THE ANCIENT TRADES IN MARCHE

Transcript

THE ANCIENT TRADES IN MARCHE
A journey to discover
the ancient trades
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A seam of culture and ancient traditions runs
through Marche that risks remaining
unknown not only by travellers who visit this
land, but also by its inhabitants.
Protected by the stone walls around small
towns, you can still find many artisans who
were once employed in local agriculture. This
same population is the one Corrado Alvaro
said was “full of workers: who still work with
wrought iron and who have learnt the old
trades well, smiths and carpenters, good
builders…”.
Capable and inventive, they knew how to
meet every need: the blacksmith, who also
worked as a farrier, bent iron into elegant
scrolls; the carpenter, known locally as the
marangone, built coloured birocci (twowheeled carts) and chests for brides; the
builder, swapping clay for bricks, helped the
potter.
Women’s work was equally important: linen
fabrics printed with rust- or blue-coloured
patterns and woven fabrics made up the
bride’s dowry (an old Marche proverb says
“Donna co’ la conocchia / fortunati a quilli
che tocca” “Woman with a distaff / lucky he
who gets her). While in Offida the lacemakers, who are still working, made precious
embroidery on the bobbin and in Falerone
and Acquaviva Picena expert hands wove,
with great patience, useful paiarole, straw or
wicker baskets.
While it’s true that many ancient trades,
mainly associated with share-cropping, are
disappearing and being absorbed by industrialisation (such as the carpenters in the Pesaro
area or the shoemakers in the Fermo area), it
is still undeniable that an extraordinary world
thrives in old villages across Marche where,
among keeps and bell towers, alleys, small
squares, theatres, museums, near crowded
beaches or old farmhouses, you can still meet
men and women keeping traditional trades
alive, using their ability and creativity to mix
ancient skills with today’s tastes.
In fact, the tradition of artistic craftwork is so
widespread in the region that it’s quite difficult to point out the best-known places and
the most characteristic products; just think of
the street names in the town centres and how
many times we see: via dei vasari (potters
street), degli orefici (goldsmiths street), della
cartiera (paperworks street), della lana
(wool street), or borgo conce (tanners
square), porta del cuoio (leather gate), or
fonte canapina (hemp spring).
The journalist Ermete Grifoni wrote wittily:
“Ask someone from Marche what the typical
Marche product is and he’ll have trouble
answering. Or perhaps better, you’ll get
some interesting answers. If the person is
from Ancona, he will tell you accordions. If
he’s from Ascoli, it’ll be straw hats. If he’s
from Macerata, then it’s shoes and if he’s
from Pesaro, it’s pottery”.
But that’s not all, because alongside these
now consolidated traditions, are many
ancient trades of various types: smiths who
specialise in working wrought iron and copper; leather workers who produce parchment
objects, elegant items of furniture and clothing accessories; paper makers, specialists in
restoration and in various woodworking
techniques; goldsmiths and silversmiths,
armourers, musical instrument makers,
including luthiers and organ makers, tapestry
weavers, textile designers, carpet weavers,
embroiderers and lacemakers, master glassmakers, and again, stone, straw and cane
workers, pipe manufacturers, bell makers,
and watchmakers. So much so that the
Region has created an initiative, “1M Marche craftwork excellence”, to enhance,
promote and protect this artistic and productive universe which can claim more than
2,550 workshops around the region.
Through the twelve itineraries found on the
following pages, you can choose to enjoy the
pleasure of discovering the ancient trades.
Combine a visit to a workshop to do some
shopping with a visit to one of the many
museums of folk traditions and to the small
and lively markets of artistic craftwork.
Given the liveliness and dynamism that characterise the artisan world, the attached list,
indicating the craft workshops, may seem
incomplete. If this is the case, please tell us
what is missing so that we can continuously
update this work.
1. Pietrarubbia
2. Sassocorvaro
3. Urbania
4. Sant’Angelo in Vado
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he heart of Montefeltro is an enchanted land
full of ancient villages, monasteries and castles.
Worth a visit: Urbania, a fourteenth-century renaissance town, surrounded by walls and famous for the
Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s Palace) designed by
Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Gerolamo Genga,
the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palace) and the
Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), as well as numerous churches full of works of art and the Parco
Ducale (Duke’s Park) and the Barco, the hunting
grounds of the Dukes of Urbino.
Very significant is the ancient Chiesa della
Compagnia della Morte (Church of the Company
of Death) where twelve mummies, noted for their
facial expressions, have been conserved and are on
show to the public.
Worth seeing in the surrounding area: Sant’Angelo
in Vado, famous for truffles; Mercatello sul
Metauro with mediaeval houses and the exquisite
renaissance palace; the evocative alleys and the
Chiesa di San Francesco (Church of St. Francis),
which contains a gallery of frescos painted from the
14th to the 17th century in the Rimini and Marche
styles; Lamoli, a village near Borgo Pace, dominated by the imposing Abbazia di San Michele
Arcangelo (Abbey of St. Michael the Archangel);
Piandimeleto, the mediaeval core of which is gathered around the fine Castello dei Conti Oliva
(Castle of the Oliva Counts) with fortifications and
tower; not far from the keep is the Biblioteca
Ubaldiana (Ubaldian Library) with a notable
ancient stock and a collection of works of art; and
Lunano with the remains of the Castello degli
Ubaldini (Castle of the Ubaldinis) and the
Convento di San Francesco (Monastery of St.
Francis) built on the summit of Monte Illuminato.
Worth stopping to see: Sassocorvaro with its stu-
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pendous Ubaldinesque Rocca (Keep) in the form of a
ship, the product of the genius of Francesco di Giorgio
Martini, which hosts the Arca dell’Arte (Art Ark)
Museum; Macerata Feltria a typical old village with
an ancient Castle, perched on a ridge, and the Museo
Civico Archeologico e Paleontologico (Civic
Archaeological and Paleontological Museum). Nearby
is the modern Pitinum Thermae spa which makes use of
the local sulphur waters, known in ancient times for
their notable therapeutic properties; Pietrarubbia to
admire the ruins of the Castle which turn red at sunset,
recalling the origins of the site, “Petra Rubea”, and the
historic village where you can visit a permanent exhibition of sculptures created with the TAM (Trattamento
Artritico Metalli - Arthritic Treatment with Metals)
Centre, in collaboration with the sculptor Arnaldo
Pomodoro; Frontino, a mediaeval village still surrounded by walls with the notable pentagonal tower and
the thirteenth-century Franciscan Monastery of
Montefiorentino where you can visit the renaissance
Chapel of the Oliva Counts and Giovanni Santi’s masterpiece Madonna in trono col Bambino, angeli, santi e
il committente (Madonna on the Throne with Child,
Angels, Saints and the Client) of 1489.
Not to be missed: Carpegna, which boasts the imposing Palazzo dei Principi (Princes’ Palace) and the Pieve
di San Giovanni Battista (Parish Church of St. John the
Baptist), is also the headquarters of the Regional Park
of Sasso Simone and Simoncello; Montecopiolo, cradle
of the ancient dukedom of Urbino and now wellequipped tourist centre for both winter and summer holidays; Monte Cerignone, dominated by its Rocca
(Keep), has kept, almost unchanged, its mediaeval town
layout and a number of stretches of old town wall.
Worth discovering: Monte Grimano with the
renowned spa, Mercatino Conca and Montecalvo in
Foglia with a fine mediaeval Tower.
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SASSOFELTRIO
MERCATINO CONCA
MONTE GRIMANO
TAVOLETO
MONTECOPIOLO
MONTE CERIGNONE
PIETRARUBBIA
MONTECALVO
IN FOGLIA
AUDITORE
MACERATA FELTRIA
SASSOCORVARO
CARPEGNA
FRONTINO
URBINO
LUNANO
BELFORTE ALL'ISAURO
PIANDIMELETO
PEGLIO
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ITINERARY
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URBANIA
SANT’ANGELO IN VADO
MERCATELLO SUL METAURO
BORGO PACE
PIANDIMELETO
LUNANO
SASSOCORVARO
MACERATA FELTRIA
PIETRARUBBIA
FRONTINO
CARPEGNA
MONTECOPIOLO
MONTECERIGNONE
MONTE GRIMANO
MERCATINO CONCA
MONTECALVO IN FOGLIA
URBANIA
SANT'ANGELO IN VADO
BORGO PACE
ACQUALAGNA
MERCATELLO
SUL METAURO
LAMOLI
PIOBBICO
S.S
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n this area, which reaches from the Upper
Valley of the Metauro down to Val Marecchia,
there are at least two points of extraordinary interest. The first is in Urbania, the ancient Castel
Durante, where the majolica tradition, which
became famous in the 16th century, is still thriving. Today artisans find inspiration in the ancient
narrative patterns and in the elegant decorations
that made Durantine pottery famous the world
over. Splendid exemplars of this pottery are conserved in the collections of the Palazzo Ducale
(Duke’s Palace) and of the Museo Diocesano
(Diocesan Museum). The secrets of this noble art
are divulged in the summer when the Council
organises educational holidays for people wishing
to learn the ancient techniques. In the area there
are also metal-working and wicker-working
workshops.
The second appointment not to be missed is in the
village of Pietrarubbia where, thanks to fruitful
collaboration between the Council and the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, a Centre dedicated to metals has been opened. In the workshops, courses
are held on processing techniques, working with
the poorest metals up to the most precious.
Young people from all over Europe give shape to
original creations which are then exhibited in the
alleys and small squares of the historical town
centre.
Also worth noting are the woollen rugs and blankets being woven on hand looms and the art of
pillow lace-making in Mercatello sul Metauro,
the production of terracotta jars and vases in
Mercatino Conca, the processing of treated and
hand-painted wood in Piandimeleto, the ancient
tradition of goldsmithing, wrought iron and wood
in Sant’Angelo in Vado, the hand-printing of
blankets, tablecloths and fabrics in Carpegna, the
pottery production in Montecalvo in Foglia,
Borgo Pace and Lunano.
USEFUL INFORMATION
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MARKET FAIRS
Urbania: Urbania, un Fiore di Città,
May.
Sant’Angelo in Vado: National fair of
Marche’s fine white truffles, October.
Piandimeleto (San Sisto): Regional
Mushroom Fair at San Sisto, end of
September-beginning of October.
Belforte all’Isauro: Market fair of
honey and autumnal products, second
week in October.
Macerata Feltria: Market fair of
antique jewellery and antiques, beginning of August.
Carpegna: Curiosity market, every Sunday in July and August;
Carpegna PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Ham Festival,
third weekend in July; Locality Sant’Angelo di Carpegna “Village
Festival”, September.
MUSEUMS OF FOLK TRADITIONS
Urbino: La Corte della Miniera - Printing Museum.
Urbania: Agricultural History and Craftwork Museum.
Urbania: Diocesan Museum with pottery collection.
Sant’Angelo in Vado: “The Old Trades ” Museum.
Borgo Pace: (Locality Ca’ Sacchia) Collection of objects from the
Apennine civilisation.
Lamoli: Museum of Natural Colours. Oasi di S. Benedetto (St.
Benedict’s Oasis).
Piandimeleto: Museum of Farm Work and Earth Sciences.
Sassocorvaro: Collection of Objects from the Rural Civilisation of
the Middle and Upper Foglia Valley.
Pietrarubbia: Pottery Museum, Metal-working complex,
Permanent Exhibition of the TAM (Trattamento Artritico Metalli Arthritic Treatment with Metals) Course.
HISTORICAL RE-ENACTMENTS
Piandimeleto: Palio dei Conti Oliva, July.
Monte Cerignone: Shooting, hunting, riding, jousting and haggling on Mons Cerignonis, July.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Many delicacies can be found here: from the tasty Crostolo, to
the fine truffle of Sant’Angelo, to the numerous varieties of mushrooms, to the excellent Carpegna ham and the Montefeltro caciotta cheeses. Among the confectionery specialities from the area is
the Bostrengo of the upper Metauro valley, the Bracciatelli with
aniseed and the Lattarolo (milk pudding).
