Discover Massa: Culture, Truffles and Nature | Holiday Apartment in Massa

Massa on the southwestern slope of Monte Nerone

Massa is a small district of Cagli on the southwestern slope of Monte Nerone, at an altitude of 510 m. The village combines its mountain setting with a compact historic centre shaped by history, sandstone and paths leading into the surrounding landscape. The mountain location remains just as evident as the historic design of the centre. The paths leading out of the village complement the built-up centre with a natural setting.

Holiday apartment in Massa among sandstone and San Pietro

Several restored sandstone houses stand in the centre of Massa. One of them is a tower dovecote house. The streets in the centre are also paved with sandstone. During a walk, the material can be experienced both in the houses and in the streetscape.

Today, only the church of the former San Pietro di Massa Abbey remains. In Massa's parish church, remnants of the old abbey have been incorporated into the masonry. The church also has a 17th-century altarpiece depicting “Madonna del Rosario e i Santi”. The church thus connects its former monastic history with a specific work of art from the 17th century.

Truffles and mushrooms in Località Massa

At Agriturismo La Cerca in Località Massa, you can book a truffle experience that includes a visit to the woods to search for truffles. Lunches featuring truffle and mushroom specialities are also available there by advance reservation. For planning purposes, the offers are clearly separate: the search is part of the visit to the woods, while the meal requires advance reservation. The visit to the woods and the reserved meal therefore stand alongside each other as separate parts of the experience.

Paths to the mill and Abbadia

The ruins of Mulino Bordone mill can be reached from Massa via a downhill path. The downhill path gives the detour a clearly defined direction.

About 1.5 km before Massa, a turn-off to Abbadia leads from the road to the local cemetery. It is the church of the former Benedictine monastery of San Pietro di Massa, which was founded between the 9th and 10th centuries. The cemetery is the specific reference point for the turn-off before Massa.

The Fiumicello Valley as a landscape experience

The waters of the Fiumicello are shaded by black poplars, black alder trees, shrub willows, downy oaks and hop hornbeams. Its streambed consists of large rubble stones and can be walked along as long as the dense vegetation allows. Those who walk along the streambed encounter rubble stones and a passage restricted by vegetation.

The Fiumicello Valley can be explored via the road from Pianello di Cagli to Serravalle di Carda; it runs along the hillside above the stream. The hillside road forms the upper line of the valley area, while the stream forms the lower line.

More places for planning your trip

If you would like to extend your travel plans beyond Massa, you can also consider Peglio, Carpegna, Cartoceto, Pesaro, Piobbico, Trebbiantico, Piagge and Acqualagna.

For the overarching travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.