietà. The sixteenth- century organ by Giovanni Battista Facchetti is worthy of note, as is the particularly fine sacristy with frescos by Girolamo da Vignola. Adjacent to the church is the Monastic Dispensary and vinegar laboratory.
It was restored in the mid-400s by order of Giovanni and Francesco Pic, Lords of Mirandola;
Majestic and solemn in its warm sheath of bricks, the Basilica owes its current appearance to the radical restoration done between 1946 and 1966, aimed at restoring the building’s original Romanesque style.
The Romanesque church is situated near the ancient route of Via Vandelli. The building already stood in 1127 when Fredolfo, provost of the Cathedral of Modena, granted land to the Church of Saint James the Apostle, situated in Colombaro, in honour of Santa Maria di Marola.
An authentic jewel of Este Baroque architecture, the Sanctuary has an interior of noble sumptuousness, with a rich array of stuccoes and altars.
The Sanctuary of Puianello was built in 1716 upon request of Marquise Teresa Rangoni and it was dedicated to Our Lady of Heath. The building features a Baroque style with a Latin cross layout and hosts valuable pieces of art, including a painting thought to be a work of painter Giacomo Cavedoni.
The interior is very spacious and preserves a terracotta crucifixion by Antonio Begarelli and a precious organ by Traeri.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta is the main religious building of Castelfranco Emilia, located along the Via Emilia.
The Church of the Annunciata dates back to 1643 and is also known as the "Chiesa Rigata" for the facade with transversal bands, black and white.