5. Fermignano
6. Apecchio
7. Piobbico
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hrough villas, keeps and castles only a stone’s
throw from the sea, in a short time you can reach
the interior, which is brimming with artistic testimonies and beautiful landscapes.
Worth admiring: Gabicce Mare, stretching along a
small gulf, has an enchanting view; Gradara,
famous not only for the fascinating beauty of the
mediaeval village but also for its Castle, haunted by
romantic memories of Paolo and Francesca.
Not to be missed: the panoramic road through the
Monte San Bartolo Regional Park with the picturesque
villages of Casteldimezzo, Fiorenzuola di Focara,
Santa Marina Alta and the jewels of Villa Imperiale,
Villa Caprile and Villa Vittoria: truly unique.
Worth seeing: Pesaro, the ancient Pisaurum, seat of
the Dukedom of the Della Rovere family until 1631,
Rocca Costanza and the treasures held in the numerous museums that evoke the atmosphere, reached by
the town, of a court, Piazza del Popolo, the Town
Hall, Palazzo della Paggeria, the renaissance
Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s Palace), the Civic Museums
(Art Gallery and Pottery Museum), the Rossini
Opera Festival (August), the Cathedral, the
Oliverian Archaeological Museum, the Chiesa del
Nome di Dio (Church of the Name of God),
Rossini’s House and the Conservatory.
Worth making a detour to see: Sant’Angelo in Lizzola,
Montefabbri (a village near Corbordolo), Petriano
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8. Urbino
9. Gradara
10. Gabicce Mare
11. Pesaro
with the Raffaello Spa. The focal point for culture and the
landscape is undoubtedly the city of Urbino, a UNESCO
heritage site that holds, within its ancient walls, an inestimable treasure chest of art, culture and history.
Worth seeing: the famous Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s
Palace) which houses the Galleria Nazionale delle
Marche (National Gallery of Marche) with masterpieces
from every age, including works by Raphael, Pietro
della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Luca Signorelli, Titian
and Barocci; the Chiesa di San Bernardino (Church of
St. Bernardino) designed by Bramante, the Convento di
Santa Chiara (Convent of St. Clare) designed by
Francesco di Giorgio Martini, the gothic Chiesa di S.
Francesco (Church of St. Francis) with works
by Federico Fiore Barocci, the imposing Duomo
(Cathedral), the Museo Diocesano Albani (Albani
Diocesan Museum), the Albornoz Fortress, the Oratorio
di San Giovanni (the Oratory of St. John) with the splendid cycle of frescoes by the Salimbeni brothers, the
Oratorio di S. Giuseppe (the Oratory of St. Joseph) with
the sculptures of Federico Brandani and the Casa natale
di Raffaello (Raphael’s family’s house).
Worth visiting: Fermignano, Bramante’s birthplace,
with the fine Roman bridge and the mediaeval Tower;
Acqualagna, the white truffle capital; Piobbico with a
well-maintained mediaeval core, the imposing Castello
dei Brancaleoni (Brancaleoni Castle) and the Civic
Museum which houses the permanent exhibition
“Brancaleoni, Clothes and Jewels of a Noble Family”;
Apecchio, a village of ancient origin with the interesting
Museum of Fossils and Minerals of Monte Nerone.
Worth discovering: the evocative Furlo Gorge, protected
as a State Nature Reserve and the surprising forulus tunnel, dug with chisels in 76 B.C. by the Roman legions.
SAN MARINO
PESARO
GRADARA
TAVULLIA
SASSOFELTRIO
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SS.S.S
TAVOLETO
MONTE CERIGNONE
MONTELLABATE
SANT'ANGELO IN LIZZOLA
MONTECICCARDO
AUDITORE
MONTECALVO IN FOGLIA
COLBORDOLO
MOMBAROCCIO
MACERATA FELTRIA
SASSOCORVARO
PETRIANO
CARTOCETO
SALTARA
SERRUNGARINA
GABICCE MARE
GRADARA
PESARO
SANT’ANGELO IN LIZZOLA
COLBORDOLO
PETRIANO
URBINO
FERMIGNANO
ACQUALAGNA
PIOBBICO
APECCHIO
2
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GABICCE MARE
8
.. 8
SS.S.S
ISOLA DEL PIANO
URBINO
LUNANO
MONTEFELCINO
PIANDIMELETO
ORCIANO DI PESARO
FOSSOMBRONE
PEGLIO
SANT'IPPOLITO
FERMIGNANO
S
BIS
73 BI
S.. 73
S.S.S
BARCHI
URBANIA
SANT'ANGELO IN VADO
FRATTEROSA
ACQUALAGNA
S. LORENZO IN CAMPO
PIOBBICO
APECCHIO
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S.S.
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PERGOLA
enturies of history dominated by so many
illustrious families and princely patrons,
could only have left significant traces of artistic
craftwork around the area.
Pesaro is one of the national centres of the great
pottery tradition, thanks to the refined
“Raphaelesque” decorations of the 16th century
and to the innovations introduced by the Casali
and Callegari factory (including the classic
“Pesarese pink”) which operated from 1763 to
1815. The ancient tradition lives on today in the
Bucci and Molaroni family workshops, the former more innovative in design, the latter more
traditional in techniques and colours. The lively
town is also renowned for refined metal-working, antiques and restoration of art works and
books, production and repair of musical instruments (an activity particularly linked to the
Conservatorio di Musica “G. Rossini” - “G.
Rossini” Music School) and the creation of precious briar root pipes. Urbino stands out, not
just for the majolica (the collection held in the
Palazzo Ducale is notable, with works from the
workshops of Patanazzi and Nicola da Urbino),
but also for metals, textiles and antiques, and for
the conservation of artistic historical works and,
in particular, the tradition of art prints and book
restoration.
Along the coast and in the immediate hinterland
the craft activities range from refined commonly-used objects to singular souvenirs: in
Gradara and in Gabicce there are pottery workshops.
In Sant’Angelo in Lizzola the working of glass,
gold and wrought iron is prevalent.
Worthy of note is the centuries-old tradition of
working the fine Furlo stone in Acqualagna;
particularly fine are the rustic rugs in rough wool
woven on a loom by skilled hands in Piobbico
and wrought-iron products in Apecchio and
Colbordolo.
In Fermignano there is woodworking, pottery
production and stone-working.
USEFUL INFORMATION
C
MARKET FAIRS
Pesaro: Domo 360 – Furniture Trade Fair,
June (every two years).
Urbino: Urbino Antiquaria, antiques market, first
Sunday of the month (from March to December);
Market Fair of Old Books, every Wednesday.
Acqualagna: National White Truffle Fair,
October and November; Regional Fine Black
Truffle Fair, February; Regional Summer Truffle
Fair, August.
Pesaro: Testimonies of Rural Life in the Lower Foglia Valley.
Pesaro: Washington Patrignani Maritime Museum.
Gradara: Siege of the Castle, July.
Urbino: Duke’s Festival, August.
Fermignano: Palio della Rana, first Sunday after Easter; Biciclo
Ottocentesco (Nineteenth-Century Bicycle), first Sunday in
September.
Piobbico: Renaissance Week and Palio della Pannocchia, end
of August – beginning of September.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
The production of the Casciotta d’Urbino, a Protected
Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese, goes back centuries.
Among lovers of this cheese was a certain Michelangelo
Buonarroti.
Acqualagna is the capital of the much sought-after White Truffle,
Tuber Magnatum Pico, and the fine Black Truffle, Tuber
Melanosporum Vitt. The area produces numerous varieties of
truffles and mushrooms. Also worth mentioning are the Colli
Pesaresi DOC wines, both White and Red.
12. Barchi
13. Serra Sant’Abbondio, Fonte Avellana
14. Fossombrone
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his is a voyage in space and time along part of
the ancient Via Flaminia, the consular road that
connected Rome to the Adriatic.
Worth seeing: Fano, which still has significant traces
of its distant Roman origins, including the monumental Arco d’Augusto (Arch of Augustus), the sixteenth-century Fontana della Fortuna (Fountain of
Fortune), the Teatro della Fortuna (Fortune
Theatre), the Corte Malatestiana (which houses the
Civic Museum and the Art Gallery), the Malatesta
Keep, the Cathedral, the Chiesa di San Paterniano
(Church of St. Paterniano’s) and the Chiesa di S.
Maria Nuova (Church of St. Mary the New), known
for two precious paintings by Perugino.
Worth visiting: Fossombrone, with its historical
churches, the monumental Library, the museums,
the Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s Palace) or Corte Rossa
(Red Court), the renaissance Corte Alta (High
Court) built on the orders of Federico da
Montefeltro, the Cittadella with the remains of the
Rocca Malatestiana and, in the locality San
Martino del Piano, the ancient Roman town of
Forum Sempronii, recognised as a Regional
Archaeological Park.
Worth admiring: the remains of the ancient town walls
of Cartoceto, Sant’Ippolito, Barchi, Mondolfo and
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15. Fano
16. Cagli
17. Mondavio
18. Pergola
Mondavio, famous for the scenic Rocca designed by
Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and Monte Porzio.
Not to be missed: Orciano di Pesaro with the renaissance Chiesa di S. Maria Nuova (Church of St. Mary the
New); Fratte Rosa, a tranquil village perched on the top
of a hill surrounded by walls where much terracotta is
still produced; San Lorenzo in Campo with the splendid Abbazia di San Lorenzo (Abbey of St. Lawrence),
the Palazzo dei Principi Ruspoli (the Ruspoli Princes’
Palace), the Palazzo Pretorio, the Teatro Tiberini
(Tiberini Theatre) of 1816 and the Municipal Museum;
Pergola, which kept its mediaeval structure and look,
with ancient palaces, the Gothic Chiesa di S. Francesco
(Church of St. Francis) , the Chiesa di San Giacomo
(Church of St. James) , the Cathedral and the famous
Gilded bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola of the JulianClaudian age, testifying to its glorious past.
Worth making a detour to see: Frontone with the old village huddled around the evocative Castle, the splendid
Eremo di Santa Croce di Fonte Avellana (Fonte
Avellana Hermitage of the Holy Cross) located in a solitary wooded valley near Serra Sant’Abbondio; the
enchanting town of Cagli gathered around its grandiose
Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), famous for the majestic
ellipsoidal Tower by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and the
Ponte Mallio (Mallio Bridge) from Roman times.
Worth discovering: the evocative Burano Gorge and
Cantiano, a village characterised by an interesting
mediaeval structure which features a fine 17th-century
Collegiate Church and a beautiful Roman Bridge.
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FANO
TAVOLETO
MONTECICCARDO
AUDITORE
PETRIANO
S. COSTANZO
SERRUNGARINA
MONDOLFO
PIAGGE
ISOLA DEL PIANO
URBINO
S. GIORGIO DI PESARO
MONTEFELCINO
FOSSOMBRONE
AN
SANT'IPPOLITO
MONDAVIO
FERMIGNANO
BARCHI
CORINALDO
FRATTE ROSA
GOLA DEL FURLO
S. LORENZO IN CAMPO
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E
OSTRA VETERE
BARBARA
S.S
S.S.
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FANO
CARTOCETO
FOSSOMBRONE
SANT’IPPOLITO
BARCHI
MONDAVIO
ORCIANO DI PESARO
MONTE PORZIO
MONDOLFO
FRATTE ROSA
SAN LORENZO IN CAMPO
PERGOLA
FRONTONE
SERRA SANT’ABBONDIO
CAGLI
CANTIANO
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ITINERARY
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S.S
A
PERGOLA
SERRA DE' CONTI
CAGLI
ARCEVIA
O
CANTIANO
SERRA S. ABBONDIO
long this itinerary there are at least three points
with an extraordinary craftwork tradition:
Fano with its goldsmiths, Sant’Ippolito with its
stone workers and Fratte Rosa with its terracotta.
