Mondolfo, in the province of Pesaro-Urbino, is a historic hill town that with its continuation in the coastal resort of Marotta, is a typical example of "two cities in one", a sign of the fusion of two cultures, land and sea. Ideal destination for families, for those who love history and for those looking for new itineraries to travel by bike.
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Borghi
The village of Mondolfo
The village of Mondolfo has been looking towards the Adriatic Sea for centuries and the sea is watching it: it is a natural balcony that tells of the dual nature of the village and the Marche region. Hills behind and blue sea in front. Seeing it like this, 150 meters up, you might think that the sea is just an element of the landscape and that this is an authentic hill village. But no, because Mondolfo was born as a refuge to save itself from Saracen incursions but it has never abandoned its maritime soul. In fact today it has a small appendage, Marotta, a well-known seaside resort which no longer has to defend itself from the Turks but from the onslaught of tourists in the summer. This is why Mondolfo is also defined as the land of two holidays, because in a few minutes you can go from the green hills with cultivated fields to the gold of the sand and the infinite shades of the Adriatic. A truly enchanting village. We must say "thank you" to the Saracens if today we can enjoy this enchanting fortified village defended by two walls. Seen from above, Mondolfo looks like a slightly sloping open fan. You leave the car around the mighty walls and enter this village where silence reigns and the time of life is dictated by slow rhythms. Low houses, red roofs, artisan workshops and typical shops follow one another during the pleasant climb towards the highest part of the village. Narrow alleys and stairways lead to the large Town Hall square, Mondolfo's favorite meeting place and collective life. The spectacular Town Hall with a mighty Civic Tower with clock in the center is actually a neo-Romanesque style reconstruction of the original building destroyed by an earthquake in 1931.
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Castle & Historic House
THE MONDOLFO CASTLE, MUNICIPAL BUILDING
It's impossible not to pass by it and impossible not to notice the majestic silhouette of this building. It is located in the highest part of the hill and it is as if every road had to lead here. The building has a massive Civic Tower at its center, both built with bricks recovered from the ancient municipal building razed to the ground by the 1930 earthquake. On the building there are symbols that perfectly tell the soul and history of Mondolfo such as the municipal banner, formed by two equal bands, gold and blue. Gold is the color of the fields while blue is that of the Adriatic Sea.
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Heritage Collection
ABBEY OF SAN GERVASIO - Early medieval church of San Gervasio (5th-6th/18th centuries)
Early medieval church of San Gervasio (5th-6th/18th centuries). The Abbey of San Gervasio di Bulgaria is one of the oldest churches in the area and is immersed in the greenery of the Marche countryside, not far from the left bank of the Cesano river. It is the only church whose title has a clear reference to Bulgaria, a name dating back to the early Middle Ages and the settlement of barbarian populations in this stretch of lower Cesano characterized by the presence of human sites since prehistoric times. A diverticulum of the ancient Via Flaminia passed through here and was the ideal position to spread the Christian religion to those who went from Rome to the Adriatic. The exterior is simple, like the interior. The most evocative place of the church is the "mushroom" crypt which is supported by a single column in cipollino marble. In the center there is the large sarcophagus which, according to legend, houses the body of St. Gervasio. The Ravenna-style sarcophagus is decorated with the traditional symbols of the early Christians: the Cross, peacocks, the Constantinian labarum and ivy. Another monument originating from the crypt is the baptismal font, finely crafted and dating back to around the 12th century, today preserved in the Mondolfo town hall.
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Heritage Collection
MONUMENTAL COMPLEX OF SANT'AGOSTINO AND CIVIC MUSEUMS
The most beautiful religious complex in the village is located just outside the walls, near Porta Santa Maria and is dedicated to Saint Augustine.
The Augustinians have lived here since 1200, although the spaces are used for cultural events, conferences and for the Civic Museum. The Monumental Church of S. Agostino, which is part of the complex, has late sixteenth-century shapes and is accessed through three elegant portals sculpted in sandstone.
The interior has a single barrel vault with 12 walls along the walls
splendid carved altars and a beautiful wooden choir in the
counter façade. The seventeenth-century cloister is beautiful, on the sides of which scenes from the life of Saint Augustine are frescoed and from which you can access the Civic Museum of Mondolfo with prehistoric and Castle finds, memories of the Renaissance and the artisan tradition of the village. The clock used until the last century in the Civic Tower is particularly interesting.
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Landscape
BASTION OF SANT'ANNA
A minute's walk away, in the direction of Via Torre, you arrive at the Belvedere del Castello, the most panoramic point of the village which offers a magnificent view of the surrounding area. In reality you are walking on the old walkways of the fortified walls, which over the centuries they have transformed into something less "warlike" and more useful to the village.
A few meters walk from Piazza del Municipio there is also one of the bastions that the village has used over the centuries to defend itself from attacks. Now that no one invades the village anymore, the mighty walls of the Bastion of Sant'Anna have been transformed into a splendid Italian garden with a lemon grove and suggestive underground rooms. Cultural events, exhibitions and shows take place here, but it's worth going even if there's nothing scheduled. You rest from the climb, breathe good air, the view is magnificent. Along the walkways there are ancient artillery pieces used to defend the walls. If you have time, spend a few minutes at the armory in via dei Vandali.
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Landscape
MAROTTA SEAFRONT
The Marotta seafront, within the broader "Cyclovia Adriatica" project, boasts a wide cycle path that runs along the sidewalk and the related wall separating it from the beach. In recent years, this wall has become the protagonist of "Let's Mosaic the City"; a vast urban redevelopment initiative supported by the Municipality of Mondolfo and promoted by the cultural association «Chiaro Scuro» which decorated much of the coast with colorful and joyful mosaics created in synergy with local organizations and realities.
THE ROUTE OF MOSAICS
It all started with the first mosaic created in the parking lot of Villa Valentina which gave rise to a long series of other mosaics created on the seafront, including those for the redevelopment of the pier. But we can also find some in other places in the municipal area; for example, one of the largest and most complex mosaics is certainly the one created outside the church of San Giovanni in via Martini in Marotta.
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Slow Outdoor
Tuff valley / tuff cave
The great walls of the "tuffs" are marine formations of the lower Pliocene characterized by sands and sandstones. Suggestive in shape, brilliant in color and dusty to the touch.
