Senigallia and its hinterland
Sometimes you don’t have to go far to discover the beauties of Italy
Seaside town
The seaside town of Senigallia is one of the most attractive and friendly on the Adriatic Riviera, also known as the Velvet Beach for its soft, golden, ultra-fine sand, its thirteen kilometres of coast and the quality of its clean, shallow sea. Senigallia has now held European “Blue Flag” status for 18 years.
The symbol of Senigallia is the Rotonda a Mare, opened on 18 July 1933, which soon because a famous musical event and entertainment venue. The ‘50s and ‘60s were the golden years of Senigallia’s Rotonda a Mare, as it hosted the most famous Italian pop music stars; their greatest successes are brought back to life today by the Summer Jamboree and the Caterraduno.
A historic town of great cultural interest
The very well preserved historic centre contains the Piazza del Duca with the Rocca Roveresca Castle, a reminder of the age when the town was part of the Urbino Dukedom. It is also the place where Cesare Borgia, the “Valentino”, carried out the famous massacre of his enemies described by Niccolò Machiavelli in “The Prince”. Also on the square are the Palazzetto Baviera and the Ducal Palace. By the River Misa which flows through the city is the unusual Foro Annonario, still home to the fish and vegetable market, which also hosts the shows of Senigallia’s two biggest events, the August Summer Jamboree and the June Caterraduno, which attract thousands of visitors and fans from all over the world every year.
Walking onwards, the visitor can stroll under the Portici Ercolani, the arcades that once sheltered the ancient “fiera franca” or free fair, also known as the Fiera della Maddalena or "Fiera di Senigallia", at its height between the mid 17th and late 18th Centuries, when it was one of Europe's most important fairs; in 1760 Carlo Goldoni actually entitled one of his comic operas "La fiera di Senigallia".
In Senigallia, history and culture centre around the birthplace and family home of Pope Pio IX, the small but very beautiful Baroque Chiesa della Croce (Church of the Cross), with its altar painting of the Deposition of Christ by Federico Barocci, the Chiesa di San Martino (Church of St Martin) with the lovely Visit to Saint Anna by Guercino, the Convento delle Grazie (Convent of Graces) which contains a Madonna and Saints by Perugino in its church, the Museo di Storia della Mezzadria (Sharecropping Museum) and the Museo di Arte moderna e dell'Informazione (Museum of Modern Art and Communications) with a major collection of photographs by Mario Giacomelli.
A town of rolling hills, hamlets and castles
Senigallia’s hinterland is amazingly rich in lovely, fascinating locations just waiting to be explored, even by bicycle or motorbike. The following places of interest are within a radius of a few dozen kilometres:
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Trecastelli
the village of crafts, where the ancient craft traditions are still preserved. -
Ostra
with its very well conserved historic centre, Ostra has become famous for antique furniture restoration and the National Antiques and Crafts Fair, held there every August. -
Morro d'Alba
home to the Museo Utensilia della Cultura Mezzadrile (Museum of Sharecropping Tools) and famous above all for its red wine, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC. -
Corinaldo
an ancient medieval village famous for its 14th Century walls, amongst the most spectacular in the Marches region, it is considered one of Italy’s loveliest old hamlets and is the birthplace of Saint Maria Goretti. The famous “Contesa del Pozzo della Polenta”, evoking an incident from the town’s folk history, is celebrated in July every year. -
Mondavio
with its Rocca Roversesca castle, every year the town stages a re-enactment of a Renaissance Boar Hunt with Banquet to follow. -
Castelleone di Suasa
the Archaeological Park of the ancient Roman town of Suasa with its mosaics lies down the hill from the modern town. -
Serra de' Conti
home to a wonderful, unique Museum of the Monastic Arts. -
Jesi
birthplace of Frederick II, Duke of Svevia and the musician G.B. Pergolesi, Jesi has a historic centre which is certainly worth a visit, with its medieval quarters, aristocratic palazzi and splendid churches.
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Osimo
apart from its historic past, reflected in the beautiful, imposing palazzi and churches in its historic centre, Osimo also includes the fascinating underground city, with its caves and tunnels carved into the sandstone by hand; a place with an atmosphere all its own. -
Montecarotto
the main centre of production of the famous Verdicchio white wine, celebrated in July every year at the Verdicchio Festival. -
Arcevia
with its wonderful mountain view, it stands on a rocky spur which dominates the upper Misa valley and is a hill town of great beauty, also known famous for the nine “Roccacontrada Castles” nearby, including the picturesque fortified villages of Palazzo, Piticchio, Loretello, Nidastore and Avacelli. -
Serra San Quirico
a town built on a rocky ridge, with a perfectly conserved historic centre containing the ancient abbey of Sant’Elena and the Chiesa di Santa Lucia (Church of Saint Lucy). It is also home to the headquarters of the Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi Regional Park. -
Genga
also in the Park, this town is well known for the Romanesque Abbey of San Vittore delle Chiuse and the very famous, extraordinarily beautiful Frasassi Caves, one of Europe’s best known karst cave systems. -
Sassoferrato
near to the Roman town of Sentinum, now a Regional Archaeological Park and the Rocca di Albornoz castle, which dates from 1365. It consists of a high part, known as the Castello (Castle) and a lower part, known as the Borgo (town), an arrangement common in towns of medieval origin. -
Fabriano
birthplace of Gentile da Fabriano, it is home to the famous Museo della Carta e della Filigrana (Museum of Paper and Watermarks), where visitors can see how paper was once made by hand.
Other delightful villages well worth a visit include Cupramontana, the Verdicchio capital, together with Matelica, Monteroberto, Maiolati Spontini and Castelbellino.