Gold-working is found in Fano with master artisans
of international renown, making original creations.
These are the product of an untiring search for
designs and a skilful mastery of the techniques of
repoussé and chasing, drawing and filigreeing. The
town also stands out for wood-, iron-, glass- and
metal-working; in addition, thanks to the annual
cart procession of the Carnevale dell’Adriatico
(Adriatic Carnival), papier-mâché techniques are
well-developed; this material is predominant in the
construction of allegorical floats.
Stone- and marble-masons operate in this area, in
particular in Sant’Ippolito, where they worked
from the fourteenth to the end of the nineteenth century, but the tradition is still alive today and is renewing itself in an extraordinary conjunction with sculpture. Just as ancient but original in its shapes and
designs (owing in part to the new-found energy
brought by the young who are being attracted to this
work), is the terracotta production in Fratte Rosa
and Barchi: the type varies, ranging from kitchenware to typical jars, from furniture accessories
to souvenirs, all made of a red clay and left natural
or coated with a luminescent black-purplish enamel.
In Mondolfo it is worth noting the restoration of
antique furniture, while in Pergola, famous in the
Middles Ages for the wool industry and dyeing,
there are workshops in the restoration and conservation of art works. Cagli is known for restoration of
antique furniture, and glass-, stone- and iron-working; Cantiano for the production of millstones,
sandstone wheels for knife grinders, and artistic
lamps; Cartoceto for wicker-weaving; Monte
Porzio for iron-working Fossombrone for gold,
watches and barometers. In Frontone and Serra
Sant’Abbondio print engraving is done on glass
and copper.
USEFUL INFORMATION
A
MARKET FAIRS
Fano: Antiques Market Fair, second Sunday in
the month; National market fair of books and
old prints, July.
Montefelcino: Feudatory’s Market, every
Tuesday from the middle of July to the middle of
August.
Fossombrone: Market fair of the Bianchetto
spring truffle, March.
Orciano di Pesaro: Ancient market of St.
Rocco, August.
Sant’Ippolito: Scolpire in piazza (Sculpting in the Square), Art of
sculpture in sandstone, July.
Montecarotto: Verdicchio Festival, June-July.
Pergola: Wine festival, end of July.
Mombaroccio: Museum of Rural Civilisation.
Isola del Piano: Sulle tracce dei nostri padri (In the Footsteps of
Our Fathers), Montebello Monastery.
Sant’Ippolito: Museum of the Territory - the Stonemason’s Art.
Fratte Rosa: Museum of Terracotta and Terra Cruda (Raw Earth),
St. Victoria’s Convent.
Orciano: Museum of Ropes and Bricks.
Mondavio: Boar hunting, August.
Orciano di Pesaro: Museum of Ropes and Bricks.
Pergola: Mediaeval festival, first Friday after the August bank holiday.
Serra Sant’Abbondio: Palio della Rocca, middle of September.
Cagli: Gioco dell’Oca (Game of the Goose) and Palio, first and
second Sunday in August.
Cantiano: La Turba, re-enactment of the Good Friday Passion.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Meat from the Catria Horse is of very high quality; Cantiano is
renowned for its famous amarene (sour cherries).
Worthy of note is the brodetto alla fanese (Fanese broth), a tasty
variant containing tomatoes and vinegar.
The Bianchello del Metauro DOC wine is produced in the area.
Some typical cakes are: the Amaretti of Valcesano and the Baci
marchigiani (Marche Kisses) of Fonte Avellana. These are cakes
made with hazelnuts.
Cartoceto oil is excellent; this is the first and only Marche extra-virgin olive oil with the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) mark.
19. Ostra
20. Falconara Marittima
21. Ostra Vetere
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elvety beaches and delightful hills are the distinguishing features of this area, a land which
produces fine DOC wines.
Worth admiring: in Senigallia, a renowned seaside
resort, the Rocca Roveresca, which overlooks a
wide square with the Palazzo del Duca (Duke’s
Palace) and the Palazzetto Baviera, the seventeenth-century Chiesa della Croce (Church of the
Cross), the Chiesa di S. Martino (Church of St.
Martin), the Duomo (Cathedral) alongside the
Pinacoteca Diocesana, (Diocesan Art Gallery) the
Casa natale di Pio IX (House in which Pius IX was
born) and the scenic Portici Ercolani; in the immediate interior the renaissance chiesa di Santa Maria
delle Grazie (Church of Our Lady of Graces) which
houses a fine Madonna in trono e Santi (Madonna
on the Throne and Saints) by Perugino.
Worth visiting: Monterado, dominated by a seventeenth-century noble palazzo; Castel Colonna and
Ripe, both surrounded by defensive walls;
Corinaldo, picturesque mediaeval town with spectacular town walls, the Santuario di Santa Maria
Goretti (Sanctuary of St. Maria Goretti) the Family
Home of the Saint, the Chiesa dell’Addolorata
(Church of Our Lady of Sorrows), the scenic
Piaggia with Pozzo della Polenta (Polenta Well)
and the former Benedictine Convent which houses
the Civic Art Collection.
Not to be missed: Castelleone di Suasa noted by its
mediaeval Castle and by archaeological finds of the
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24
22. Chiaravalle
23. Jesi
24. Corinaldo
25. Senigallia
ancient Roman city of Suasa Senonum kept in the
Regional Archaeological Park and in the Civic
Archaeological Museum; Barbara whose “Castellaro”
looks towards the sea, is a village full of works of art;
Ostra Vetere, a small, lively town with an interesting,
old centre; Ostra, in a position dominating the Misa
valley, with the imposing Civic Tower and the Santuario
della Madonna della Rosa (Sanctuary of Our Lady of
the Rose), a destination for pilgrims and Belvedere
Ostrense, with its well-preserved old centre.
Worth seeing: the picturesque village of Morro d’Alba,
still gathered within the fifteenth-century walls characterised by high escarpment curtain walls; Monte San
Vito, whose noble eighteenth-century Collegiate Church
is full of fine paintings; Chiaravalle, where you can
admire the Abbazia di S. Maria in Castagnola (Abbey of
St. Mary in the Castagnola), one of the oldest establishments founded by the Cistercians; the historic centre of
Montemarciano in which the 19th-century Teatro Alfieri
stands out; Falconara Marittima, with a fine mediaeval
Castle in the high part and the village of Camerata
Picena not far from the historical nucleus of the Cassero,
an ancient, fifteenth-century fortification.
Along the Esino valley you come to Jesi, the Roman
Aesis which has a harmonious architectural structure,
with mediaeval quarters, noble palaces, ancient churches and the imposing Palazzo della Signoria, by
Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The town was the birthplace of Frederick II of Swabia and of the musician
Pergolesi to whom the fine Theatre is dedicated.
Palazzo Pianetti, which houses the Civic Art Gallery
with masterpieces by Lorenzo Lotto, is a significant
example of eighteenth-century architecture.
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ike other seaside towns, Senigallia has numerous small shops selling local products which
are the result of a combination of maritime culture
and farming traditions, applied to objects for
domestic use, pottery, glass, costume jewellery,
fine jewellery and restored wooden furniture.
One of the most significant centres for antiques
and restoration is Ostra, where there is a School
for Old Furniture Restoration, specialised in the
sectors of wood and iron (with courses on embroidery, internal painting and decorating and glassworking) which makes use of the technical skills
and consolidated experience of the local artisans.
The valleys of the Misa and the Esino are characterised by a particularly innovative and advanced
industrialisation process in the fields of engineering and clothing: the surprising thing is however
the “against the flow” choice made by numerous
young people, who have decided to carry on traditional artistic craft trades recovering ancient
techniques like the typically French one of artistic
windows.
In Jesi, for example, the centuries-old gold-working tradition is continuing. The tradition can be
seen by the street names such as Via degli orefici
(Goldsmiths’ Street - today however renamed Via
Pergolesi) in which, until a few years ago, held
numerous well-equipped workshops. The town
produces leather accessories and decorations on
glass, and iron and wood are worked, while silkworm cultivation and silk-working have now fallen into disuse. The wide distribution of these is
testified by the numerous spinning mills and
farmhouses in the area with dovecotes. It is also
worth noting the typical luthier’s workshop. Goldworking and restoration workshops and shops
selling paintings and antique furniture may be
found in Chiaravalle, Montemarciano,
Falconara Marittima, Ostra Vetere and Ripe,
a place in which the craftwork tradition is so wellrooted that it is called “the town of trades”; in
Camerata Picena artistic fabrics are made, while
in Monsano refined embroidery work is done.
USEFUL INFORMATION
L
MARKET FAIRS
Senigallia: Exhibition of the goldsmith’s art,
beginning of July; Market fair of craftwork
and antiques, every Wednesday in July
and August; Pane Nostrum, September.
Monterado: Market fair of artistic and historical craftwork, beginning of October.
Ostra Vetere: Montenovo in Festa, end of
January.
Ostra: National Exhibition of Antiques and
Artistic Craftwork, first half of August.
Jesi: Tipica, December.
Senigallia: “Sergio Anselmi” Sharecropping History Museum.
Corinaldo: Sala del Costume e delle Tradizioni Popolari (Hall
of Costumes and Folk Traditions).
Belvedere Ostrense: International Museum of Postal Images.
Morro d’Alba: Utensilia - Museum of Sharecropping Culture.
Jesi: Lo Studio per le Arti della Stampa (Printing Arts Studio).
Ostra Vetere: Parish Civic Museum.
Corinaldo: Contesa del Pozzo della Polenta (Polenta Well
Contest), third Sunday in July.
Jesi: Palio di San Floriano, first week in May.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
This is an area with a great variety of wines, including the celebrated Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, the White and Red
Esino, the tasty Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.
Among vegetables noteworthy are the Suasa onion, the cauliflowers and artichokes of Jesi, the cicerchia (grass pea,
Lathyrus Sativus) and broad beans in the Ostra area.
26. Sassoferrato
27. Serra San Quirico
28. Serra de’ Conti
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onders of nature such as the Frasassi Caves,
pristine landscapes and a great variety of artistic and historical assets make this route so memorable.
Worth visiting: Fabriano, birthplace of Gentile and
of other great artists, known for its ancient paperworks founded between the 12th and the 13th centuries. The town has kept its mediaeval aspect, modelled around the Piazza del Comune (Town Hall
Square) with the thirteenth-century Fontana
Sturinalto and the Palazzo del Podestà, the Civic Art
Gallery, housed in the Spedale di Santa Maria del
Buon Gesù (Hospital of Our Lady of Good Jesus),
the fine historical Teatro Gentile, the Duomo
(Cathedral), the Oratori del Gonfalone e della Carità
(Oratories of the Town Banner and of Charity).
Worth admiring: a few kilometres away, in an
enchanting natural area protected by the Regional
Park of Gola della Rossa and Frasassi, the Grotte di
Frasassi (Frasassi Caves), a karst environment of
extraordinary beauty, and the Benedictine Abbey of
S. Vittore alle Chiuse, founded probably at the end of
the 10th century.
Worth stopping to see: Genga, which still has its
original mediaeval town plan and the noble Palazzo
dei Conti della Genga; Sassoferrato, dominated by
the remains of the Keep built on the orders of
Cardinal Albornoz with Palazzo Montanari, Palazzo
dei Priori, Palazzo Oliva, the Romanic Church of S.
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31
29. Fabriano
30. Staffolo
31. Arcevia
32. Genga, Grotte di Frasassi
Croce (the Holy Cross), the Church of the Clarisse (Poor
Clares) which houses works by the painter Giambattista
Salvi, known as Sassoferrato) and the Roman town of
Sentinum, today a Regional Archaeological Park.
Worth driving along: the panoramic road which leads to
Arcevia, where you can visit the Collegiate Church of S.
