The Ducal Palace of Sassuolo was commissioned by Duke Francesco I d’Este in 1634. The architect Bartolomeo Avanzini was tasked with transforming the Este castle into a modern suburban residence for summer vacations. The frescoes, paintings, stuccoes, and baroque-inspired sculptures that decorate the interiors of this Delight were created by artists Jean Boulanger, Angelo Michele Colonna, Agostino Mitelli, Luca Colombi, Lattanzio Maschio. The Neptune fountain that triumphs in the inner courtyard of the Palace is elaborated from a terracotta sketch by Antonio Raggi, a worthy student of Bernini. From 1941 to 2004, the Palace housed part of the Military Academy of Modena before coming under the direction of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism. The current visitor's path includes a rich exhibition recently set up as a 'study gallery', a visit to the sumptuous frescoed rooms that made up the grand ducal apartments with excellent examples of trompe l'oeil and quadraturism, and the exhibition of a collection of monochrome works by European and American masters of the 20th century, specially commissioned for the Ducal Palace and donated to the State by Giovanna and Giuseppe Panza di Biumo.