Founded by the Statielli Liguri, from whom the name perhaps derives, in the Middle Ages it suffered pirate raids and was almost destroyed by the Saracens in 935. Because of it strategic position it was much fought over. It belonged to Bonifacio del Vasto, to the Del Carretto marquises, the Ponzone marquises and the Doria marquises, who subsequently sold it to Genoa. Several times occupied by the Savoys, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815. The centre of Sassello dates from the seventeenth century and contains frescoed palazzos and Baroque churches. It is an ideal place for a holiday, with a quaint historic area and the portico passages typical of the 1672 reconstruction after a big fire. Of the fortifications erected by the Dorias between the 14th and the 15th century, on a hill there remain the ruins of the Bastia Inferiore and, near the village, those of the Bastia Superiore. Involved until the late Middle Ages in iron processing, it is known and appreciated worldwide for its traditional production of macaroons.