Medardo which houses significant paintings by Luca
Signorelli and Ercole Ramazzani; and terracotta works
by Fra’ Mattia and Giovanni della Robbia. Of particular
interest are the surroundings, characterised by Castles,
including the picturesque fortified villages of Palazzo,
Piticchio, Loretello, Nidastore, Castiglioni and
Avacelli.
Not to be missed: Serra de’ Conti, with the Gothic
Church of S. Michele (St. Michael) and the mediaeval
town walls in which stands the imposing Monastero di
Santa Maria Maddalena; (Monastery of St. Mary
Magdalene) the characteristic centre of Montecarotto
with its Municipal Theatre with three tiers of balconies;
Moie, where you must visit the Romanic Abbazia di
Santa Maria (Abbey of St. Mary); the ancient and evocative villages of Castelbellino, Monte Roberto and
Maiolati Spontini, birthplace of the musician Gaspare
Spontini; Cupramontana, interesting for the ruins of the
Eremo dei Frati Bianchi (White Friars’ Hermitage) and
for the Badia del Beato Angelo (Abbey of the Blessed
Angel); Staffolo, still mostly surrounded by a great circle
of walls and, perched on hills on the opposite side of the
valley, the old fortified villages of Castelplanio, Rosora,
Mergo and Serra San Quirico, renowned for its copertelle, roads covered by houses built on the remains of
the castle walls, and the baroque Chiesa di Santa Lucia
(Church of St. Lucy).
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n this strongly industrialised area we are
amazed by the beauty of the rural landscape
marked by large vineyards and the conservation
of the mountains, sometimes covered by green
woods, sometimes harsh and rocky.
In the heart of this area lies Fabriano, a town
which, before the current industries took off,
was wholly identified with the production of
paper and with the invention of the particular filigree technique which is the essence and distinctive feature of paper instruments and banknotes.
In the Museo della Carta e della Filigrana
(Museum of Paper and Filigree), housed in the
former Convento di San Domenico (Monastery
of St. Dominic), you can still follow the ancient
processing techniques and admire the engineering of the instruments from the middle ages.
Traditional handmade paper production, which
today is the subject of considerable interest, was
done by Cartiere Miliani.
You can still buy pottery decorated with the now
classic patterns of the former Ceramica
Bolzonetti, and of particular significance is the
recovery of the refined technique of art printing.
One activity, once widespread, was iron-working, as shown by the blacksmiths who appear on
the town’s arms.
The extraordinary influx of tourists created by
the Grotte di Frasassi (Frasassi Caves), stimulated the recovery of other traditional trades
associated both with the sale of souvenirs, gifts,
jewellery (giving a new impulse to goldsmiths’
craft workshops), and with the ancient techniques of furniture and wood restoration in
Cupramontana, Arcevia, Maiolati Spontini,
Rosora, Serra de’ Conti and Sassoferrato.
The art of embroidery is practiced in
Montecarotto, Castelbellino and Castelplanio.
USEFUL INFORMATION
I
MARKET FAIRS
Fabriano: Market fair of craftwork,
September.
Genga: Market fair of craftwork, August.
Sassoferrato: Old Time Market, last
Saturday in the month, from May to August.
Arcevia: Grape Festival, last weekend in
September.
Serra de’ Conti: Serrantiqua, third Saturday
in the month (from April to September);
Cicerchia (Grass Pea) Festival, last Sunday in November.
Montecarotto: National Festival of the Questua della Pasquella
(a kind of collective door-to-door busking at the Epiphany), 6
January.
Maiolati Spontini (Moie): Antiquariato e Collezionismo
(Antiques and Collections), first Sunday in May and first Sunday
in September.
Fabriano: Mestieri in Bicicletta (Trades on Bikes), permanent
exhibition of vintage bicycles for old trades.
Fabriano: Museum of the Mazzolini Giuseppucci Pharmacy.
Fabriano: Museum of Paper and Filigree.
Fabriano: Museum of Rural Civilisation.
Fabriano: Grande Museo (Large Museum).
Sassoferrato: Cabernardi Sulphur Mine Museum.
Sassoferrato: Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions.
Serra de’ Conti: Le stanze del tempo sospeso (The Rooms of
Suspended Time). Museum of Monastic Arts.
Cupramontana: International Label Museum.
Staffolo: Art of Wine Museum.
Fabriano: Palio di San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist),
flower carpets and Sfida del Maglio (Hammer Challenge), 24
June.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Cupramontana, Serra de’ Conti, Montecarotto and Staffolo,
together with other towns in the Vallesina (Esino Valley), are typical areas of production for the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, a
renowned DOC Marche wine. Famous among typical products
is the tasty Fabriano salame.
33. Ancona, Portonovo
34. Loreto
35. Sirolo
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his evocative itinerary leads to the discovery of
the Riviera del Conero and the towns of the inteT
rior, full of art and ancient memories.
Worth visiting: Ancona, capital of Marche, founded
by Syracusans, the history of which has always been
linked to the imposing port dominated by the
Cattedrale di San Ciriaco (Cathedral of St.
Cyriacus) and characterised by the Arco di Traiano
(Trajan’s Arch, 100-115 AC); nearby is the eighteenth-century Arco Clementino (Clementine Arch),
the baroque Porta Pia and the extraordinary Mole
Vanvitelliana, where exhibitions and shows are held
almost year-round.
Worth seeing: the neoclassical Teatro delle Muse, the
fifteenth-century Loggia dei Mercanti, the Romanic
Church of S. Maria della Piazza (St. Mary of the
Square), Palazzo Ferretti, which houses the
National Archaeological Museum of Marche, the
Chiesa di S. Francesco (Church of St. Francis), the
sixteenth-century Palazzo Bosdari which houses the
“F. Podesti” Civic Art Gallery, Piazza del Plebiscito,
flanked by the sixteenth-century Tower, by the
Palazzo del Governo and by the Chiesa di S.
Domenico (Church of St. Dominic) and in Corso
Mazzini, the Fontana del calamo (Reed Pen
Fountain). It is worth stressing the quality of the
sculptures, created by the artists Trubbiani,
Mattiacci, Sassu, Fazzini, Pomodoro, Ligi. They
stand at the city’s focal points and have become
well-known at an international level, also for their
skilled metalwork.
Worth making a detour to see: Agugliano, where
there is a Home-made Ice Cream Study Centre,
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36. Osimo
37. Numana
38. Offagna
39. Ancona
Polverigi and Santa Maria Nuova in a panoramic position; Offagna, in the land where they produce Rosso
Conero, dominated by the spectacular 15th-century
Rocca (Keep); Filottrano, an important clothing industry centre, the historical core of which was built entirely
of brick, boasts as a rare work of rural architecture, the
neoclassical Casino Beltrami (approx. 1820); Osimo,
full of ancient vestiges, including the thirteen Roman
statues from the Imperial Age conserved in the Town
Hall, the Romanic Cathedral and the Battistero
(Baptistry), the Sanctuary of S. Giuseppe da Copertino,
(St. Joseph of Copertino) the Teatro La Nuova Fenice
(New Phoenix Theatre) and the prestigious Palazzo
Campana with alongside the small theatre designed by
A. Vici and the Civic Museum;and the adventurous
hypogeum walk.
Not to be missed: Castelfidardo, the accordion capital
which has a monument commemorating the historic battle of 1860; Loreto, partially surrounded by sixteenthcentury walls and bastions, is home to the largest Marian
Sanctuary built on the spot where, according to the story,
the House of Nazareth was flown away from Palestine by
angels. Alongside the Basilica, is the Palazzo Apostolico
(Apostolic Palace) built by some of the most illustrious
architects of the Renaissance following Bramante’s
plans. Its rooms house the Museo Pinacoteca dell’Antico
Tesoro (Art Galley and Museum of Ancient Treasure);
unique of its kind is the itinerary of the Rocchette: splendid patrol walkways overlooking the sea.
We recommend stopping at: Numana, a well-known
seaside resort whose Antiquarium Statale (State
Antiquarium) exhibits remains of the Picene civilisation;
Sirolo, a charming village perched over the sea and
headquarters of the Monte Conero Regional Park; the
Bay of Portonovo with the Torre Clementina and the
splendid Romanic Church of Santa Maria (St. Mary);
Camerano, birthplace of the painter Carlo Maratti of
whom there are works in the Parish Church and in the
Church of St. Faustina. Of great interest to tourists is a
visit to the underground caves dug in the sandstone.
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MARKET FAIRS
Ancona: Antiques market, last Sunday of
the month (except for June, July and
August); Mercatino Al Riò Dej Archi, third
Sunday of the month and the Saturday
before.
Numana: Spring Festival, Easter Sunday
and Monday; Summer Craft Market, July
and August.
USEFUL INFORMATION
he most significant craftwork tradition in this
area is accordion making, which places
Castelfidardo as one of the leading global centres
for this instrument.
In the Eighties, in an attempt to reconcile the past
with current, a florid industry of various musical
instruments was developed but has since suffered
from the competition from the oriental market.
A period of crisis was however followed by rapid
manufacturing reconversion, which has consolidated and re-launched traditional accordion and
piano accordion making.
The town is also known for gift items, furnishing
objects and accessories made of gold and silver.
Loreto, with the Santa Casa (Holy House), has
developed an extraordinary production of religious articles, including sacred images on gold
and silver plate, innovative silver objects, rosaries
and a wide range of souvenirs which, while following the most fashionable materials quickly but
with unchanging artistic flair, give priority to the
local tradition of pottery and wood carving.
In the centre of Ancona, very close to the quays
from which hundreds of thousands of people
embark every year for Mediterranean countries, in
the alleys that wind their way between the
entrance to the port and Piazza del Plebiscito, you
can find small shops selling gifts, art prints and
restored antiques, costume jewellery and artistic
gold items, and textile and leather workshops, run
by young people and artisans, who still hand down
their ancient processing techniques.
Noteworthy are also the embroidery, tailoring
and restoration activities in Filottrano, wood,
iron, glass and metal processing and musical
instrument making in Osimo, wood and metal
processing in Polverigi and typical pottery production in Sirolo. Embroidery work is done in
Agugliano, while in Camerano they make
watches, giftware and gold items.
Filottrano: Biroccio (Two-Wheeled Cart) Museum.
Filottrano: Beltrami Museum.
Castelfidardo: International Accordion Museum.
Offagna: Mediaeval Festivals and Contesa della Crescia,
last week in July.
Filottrano: Contesa dello stivale (Boot Contest), first Sunday in
August.
Loreto: Corsa del Drappo, 6 September.
Loreto (Villa Musone): Re-enactment of Good Friday Passion.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
This is a wine-making area particularly suited to the production
of the renowned Rosso Conero DOCG.
It is worth mentioning the “Serpe” (Snake) of Filottrano (the
original recipe is the one conserved by the Nuns of Saint
Clare), a typical Christmas cake in the shape of a spiral with
ground almonds and icing.
The stoccafisso (stockfish) and the brodetto all’anconitana
(Anconitan Broth) are delicious.
“The history of the white lace
which in circles, diamonds and stripes
starts, winds its way and finishes
to the rhythm of a perfect game...”
V. Castelli, Le Merlettaie (The Lace Makers), 1950
“…and the small tea table
was ready, with cups and
saucers in majolica from
Castel Durante, ancient
shapes of inimitable grace…”
G. D’Annunzio, Il piacere (Pleasure), 1889
40. Corridonia
41. Porto Recanati
42. Civitanova Alta
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laces of art full of Leopardian echoes, pleasant
and well-equipped beaches and a landscape of
rolling hills characterise this route.
Worth seeing: Porto Recanati, dating back to the
time of Frederick II in a spot not far from the
Roman colony of Potentia, the fifteenth-century
Svevo Castle grew which now houses the
Municipal Art Gallery; Recanati, birthplace of
Giacomo Leopardi with the square and the monument dedicated to him, his memoirs conserved in
the Town Hall, Palazzo Leopardi, the Civic
Museum in Villa Colloredo Mels which has some
significant works, including four paintings by
Lorenzo Lotto, the Diocesan Museum, the Oliviero
Pigini Guitar Museum and the Beniamino Gigli
Museum, housed in the nineteenth century Persiani
Theatre and the Church of S. Domenico (St.
