Sandwiched between the valleys of the Santerno and Sillaro rivers, the Casalfiumanese area is characterised by steep hills.
Historians from past centuries defined the layout of the territory as ‘bizarre’ as it resembles an open hand, with the hamlets of Carseggio, Valsellustra, Sassoleone and San Martino in Pedriolo nestling in the slopes that run down to the Santerno river and the smaller Sillaro and Sellustra creeks.
Cited in records since 1127 as Castrum Casale, the land belonging to this municipality used to unify several small settlements. The remnants of these communities can still be seen in the fortified ruins, churches and sanctuaries that dot the area.
In the Middle Ages, Casalfiumanese (and its fortified settlements) came under the control of the Municipality of Bologna; the latter was keen to acquire this extensive territory as it was perfectly positioned to cultivate trade and political ties with the Duchy of Florence. Back then, the fortified settlements belonging to Castrum Casale already included the two small towns that continue to play a key role in this vast territory: Sassoleone and Fiagnano.
