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Via Vandelli is a historical commercial and military road, designed and built in the 18th century by Domenico Vandelli under the reign of Francesco III d'Este between 1739 and 1752. The road connected the city of Modena with the city of Massa, in its original project of 1739. In the 1750s, a variant was added, connecting Sassuolo, a residence of the Duke of Ferrara and of Modena, with the existing road from Modena to Massa. After Roman roads, Via Vandelli was the first road in Europe to be designed and realized according to a project fulfilling the customer requirements and modern engineering criteria. It is also the first road to be provided with taverns, inns and staging posts.