Dominic) with a fine white stone portal by
Benedetto da Majano.
Not to be missed: the imposing Montefiore Castle
near Montefano; Montecassiano which has an
unusual urban structure with concentric streets
surrounded by stairs and is full of mediaeval and
renaissance buildings; Macerata, famous for its
old University, significant monuments such as the
Arena Sferisterio (which houses the Macerata
Opera Festival), the almost completely intact old
walls which surround a series of alleyways and the
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43. Montecassiano
44. Morrovalle
45. Recanati
46. Macerata
old centre, the Church of La Misericordia (Church of
Mercy), the Loggia del Grano (housing the university), Piazza della Libertà with the Loggia dei Mercanti,
the Clock Tower, the Town Hall and the Palazzo della
Prefettura (Prefecture), the eighteenth-century Lauro
Rossi Theatre and precious art collections: Museo
della Carrozza (Cart Museum) in Palazzo
Buonaccorsi (you can also visit the Aeneid Gallery
and the noble floor) and the 20th-Century Italian
Collection in Palazzo Ricci.
Worth making a detour to see: the Church of San
Claudio al Chienti (St. Claud by the Chienti - 11th century) at Corridonia Stazione; Corridonia, the ancient
Pausulae, in the interesting Parish Art Gallery where
you can admire a Madonna con Bambino (Madonna
and Child) by Carlo Crivelli; Mogliano, where there is
a fine Madonna in Gloria e Santi (Madonna in Glory
and Saints) by Lorenzo Lotto; Monte San Giusto, with
Palazzo Bonafede and the Chiesa di S. Maria in
Telusiano which houses the celebrated Crocifissione
(Crucifixion) by Lorenzo Lotto; the ancient village of
Morrovalle; the splendid Romanic Church of Santa
Maria a Piè di Chienti (St. Mary at the Foot of the
Chienti) at Montecosaro Stazione.
Worth visiting: Civitanova Marche, a comfortable seaside resort, which has a high part Civitanova Alta, the
birthplace of Annibal Caro to whom the Theatre of the
same name is dedicated, characterised by town walls
with towers, bulwarks, two gates, fine noble palaces,
churches and the well-stocked M. Moretti Modern Art
Gallery; Potenza Picena, renowned for the renaissance
Villa Buonaccorsi with its splendid Italian garden.
LORETO
PORTO RECANATI
361
S.S.
FA
O
MO
MONTEFANO
M
RECANATI
71
S.S
.5
PORTO POTENZA PICENA
MONTECASSIANO
POTENZA PICENA
MONTELUPONE
S. 77
S.
S.
S.
2
36
A
CIVITANOVA
ALTA
S.S. 77
S
NT
ONT
MONTECOSARO
CIVITANOVA MARCHE
MORROVALLE
CORRIDONIA
STAZIONE
7
MONTECOSARO
STAZIONE
PORTO
SANT'ELPIDIO
POLLENZA
SANT'ELPIDIO A MARE
77
PETRIOLO
MONTE S. PIETRANGELI
S.S
URBISAGLIA
.2
10
S.
S.
MONTEGRANARO
MOGLIANO
FERMO
LORO PICENO
RAPAGNANO
COLMURANO
A FERMANA
MASSA
he itinerary winds through an area dense in
footwear production where Civitanova
Marche (also a wrought iron and wood processing
centre) and Monte San Giusto emerge as the headquarters of national and international brands, and are
full of a myriad of small workshops.
Worthy of note are the other towns characterised by
craftwork, such as that of cane, wicker and willow in
Mogliano (the town of basket-makers) and the manufacture of silk damasks and brocades made by the
nuns of the Istituto Figlie dell’Addolorata
(Daughters of Our Lady of Sorrows Institute) in
Potenza Picena.
The area of footwear and leather-working (which
thrives in Corridonia), is part of the larger industrial district which includes the bordering area of the
Province of Fermo and is the result of growth in
which inventiveness has combined with skill in the
use of materials, creative design and organisational
abilities.
The typical contribution of craftwork is still essential
today, even though it is very different from the past
when it was done in small workshops which opened
onto the alleys of the old town centres.
In the area that includes the municipalities of Porto
Recanati, Recanati, Montecassiano and Potenza
Picena, where the nearness to Loreto is more influential, precious metals are processed and religious
items manufactured.
Leopardi’s town - which has always been famous for
the production of combs obtained from carving ox
and buffalo horns, is renowned for briar root pipes
and toy factories.
The territory is full of furniture restorers and old
painting restorers (significant in this sector is
Corridonia), and there is no shortage of smiths specialised in wrought iron (in Morrovalle); from
Macerata, also known for the arts of printing, glass,
precious metals, embroidery and for its “master tailors”, to the smallest walled villages which are scattered along the itinerary, the pleasant surprises are
never ending.
USEFUL INFORMATION
T
MARKET FAIRS
Porto Recanati: Craftwork Market Fair,
every Sunday in July and August.
Macerata: Il Barattolo, second Sunday in
the month (excluding July and August);
Central Marche Trade Fair, April.
Civitanova Marche: Tesori in piazza,
(Treasures in the Square) second Sunday
in the month (excluding July, August and
December); Market Fair of Craftwork and
Artistic Antiques, fourth Sunday in the month (excluding July
and August); Market Fair of Craftwork and Artistic Antiques,
every Saturday evening in July and August; Cartacanta (Paper
Sings) National Market Fair, October.
Apiro: “Art and Land” Market Fair (first half of August).
Montelupone: Apimarche, August.
Macerata: “La Tela” workshop-permanent exhibition of
ancient looms.
Macerata: Cart Museum.
Macerata: Typological Nativity Scene Museum - Cassese
Collection.
Morrovalle: International Nativity Scene Museum.
Civitanova Marche Alta: Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions.
Civitanova Marche: Historical Trotting Museum.
Montelupone: Arts and Ancient Trades Museum.
Montecassiano: Palio dei Terzieri, July.
Corridonia: Contesa della Margutta, first Sunday in
September.
Mogliano: Mogliano 1744, beginning of July; Re-enactment
of the Good Friday Passion.
Potenza Picena: Palio del Grappolo d’Oro (Bunch of Gold),
end of September.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
The entire hill territory of the Province of Macerata is involved
in the production of Colli Maceratesi White and Red wines.
Among fruits and vegetables worth noting are the roveja (a
legume, the field pea) the artichokes of Montelupone and the
figs of Recanati. The brodetti (thin broths) of Porto Recanati
and Civitanova Marche are excellent. Characteristic of the
Macerata area is the ciauscolo, a particular type of soft
salume sausage.
ITINERARY
CASTELFIDARDO
FILOTTRANO
PORTO RECANATI
RECANATI
MONTEFANO
MONTECASSIANO
MACERATA
CORRIDONIA
MOGLIANO
MONTE SAN GIUSTO
MORROVALLE
MONTECOSARO
CIVITANOVA MARCHE
POTENZA PICENA
47. San Ginesio
48. Urbisaglia
49. Tolentino
47
48
T
49
he name of “Land of Harmonies” is a perfect
way to describe the Province of Macerata.
Worth visiting: Cingoli, the Balcony of Marche offers
unforgettable views over the surrounding area, with
its palaces, the Collegiate Church of
Sant’Esuperanzio (St. Exsuperantius) and the Church
of San Domenico (St. Dominic) which houses the
Madonna del Rosario by Lorenzo Lotto and the
“Donatello Stefanucci” Municipal Art Gallery.
Worth making a detour to see: Apiro, with the interesting Roman Abbazia di Sant’Urbano (Abbey of
St. Urban); Appignano, with a mediaeval core still
surrounded by walls; Treia, with the charming
Piazza, the portico of the Town Hall which houses
the Civic Archaeological Museum, the Church of
San Filippo (St. Philip) and the Palazzetto of the
Georgian Academy; Pollenza, an old village near
which stands the Church of Santa Maria Assunta di
Rambona (Our Lady of the Assumption of
Rambona - 8th century).
Worth seeing: Tolentino with the Basilica di San
Nicola (Basilica of St. Nicholas), whose celebrated
Cappellone (Large Chapel) is decorated with a
grandiose series of frescoes of the fourteenth-century Riminese school, the Cathedral, the Terme di
Santa Lucia (Spa of St. Lucy) and the nearby
Castello della Rancia (Rancia Castle).
53
20
50
51
52
50. Cingoli
51. Treia
52. Caldarola
53. Sarnano
We recommend stopping in: Belforte del Chienti surrounded by town walls and known for the precious
polyptic by Giovanni Boccati (15th cent.);
Serrapetrona, to taste the excellent Vernaccia;
Caldarola, birthplace of the De Magistris painters,
where you can admire the Castello Pallotta rebuilt in the
late sixteenth century and walk the “path” dedicated to
painters, as far as the Croce district; Cessapalombo
where you can visit the old fortified village and enjoy a
pleasant rest in the public gardens; Sarnano, a busy ski
resort and renowned spa, famous for the “cotto rosso”
(red brick tiles) of the roofs, the steep narrow streets, the
Art Gallery and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta;
(Our Lady of the Assumption) Monte San Martino
known for the Crivelli masterpieces housed in the
Church of San Martino (St. Martin); San Ginesio, a picturesque mediaeval village surrounded by large walls
dotted with towers and bulwarks, with the 13th-century
Ospedale dei Pellegrini (Pilgrims’Hospital), the beautiful Collegiate Church with its interesting late-Gothic
façade, the Church of S. Francesco (St. Francis), the
Museum and the Art Gallery.
Not to be missed: the fortified villages of Ripe San
Ginesio, Colmurano and Urbisaglia, which has an
imposing 15th-century Rocca (Keep) and was built on
the ruins of the Roman Urbs Salvia, now protected as a
Regional Archaeological Park; the Cistercian Abbey of
Santa Maria di Chiaravalle di Fiastra, immersed in the
Fiastra Abbey Nature Reserve where you can go on
nature walks and visit interesting museums.
O
MONTECASSIANO
CINGOLI
S.S.
APPIGNANO
77
MO
MONTELUPONE
S.S
G S. VICINO
POGGIO
.3
S.S. 77
62
2
S.S. 50
TREIA
S.S.
MACERATA
CORRIDONIA
STAZIONE
361
POLLENZA
CORRIDONIA
.7
GAGLIOLE
S.S
7
ABBADIA
DI FIASTRA
PETRIOLO
5
.2
S.S
MOGLIANO
FRANCAVILLA D'ETE
CASTELRAIMONDO
LORO PICENO
361
SERRAPETRONA
MASSA FERMANA
MONTAPPONE
MONTE VIDON CORRADO
CAMERINO
8
ITINERARY
APIRO
CINGOLI
APIRO
APPIGNANO
TREIA
POLLENZA
TOLENTINO
BELFORTE DEL CHIENTI
SERRAPETRONA
CALDAROLA
SARNANO
MONTE SAN MARTINO
SAN GINESIO
RIPE SAN GINESIO
COLMURANO
URBISAGLIA
MONTEGIORGIO
FALERONE
S.S. 25
6
CESSAPALOMBO
SANT'ANGELO IN PONTANO
SERVIGLIANO
BELMONTE
PICENO
GUALDO
CCIA
PENNA S. GIOVANNI
PIEVEBOVIGLIANA
MONTELEONE DI FERMO
MONTERINALDO
ORINA
MONTE S. MARTINO
SARNANO
FIASTRA
S. VITTORIA IN MATENANO
A
MARKET FAIRS
Cingoli: Mercante in Fiera, (Merchant at the
Fair) every Tuesday in July and August.
