Touristic points of interest in the territory of Fiorano Modenese
Fiorano is one of the main municipalities of the Modena Province. In ancient times it was called "the beautiful place", due to its hilly landscapes forming the foothills of the Apennines. The plain, instead, is populated by more than sixteen thousand inhabitants and dotted by many productive companies.
Scientists cite Fiorano for the Salse di Nirano, car fans know it for the Ferrari's circuit, archeologists are more familiar with the characteristic Neolithic ceramic culture named "Cultura di Fiorano" and Catholics come for pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Beata Vergine del Castello.
Speaking about economy, Fiorano is the productive core of the "sassolese" district, world leader of tiles. The municipal territory hosts the headquarters or the productive factories of the most important groups of this sector and of its induced activities, plus a network of 2.000 firms and 15.000 job opportunities.
Population has tripled since 1957, when Fiorano was declared a less-favored zone and its millennial relationship with its land, which determined its development thanks to its cultivations, fruit trees and vineyards, changed towards the exploitation of clays for the tile factories. Clays are, in fact, abundant in the hilly margin, where they form badlands, characteristic narrow crests washed out by running waters.
Fiorano is little more than 26 square kilometers, crossed by the Fossa torrent, in ancient times rich of water and wandering, hosting the first inhabitants on its banks. Many adjacent small towns form an almost unique town stretching from the Secchia river to the Tiepido torrent, comprising the territories of Sassuolo and Maranello and populated by communities different from each other for culture and traditions.
Within the municipality of Fiorano, some villages must be mentioned: Spezzano, similar to Fiorano for the number of its inhabitants, Nirano, Cameazzo and Ubersetto; in total 16.500 inhabitants.
Not only the Salse di Nirano are worth of mention. In Fiorano, some more treasures are worth a visit. Coming down from the Reserve towards Spezzano, partly hidden by a hill, the Castle of Spezzano appears: the Municipality has restored it and transformed to a place for plays, congresses, temporary expositions and for the interesting Museum of Ceramics and Tiles, structured as an educational circuit for all ages. The ancient Rocca dei Pio retains pictorial series from the XVI century in the Gallery of Battles and in the Room of the Views and it hosts important congresses and happenings such as the Guitar Festival MAF Music in Fiorano or the Biennial of the Ceramic Art.
Near the village of Spezzano, the Parrish hosts the grave of Ciro Menotti, the hero of the Risorgimento that was executed after the Carbonari uprisings of 1831.
Turning towards Maranello it is possible to reach the Fiorano Circuit, owned by Ferrari, hosting test sessions both for road and F1 Ferrari cars.
To the opposite direction, towards Fiorano, already from far away it is possible to see the Baroque Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Castello, a Marian basilica, symbol of the town. Inside the basilica, it is retained a miraculous mural, perhaps a medieval majesty conserved at the entrance of the rock, that in 1558 did not suffer any damage by the fire set by irregular Spanish soldieries. Since then, a popular devotion arose and in 1630 the inhabitants of Fiorano, believing that a miracle preserved them by the plague, decided to build the sanctuary.
Also in 1855 the population believed that another miracle preserved them by a cholera epidemic and they committed themselves to finish the temple. Many ex-voto and some paintings confirm the popular devotion that keeps living around the Beata Vergine del Castello, attracting thousands of people for the secular festival on the 8th of September.
The hill of the sanctuary overlooks the plane until the Prealps and marks the start of a path towards the panoramic Ruvinello, or around the hill, along Brascaglia road, between the houses of the most ancient village.
Coming down towards the centre of Fiorano, along the stairs that border the XVII-century Villa Coccapani, the Parrish of San Giovanni Battista can be seen. It retains a stone of the XV-century baptismal font. On the eastern hill overlooking Fiorano, the precious architectural lines of Villa Vigarani Guastalla (owned by the company Emilceramica) are surrounded by a park rich of secular essences. Inside the villa, ceramics produced in Sassuolo in the XVIII and in the XIX centuries are exhibited.
For anyone who wants to visit the surroundings of Fiorano, the suggestion is to travel towards the Apennine from Nirano, stopping for a visit at the Romanic church of Rocca Santa Maria or on the hills of Sassuolo where health and beauty have their sanctuary at the Salavarola Terms. In the town centre of Sassuolo, worth a visit are the Ducal Palace and the close San Francesco.
In Formigine, the castle is going to be reopen soon; it will be the site of a museum and an exhibition place. Maranello, the kingdom of motors, awaits visitors at the Ferrary Gallery where the birth and performance of a myth are narrated.