Pollenza: Market Fair of Antiques, Restoration
and Craftwork, July.
Tolentino: Fierantiqua, antiques and local craftwork market, fourth Sunday in every month.
Sarnano: National Market Fair of Craftwork and
Antiques, end of May and beginning of June.
USEFUL INFORMATION
long this route full of events and historical
re-enactments, which range from mediaeval
jousts to pages of nineteenth-century history, the
wealth of cultural assets is equal to that of the
natural environments.
It is in this Marche of low hills, ready to roll
down to the sea, visible in the distance, or to rise
rapidly to the snowy peaks of the nearby Monti
Sibillini (Sibylline Mountains), that the heart
and memory of ancient trades live on.
Tolentino is the leather-working centre: here
skilled artisans, following an original and unique
processing and finishing tradition, use the finest
leather to create not only high-quality clothing
accessories, but also elegant and refined sofas
and armchairs. Also found in the area are many
loom weavers as well as the traditional processing and weaving of linen and hemp.
Whilst in the last few years, Pollenza has gained
a certain importance in the textile industry.
Sarnano and above all Pollenza are the
Maceratese towns where once the pottery
industry, known popularly as “le cocce” (the
fragments), thrived the most . The oldest evidence of pottery, relating to the existence of a
vase workshop, dates from 1509. From the
beginning of the century it declined before
finally dissolving and transforming its vocation
into wood-working.
As well as being an important centre for the production and restoration of antique furniture,
Treia is known for wrought iron working and
mosaics.
Restoration workshops can be found in
Urbisaglia, Cingoli and Caldarola, while
Appignano is well-known for furniture production and for the rustic terracotta with characteristic finishes ranging from glossy golden or blue
enamels, to the classic white base sprayed with
green, to the traditional “biscotto” (biscuit or
twice-cooked).
Tolentino: Pottery Museum. Basilica di San Nicola (Basilica of
St. Nicholas).
Tolentino: Museum of Rural Civilisation at the Fiastra Abbey.
Serrapetrona: Museum of Humanity.
Sarnano: Museum of Weapons and Hammers.
Cessapalombo: Museum of Charcoal-making.
Colmurano: Renzo C. Ventura Memorial Museum.
Tolentino: Wine Museum at Fiastra Abbey.
Cingoli: Cingoli 1848 and Gioco del Pallone a Bracciale
(Bracelet Ball Game), August.
Treia: Disfida del Bracciale (Joust for the Bracelet), end of JulyAugust.
Tolentino: Tolentino 815, beginning of May; City of Tolentino
Historic Procession, August-September.
Caldarola: Giostra de le Castella (Castle Tournament) with
Palio, beginning of August.
Sarnano: Palio del Serafino, second Sunday in August.
San Ginesio: Palio di San Ginesio, 15 August.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
The area produces the excellent Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, a
sweet or medium-dry sparkling red wine, and a much-appreciated oil.
From an ancient confectionery tradition come the Calcioni of
Treia, the Cavallucci of Apiro and the walnut cake of San
Ginesio. The mushrooms and celery of Cingoli are particularly
well-known.
54. San Severino Marche
55. Visso
56. Pioraco
54
55
A
56
long this fascinating route, among unspoilt
mountains with their ancient legends and towns
boasting an illustrious past, it is inevitable that you’ll
come across some of the innumerable examples of
art “hidden” in the area.
Worth visiting: Matelica, a town of art, characterised
by numerous historical buildings, including Palazzo
Pretorio and Palazzo Piersanti housing the Art
Museum which exhibits oriental porcelains, ivory
objects, miniatures, and sacred and secular silverwork. Of no less importance are the Palazzi Ottoni,
Palazzo Fossa and the G. Piermarini Theatre;
Castelraimondo with the nearby Chiesa eremitica di
Santa Maria delle Macchie (Hermitage Church of
Our Lady of the Woods) and Lanciano Castle;
Pioraco, a small mediaeval village situated in an
evocative rocky gorge, famous for its ancient paperworks; San Severino Marche with the Santuario dei
Lumi (Sanctuary of Lights), the Church of Santa
Maria del Glorioso (Our Lady of the Glorious), the
old Cathedral, the large elliptic-shaped Piazza del
Popolo, the well-stocked Art Gallery and the splendid Feronia Theatre. This noble town was the fulcrum of a cultural renewal thanks to the presence of
the Sanseverinate School of painters to which the
Lorenzo brothers and Jacopo Salimbeni belonged.
Of great interest is the town’s Archaeological
Museum and the finds from the Roman Septempeda,
now a Regional Archaeological Park a few kilome60
22
57
58
59
57. Castelsantangelo sul Nera
58. Fiastra
59. Camerino
60. Matelica
tres from the town centre.
Worth seeing: Camerino, an ancient dukedom of the Da
Varano family, led the 15th century in an intense economic and artistic flowering which maintained the mediaeval
principle of defending the surrounding territory as can be
seen by the nearby ruins of the thirteenth-century Rocca
di Varano. The town has one of the oldest and most illustrious universities in Europe based in the elegant Palazzo
Ducale (Ducal Palace); in the old town centre there are
also the Cathedral and the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s
Palace), housing the Diocesan Museum which houses
some famous masterpieces and the Church of San
Filippo (St. Philip) which houses the Madonna in Gloria
e San Filippo by Tiepolo.
We recommend a detour to: Muccia, Pievebovigliana,
of Roman origin, and Pieve Torina, where you can visit
the Hermitage of Sant’Angelo di Prefoglio; the Santuario
di S. Maria (Sanctuary of Our Lady) of Macereto, an
imposing building of Bramantesque design built in 1528,
isolated on a plateau; Visso, headquarters of the Parco
Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini (Sibylline Mountains
National Park) and a town with a noble past testified to
by much mediaeval and renaissance architecture;
Castelsantangelo sul Nera, a small mediaeval village
with churches on Roman foundations.
Not to be missed: Fiastra with its evocative lake and the
Gole del Fiastrone (Fiastrone Gorge) from which pleasant excursions start out for Eremo dei Frati (the Friar’s
Hermitage or Cave) and the Lame Rosse (Red Blades);
Acquacanina, where you can visit the interesting
Church of S. Maria di Rio Sacro (Our Lady of the Sacred
Stream), founded sometime around the year one thousand and Bolognola, a picturesque mediaeval village in
the heart of a pristine natural setting.
MATELICA
MARCHE
OM
S
S. SEVERINO
.7
GAGLIOLE
7
S.S
56
URBISAGLIA
.2
S.S
TOLENTINO
CASTELRAIMONDO
PIORACO
. 36
1
COLMURANO
S.S
FIUMINATA
BELFORTE DEL CHIENTI
P S. GINESIO
RIPE
CAMERINO
R
SEFRO
O
S. GINESIO
CESSAPALOMBO
NOCERA UMBRA
.7
S.S
MUCCIA
6
GUALDO
PIEVEBOVIGLIANA
E DI CHIENTI
SERRAVALLE
9
ITINERARY
ESANATOGLIA
MATELICA
CASTELRAIMONDO
PIORACO
SAN SEVERINO MARCHE
CAMERINO
MUCCIA
PIEVEBOVIGLIANA
PIEVE TORINA
VISSO
CASTELSANTANGELO SUL NERA
FIASTRA
ACQUACANINA
BOLOGNOLA
PIEVE TORINA
SARNANO
MONTECAVALLO
MACERETO
BOLOGNOLA
O
FOLIGNO
ROMA
USSITA
MONTEFORTINO
VISSO
MONTEMONACO
CASTELSANTANGELO SUL NERA
n this enchanting mountainous corner of
Marche, the courageous decision to devote
oneself to artistic craftwork has often represented the only way to avoid the dreaded emigration.
It has been a hard road to travel, but the results
have not been long in coming.
The fruits of this labour can be admired, in the
summer, in the ancient Rocca dei Da Varano, at
the foot of Camerino, the evocative exhibition
hall for a selection of the most representative
artistic craftwork products made in the region. It
is good to see that a building, long used to
defend people, has been transformed into a place
that safeguards the ancient traditions and centuries-old processing techniques.
Along the itinerary described there are not many
workshops. Considering its history, the long cultural tradition and the extraordinary beauty of
the landscape, the territory could host many
more. The quality of the workmanship, however,
is
always
excellent:
Matelica
and
Castelraimondo stand out for textile processing
and antique furniture restoration, Muccia is
well-known for wrought iron, as is Camerino,
where there are also workshops for book and
furniture restoration, whilst San Severino
Marche is a centre for theatre scene decoration.
Particularly significant is paper-working in
Pioraco, the origins of which date back to the
16th century.
Pievebovigliana is a textile production centre
combining the ancient loom weaving techniques
with traditional decorative patterns, including
real and imaginary animals, stars, diamonds and
scenes in movement like those depicting the
“saltarello”, a Marche folk dance.
USEFUL INFORMATION
I
MARKET FAIRS
Matelica: Antiques and souvenirs market,
July and August.
San Severino Marche: Second-Hand
Clothes Market, fifth Sunday in the month
and 8 December;
Exhibition of Productive Activities of San
Severino, September.
Camerino: Craftwork Market Fair at
Rocca da Varano, July and August
Muccia: Second-Hand Clothes Market, August.
Fiastra: Good Things Market, May.
Pioraco: Museum of Paper and Filigree.
Sefro: “Florindo Ferretti” Rural Civilisation Collection.
San Severino Marche: “Oberdan Poletti” Territorial Museum.
Pieve Torina: Museum of Our Land and Mill on the River.
Camerino: Corsa alla Spada (Sword Race) and Palio, May.
San Severino Marche: Palio dei Castelli, June.
Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Visso, Ussita: Torneo delle
Guaite (Tournament between Districts), end of July.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Of particular quality is the Verdicchio di Matelica DOCG, a
white wine with a delicate fragrance.
The area of the Monti Sibillini, like almost all the mountainous
territory in Marche, produces excellent pecorini (sheep’s
cheeses), delicious honey and exquisite lamb.
Visso is renowned for its ciauscolo (salami sausage),
Camerino for its cold pork meats, San Severino Marche for its
snails, baked and in roast pork.
The whole area is an important place for the production of a
typical mistrà, a liquor based on aniseed (the Varnelli of
Pievebovigliana is famous) and other herbs from the mountains
around. The black truffle of Ussita, Visso and Castelsantangelo
sul Nera is excellent.
Noteworthy among cakes are the pannociato and the torrone
(nougat) of Camerino.
61. Massa Fermana
62. Porto San Giorgio
63. Falerone
150
62
61
150
63
This itinerary winds through the numerous thriving
towns of the Province of Fermo, full of works of art.
Worth seeing: Sant’Elpidio a Mare, situated on a
hill, with intact mediaeval walls, the massive Torre
Gerosolimitana (Jerusalem Tower), the Collegiate
Church and the Churches of Sant’Agostino (St.
Augustine) and Maria Santissima della
Misericordia (Our Most Holy Lady of Mercy), interesting for their architectural structure and precious
works of art; Montegranaro, which grew around
the old core where the ancient churches of Sant’Ugo
(St. Hugh) and San Pietro (St. Peter) stood.
We recommend stopping: for anyone who wants sun
and sea, in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a typical seaside
resort with a promenade rich with vegetation, and in
Porto San Giorgio, an ancient guard post along a
coast infested by Turkish pirates and today an
important tourist resort known for its mediaeval
centre with the Rocca (Keep) and for its modern
town with avenues, trees and gardens.
Worth a visit: the noble Fermo, considered the
monumental hall of Marche with its ancient and
vast Roman cisterns, the panoramic Piazzale del
Girfalco on which stands the Cathedral with its
unusual asymmetrical façade, the splendid Piazza
del Popolo flanked by loggias, the Teatro
67
24
150
64
150
65
150
66
64. Montappone
65. Montegranaro
66. Torre di Palme
67. Fermo
dell’Aquila (Eagle Theatre), the sixteenth-century
Palazzo dei Priori which houses the Civic Gallery containing precious works such as the Adorazione dei pastori (Adoration of the Shepherds) by Rubens and the
eight panels of the Polyptic of S. Lucia (St. Lucy) by
Jacobello del Fiore. Of great interest is the Oratorio di
Santa Monica (Oratory of St. Monica) with frescoes in
an international Gothic style.
Worth making a detour to see: Torre di Palme, a “balcony over the sea” very well conserved with numerous
mediaeval buildings, also famous for the waters of the
Fonti di Palme (Palm Springs).
Not to be missed: Ponzano di Fermo, known for the
Pieve di San Marco (Parish Church of St. Mark) founded in the high middle ages; Monte Giberto, the ancient
heart of which, in a dominant position, is enclosed by its
fourteenth-century walls; Servigliano, built in accordance with the town planning rules of the eighteenth
century, and Falerone, where you can visit the Regional
Archaeological Park which protects the ruins of Falerio
Picenus, the ancient Roman city with its splendid theatre with stage and cavea.
Worth discovering: Monte Vidon Corrado, a village
with the remains of imposing fortifications, birthplace of
the great painter Osvaldo Licini; Montappone, a small
town with a mediaeval centre in which the Oratorio del
Sacramento (Oratory of the Sacrament) stands out;
Massa Fermana, where you can admire a fine polyptic
by Carlo Crivelli, and Montegiorgio, where people visit
its celebrated Ippodromo (horse carting racecourse).
STAZIONE
MONTECOSARO
STAZIONE
PORTO SANT'ELPIDIO
MONTEGRANARO
CORRIDONIA
.2
S.S
10
PETRIOLO
MOGLIANO
PORTO SAN GIORGIO
FRANCAVILLA D'ETE
LORO PICENO
RAPAGNANO
FERMANA
A FE
MASSA
O DI TENNA
MAGLIANO
FERMO
TORRE DI PALME
MONTAPPONE
MONTE VIDON
CORRADO
O
MONTEGIORGIO
10
ITINERARY
S.S. 77
MORROVALLE
MACERATA
SANT’ELPIDIO A MARE
MONTEGRANARO
PORTO SANT’ELPIDIO
PORTO SAN GIORGIO
FERMO
PONZANO DI FERMO
MONTE GIBERTO
SERVIGLIANO
FALERONE
MONTE VIDON CORRADO
MONTAPPONE
MASSA FERMANA
MONTEGIORGIO
G
GROTTAZZOLINA
PEDASO
FALERONE
BELMONTE
PICENO
SERVIGLIANO
A14
MONTERINALDO
ORTEZZANO
CARASSAI
MONTELPARO
MONTALTO DELLE MARCHE
RIPATRANSONE
T
MARKET FAIRS
Porto Sant’Elpidio: Mirabilia Market,
August.
Porto San Giorgio: Craft Market, every
Tuesday in July and August.
Antiques Market, August.
Fermo: Tipicità, Festival of Typical Marche
Products, March; Market Fair of Craftwork and
Antiques, every Thursday in July and August.
USEFUL INFORMATION
owards the end of the nineteenth century in this
area there were dozens of footwear-making
workshops. This work was, in Montegranaro in
particular, the main economic resource of the area.
With the passing of the years, industrial transformation exploded although most firms remained small
family businesses, constituting an innovative district network which has been studied by many economists. The same evolution was experienced by the
art of weaving straw and wicker (today cane and
bamboo) to make various kinds of objects such as
fans, welcome mats, cases, but above all hats.
So much so that Montappone which had always
been a hat production centre further increased its
business following the introduction of machines
together with Falerone, Monte Vidon Corrado
and Massa Fermana.
An evocative journey into the past of the ancient
craftwork traditions can involve two museum trips:
to the Footwear Museum in Sant’Elpidio a Mare,
which presents the historical evolution of footwear
in Marche, as well as a collection of old machines,
famous people’s footwear and a faithful reconstruction of a craft workshop from the 1940s, and to the
Hat Museum in Montappone, which illustrates all
the straw processing stages up to the press which
gives the hat its shape and exhibits machinery, panels and a selection of varied headgear. In Fermo, of
the “brickmakers” and “potters”, once found in large
numbers in the city, as is also true of the smiths specialising in casting bells, there remain the “steel
smiths”, makers of gates, grilles, beds, andirons, etc.;
there are also workshops of restorers, potters and
goldsmiths, who work following the renowned
Picene gold-working tradition. Wood, marble and
precious metals are worked in Porto San Giorgio,
Montegiorgio and Porto Sant’Elpidio, which is
also known for pottery production.
Sant’ Elpidio a Mare: “Cavalier Vincenzo Andolfi” Footwear
Museum.
Montappone: Hat Museum.
Montegiorgio: Museum of Rural Culture of the Upper Picene
Area (in preparation).
Ponzano di Fermo: Museums of the Field.
Sant’ Elpidio a Mare: La Città Medioevo (The Mediaeval
Town), third week in July; Contesa del Secchio (Bucket
Contest) and procession, second Sunday in August.
Fermo: Palio dell’Assunta, 15 August.
Servigliano: Knightly Tournament of Castel Clementino, August.
Montappone: The Straw Hat, last week in July.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Rosso Piceno is a fine wine, the production area includes the
hill country of the Provinces of Macerata and Ancona, up to
Senigallia. The typical white wine is the Falerio dei Colli
Ascolani.
Particularly delicious is the caciotta cheese of the Fermo area.
68. Moresco
69. Offida
70. Cupra Marittima
68
69
T
70
his very exciting route, through rolling hills
and ancient villages, leads us to discover the
beauties and smells of the green Riviera Picena,
between the Provinces of Fermo and Ascoli
Piceno.
Worth seeing: Pedaso, a seaside resort; Altidona
and Lapedona, which still conserve most of their
ancient castle walls; Moresco, a village with an
imposing fortified structure; Monterubbiano,
birthplace of the painter Vincenzo Pagani.
Worth admiring: on the opposite bank of the
River Aso, in a dominant position, Montefiore
dell’Aso, birthplace of Adolfo De Carolis, the
Museum Complex which holds a precious tryptic
by Carlo Crivelli. Worth stopping to see:
Petritoli, founded in the 10th century by monks
from Farfa, with the remains of mediaeval fortifications; Montottone and Montelparo, with its
ancient town walls; Montalto delle Marche, a
town linked to the memory of Sixtus V with the
Cathedral, the Town Hall housing the Civic Art
Gallery, the Archaeological Museum and the
Museo Sistino Vescovile di Montalto (Bishop
Sixtus Museum of Montalto); Castignano, an
ancient town of Picene origin perched on a hill;
Offida the core of which, surrounded by intact
walls, holds the ruins of the Rocca (Keep),
Palazzo Pagnanelli, which houses numerous
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71
72
73
71. Grottammare
72. Acquaviva Picena
73. Ripatransone
74. San Benedetto del Tronto
museums, and the majestic Abbazia di Santa Maria
della Rocca (Abbey of Our Lady of the Rock).
We recommend a detour: along the rolling hills to
admire the beautiful Rocca di Montevarmine near
Carassai; to Cossignano which still has a fine fortified village; of great interest is the Church of Pietro e
Paolo (Peter and Paul), now a Museum of Sacred Art;
to the noble Ripatransone, with the narrowest alley
in Italy, full of archaeological finds and precious
paintings exhibited in the Civic Art Gallery; to
Acquaviva Picena, with its imposing and perfectly
conserved mediaeval keep , and to Monteprandone,
birthplace of San Giacomo della Marca (St. James of
Marche).
Worth visiting: San Benedetto del Tronto with its
promenade characterised by 7,000 palm trees which
give the name to this last stretch of the Riviera, the
oldest high nucleus with the fourteenth-century Torre
dei Gualtieri and the Museums devoted to the sea.
The maritime tradition, still very much alive, kickstarted the frozen food industry, which is thriving
today; Grottammare, pearl of the Adriatic with its
splendid mediaeval village with a sea view in which
there are old houses and narrow streets, still has the
unmistakeable flavour of oranges; if you stop in this
town it is also worth visiting the Church of S.
Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist), now the
Sacred Art Museum; Cupra Marittima where you
really must stop off at the Picene Malacological
(Mollusc) Museum, at the fortified hamlet of Marano
and at the ruins of the Roman town of Cupra
Maritima, protected today by the Regional
Archaeological Park.
PORTO SAN GIORGIO
O
TORRE S. PATRIZIO
FERMO
RAPAGNANO
O DI TENNA
MAGLIANO
O
MONTEGIORGIO
G
GROTTAZZOLINA
33
.4
S.S
PETRITOLI
CUPRA MARITTIMA
MONTELPARO
RIPATRANSONE
CASTIGNANO
ROTELLA
MONSAMPOLO
SAN BENEDETTO DEL
PEDASO
TRONTO
ALTIDONA
GROTTAMMARE
LAPEDONA
CUPRA MARITTIMA
MORESCO
MONTERUBBIANO
MONTEFIORE DELL’ASO
PETRITOLI
MONTOTTONE
MONTELPARO
MONTALTO DELLE MARCHE
CASTIGNANO
OFFIDA
CARASSAI
COSSIGNANO
RIPATRANSONE
ACQUAVIVA PICENA
MONTEPRANDONE
11
ITINERARY
S.S
.2
10
CASTEL DI LAMA
S.S
.4
MALTIGNANO
FOLIGNANO
articularly interesting in Acquaviva Picena is
the production of “paiarole” or baskets made
with wheat straw, wicker and various types of marsh
canes. From the 1970s, dolls and nativity figures
have also been produced with maize leaves. The
processing is completely manual and it is the women
who prepare the material and make the baskets.
It is amazing that, even today, in a world marked by
speed and frenzy, in Offida the laborious and patient
art of delicate bobbin lace-making is still practised.
This is a very ancient tradition, dating back to the
15th century and imported from the Orient, practised
with skill by the women from Offida who often sit
in small groups in front of their homes.
The places of the ancient trades are numerous in this
area, which is known as “Il Piceno”: in San
Benedetto del Tronto there are restoration, goldsmiths’, pottery, tailoring, stone-working and metalworking workshops, as well as boatyards, and net
and rope factories; travertine- and wood-working
are present in Grottammare and in Cupra
Marittima, whilst wrought iron craftwork characterises Montefiore dell’Aso, Lapedona and
Petritoli and pottery Carassai, Monteprandone
and above all Montottone, a renowned centre for
terracotta, as well as of wrought iron and copper.
In the numerous museums of folk traditions scattered along the itinerary the exhibitions of looms and
spinning wheels are evocative, recalling a time, not
long ago, when every farmhouse they made their
own fabrics; there are also wine presses and other
wine-making equipment, testifying to the long winemaking tradition.
In the attempt to re-launch the ancient trades and
typical workshops, the commitment of the Board of
the Monti Sibillini National Park and of the Local
Action Group is a positive factor.
USEFUL INFORMATION
P
MARKET FAIRS
Monterubbiano: Chi Cerca Trova (Seek and You
Shall Find), August.
Offida: Mercato del Serpente Aureo (Golden
Serpent Market), July and August; Bobbin Lace
Exhibition, July and August; Sagra del
Chichiripieno, first Sunday in August; Di Vino in
Vino, first week in September.
Acquaviva Picena: Craftwork and Antiques Market Fair, every
Wednesday in July and August.
San Benedetto del Tronto: L’antico e le palme (The Ancient and the
Palms), January, June, July, August.
Grottammare: Market of Antiques and Craftwork, every Monday in July
and August, end of March, 8 December.
Montefiore dell’Aso: Polo Museale di San Francesco (St. Francis’s
Museum Complex) – Museum of Rural Civilisation.
Montottone: Pottery Workshop Museum.
Montalto delle Marche: “L’acqua, la terra, la tela” (Water, Land, the
Loom) Museum.
Offida: Museum of Folk Traditions
Offida: Bobbin Lace Museum.
Ripatransone: Museum of Rural Civilisation.
Acquaviva Picena: “Pajarola” (Handmade Basket) Museum.
San Benedetto del Tronto: Museum of the Sea.
Monterubbiano: Armata di Pentecoste Sciò la Pica and Giostra dell’anello (Ring Joust), Pentecost (Whit Sunday).
Offida: Lu Bov’ Fint (The Fake Ox), Carnival Friday; Sfilata dei V’lurd
(Faggot Procession), Carnival Tuesday.
Castignano: Templaria, August.
Ripatransone: Il cavallo di fuoco, April.
Acquaviva Picena: Sponsalia, August.
San Benedetto del Tronto: “Notti al museo - I bambini e il mare” (Nights
at the Museum - Children and the Sea).
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
The Maccheroncini of Campofilone, made with durum wheat flour and
twice as many eggs as in normal pasta, can now be found in shop windows all over the world. The valleys of the Tronto and the Aso have an
extraordinary market gardening vocation: among the numerous products
we can note the white beans of the Tronto and the peaches of the Val
d’Aso. Also noteworthy is the excellent brodetto sambenedettese (thin
broth of San Benedetto). The funghetti (small “mushroom” biscuits) of
Offida and the panetti di fichi (fig cakes) of Monsampolo del Tronto are
delicious. The Offida DOC wine is produced in the area.
75. Comunanza
76. Force
77. Amandola
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77
he natural values of the nearby mountains with
their luxuriant vegetation and stupendous views
are combined on this route with a wealth of historical and artistic assets.
Not to be missed: Ascoli Piceno, the “city of two
hundred towers”, with its treasures held in the
numerous museums and historic churches, such as
the SS. Vincenzo e Anastasio (Saints Vincent and
Anastasius), the silent palaces, the splendid squares,
the noble octagonal Battistero (Baptistery), the
imposing Cathedral (with a precious polyptic by
Carlo Crivelli), the enchanting Piazza del Popolo
where the thirteenth-century Palazzo dei Capitani
stands alongside the celebrated Caffè Meletti, shining with Liberty gold and decorations, the beautiful
Gothic Church of S. Francesco (St. Francis) with the
adjacent Loggia dei Mercanti (Merchants’ Loggia),
the historic Ventidio Basso Theatre and the
reminders of the ancient Roman age.
Worth making a detour to see: Folignano, Castel di
Lama, Castorano, Spinetoli and Colli del Tronto,
interesting for their craft and eno-gastronomical traditions; the ancient centres of Venarotta, Roccafluvione,
and Force, one of the first Farfa monk settlements
where copper-working thrived; among other things
Palazzo Canestrai, which houses the Sacred Art
Museum, contains a 12th-century wooden Crucifix.
Worth seeing: Comunanza, birthplace of the three
Ghezzi painters, which has a historical centre with
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79
80
78. Arquata del Tronto
79. Montemonaco
80. Montefalcone Appennino
81. Ascoli Piceno
tall old terraced houses perched above the Aso River;
Montefalcone Appennino, imposing at the top of a
steep cliff, with interesting mediaeval ruins; Santa
Vittoria in Matenano, founded by the Farfa monks to
whom we owe the Church of Santa Vittoria (St.
Victoria); other points of interest are Palazzo Melis, the
Church of S. Agostino (St. Augustine), the Torre
dell’Abate Oderisio (Abbot Oderisio’s Tower) and the
Monastero delle Benedettine (Benedictine Convent);
Montelparo which overlooks the Aso valley; the typical
mediaeval village of Smerillo, with its beautiful wood
and the “Fessa”, a characteristic split in the rock.
Worth visiting: Amandola with the churches of S.
Agostino (St. Augustine) and S. Francesco (St. Francis),
the nearby Abbazia dei Santi Ruffino e Vitale (Abbey of
Saints Ruffinus and Vitalis) and the Lago di San Ruffino
(Lake of St. Ruffinus).
Worth driving along: the panoramic road leading to the
heart of the Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini,
(Sibyllline Mountain National Park) among an evocative corona of mountains and the green of the woods,
and through small villages such as Montefortino, with
its narrow stone streets and its extraordinary “F.
Duranti” Civic Art Gallery; Montemonaco, interesting
for the remains of its walls and of the Rocca (Keep) and
a view that stretches away forever; Montegallo, a pleasant tourist resort, and Arquata del Tronto, the only
municipality in Italy included in two national parks (that
of the Monti Sibillini and that of the Monti della Laga),
with a superb mediaeval Rocca (Keep). A stop in
Acquasanta Terme will doubtless turn out to be healthy
owing to its beneficial sulphur waters; worth noting is
the Church of S. Maria delle Piane (Our Lady of the
Plains) of Roman origin, but enriched by the beauty of
frescoes by Augusto Mussini.
G
GROTTAZZOLINA
FALERONE
O
S. GINESIO
SANT'ANGELO IN PONTANO
SERVIGLIANO
6
.7
S.S
GUALDO
MORESCO
PENNA S. GIOVANNI
MONTELEONE DI FERMO
CARASSAI
MONTE S. MARTINO
MONTELPARO
RIPATRANSONE
ME
SMERILLO
SM
O
COSSIGNANO
AMANDOLA
CASTIGNANO
ROTELLA
OFFIDA
MONTEFORTINO
PALMIANO
MONTEMONACO
VENAROTTA
ROCCAFLUVIONE
ASCOLI PICENO
MONTEGALLO
FOLIGNANO
ARQUATA DEL TRONTO
CASTEL DI LAMA
ACQUASANTA TERME
CASTORANO
SPINETOLI
COLLI DEL TRONTO
VENAROTTA
ROCCAFLUVIONE
FORCE
COMUNANZA
MONTEFALCONE APPENNINO
SANTA VITTORIA IN MATENANO
SMERILLO
AMANDOLA
MONTEFORTINO
MONTEMONACO
12
ITINERARY
O
MONTEGIORGIO
ARQUATA
DEL TRONTO
ACQUASANTA
TERME
S.S
.
4
MALTIGNANO
MONTEGALLO
O
FOLIGNANO
TERAMO
he majolica tradition has ancient origins in
T
Ascoli Piceno, as is proven by the numerous
fragments from the Italic, Roman and High Middle
MARKET FAIRS
Ascoli Piceno: Antiques, Artistic Craftwork
and Collections Market, third Saturday and
Sunday in the month.
Arquata del Tronto: Marrone che
Passione (Chestnuts How Exciting!), market
fair of typical products of the mountains,
last Sunday in October.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Ages and the creations of “figuli” (majolica workers) operating in the 14th and 15th centuries. After a
break in production, it began again with new vigour
in 1812, thanks to the work of the Paci and
Matricardi factories which made use of the contributions of artists such as Adolfo De Carolis and Bruno
da Osimo. Today production continues with the
M.A.A. (Maioliche Artistiche Ascolane) factory and
thanks to the work of numerous craft workshops
which are inspired by the past. The old city centre is
also enlivened by workshops of goldsmiths, antique
dealers, restorers, blacksmiths, tailors and marble
workers; straw working lives on, while the centuries-old paper-making tradition is now in disuse.
This latter tradition is testified to by the Opificio di
Porta Cartara (Papermakers’ Gate Factory), recently restored.
Instead, in our time, copper-working has been less
fortunate. This material was widespread at the end of
the nineteenth century when, concentrated in particular around Force and Comunanza, there were
more than thirty small workshops of copper-workers
and boilermakers who carried out their trade even in
an itinerant form around the farmhouses.
Amandola, once known for ancient wool-working
and weaving, has been a centre of wood-working
since the 16th century, as have Comunanza,
Montefortino, Roccafluvione and Colli del
Tronto.
In the area of Castel di Lama there is considerable
leather-working.
In the small village of Colle di Arquata del Tronto
the production of charcoal is still important to the
local economy. This is a technique that consists of
knowing how to transform wood into charcoal leaving it to burn in a structure that prevents its complete
combustion.
In Colle this ancient trade still survives, handed
down from generation to generation, despite this
being an activity now becoming extinct. As well as
the pottery tradition, which is also found in
Folignano, in the upper Tronto valley, and in particular in Acquasanta Terme, Travertine has been
worked for centuries. This material characterises
most of the buildings in the Ascoli area and is used
today for furniture.
Spinetoli: Museum of Rural Civilisation at Oasi La Valle.
Amandola: Anthropo-geographical Museum - Museum of
Rural Civilisation.
Montelparo: Itinerant Trades Museum.
Ascoli Piceno: Quintana, July and August.
Amandola: Processione delle Canestrelle (Basket Procession),
August.
Arquata del Tronto: Alla corte della regina (At the Queen’s
Court), 19 August.
Arquata del Tronto: Re-enactment of the Battle of Lepanto,
August (every three years).
Arquata del Tronto: Presentation of the legend of the fairies,
August (every three years).
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Very well-known and excellent are the Ascolan olives, above
all the stuffed and fried version. Acquasanta Terme,
Roccafluvione, Comunanza and Montefortino are places in
which the prized black truffle, Tuber melanosporum Vitt, is
widespread, as well as numerous species of mushroom and
chestnut. At risk of extinction are the mele rosa (pink apples) of
Amandola and the Cucuccetta pears of S. Emidio.
Rosso Piceno Superiore wine is produced in a narrow band of
towns, whilst the anisetta aniseed liquor is typical of Ascoli
Piceno. It should be noted that in the area of Arquata del
Tronto there are numerous charcoal workshops.
San Benedetto del Tronto (AP)
Riviera del Conero (AN)
Macerata - Arena Sferisterio
National Park of the Monti Sibillini
(M. Palazzo Borghese)
Villa Potenza (MC) - Ruins of the
ancient Helvia Rìcina
Ascoli Piceno - La Quintana
The interior of Marche
Genga (AN) - Frasassi Caves
Ancona - Cathedral of Saint Cyriacus
Jesi (AN) - Pergolesi Theatre
Loreto (AN) - Piazza della Madonna
Urbino (PU) - Chiesa di San Bernardino
Ascoli Piceno - Palazzo del Capitano
Fermo - Cathedral
Pesaro - Rossini Opera Festival
FOR INFORMATION
CNA MARCHE National Confederation of Trades of Small and Medium Enterprises
Via Sandro Totti, 4 - 60131 ANCONA
Tel. +39.071286091 - Fax +39.0712860928
www.marche.cna.it [email protected]
Confartigianato Imprese (Confederation of Trades) Marche
Via Fioretti, 2/A - 60131 ANCONA
Tel. +39.0712900134 - Fax +39.0712900135
www.confartigianato.it [email protected]
Ancona Chamber of Commerce
Piazza XXIV Maggio, 1 - 60123 ANCONA
Tel. +39.07158981- Fax +39.0712073907
www.an.camcom.gov.it [email protected]
Pesaro and Urbino Chamber of Commerce
Corso XI Settembre, 116 - 61121 PESARO
Tel. +39.07213571 - Fax +39.072131015
www.ps.camcom.gov.it [email protected]
Macerata Chamber of Commerce
Via Tommaso Lauri, 7 - 62100 MACERATA
Tel. +39.07332511 - Fax +39.0733251622
www.mc.camcom.it [email protected]
Fermo Chamber of Commerce
Corso Cefalonia, 69 (Palazzo Azzolino) - 63900 FERMO
Tel. +39.0734217511 - Fax +39.0734217541
www.fm.camcom. it [email protected]
Ascoli Piceno Chamber of Commerce
Via L. Mercantini,25 - 63100 ASCOLI PICENO
Tel. +39.07362791 - Fax +39.0736262144
www.ap.camcom. it segreteria @ap.camcom.it

THE ANCIENT TRADES IN MARCHE

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