Montevecchio: Churches and Hilly Landscape

Holiday apartment in Montevecchio amid hills and history

Montevecchio lies at the summit of a steep hill on the left bank of the Cesano. Parts of the hill descend steeply, giving the village a distinctive landscape character. A holiday apartment in Montevecchio provides a starting point for a trip that combines the history of the village, sacred art and the hilly landscape around Pergola. If you would like to bring together different interests when travelling with children, you can combine cultural discoveries in the village with impressions of the rural surroundings without reducing Montevecchio's character to a single attraction.

Medieval traces in the lanes

The Church of San Martino was built between the 13th and 14th centuries on the now-lost walls of the village. Part of the apse circumference has survived and lies hidden in the undergrowth. Such traces draw attention to Montevecchio's former appearance without requiring the village to tell its history only through fully preserved buildings.

The history of Montevecchio is closely linked to the old family of the Counts of Montevecchio, who derived their family name from the village. In the 14th century, Ermanno II dei Gabrielli di Gubbio received the castle of Montevecchio as a fief. In the lanes, bricked-up round arches made of brick and reused stones in the walls of some residential buildings have survived as traces of the 13th and 14th centuries. As you walk through the village, you will encounter historical details in different places and in different forms.

San Giuseppe: Chapel, frescoes and organ

The parish church of San Giuseppe in Montevecchio houses the Montevecchio family chapel. The chapel of the Counts of Montevecchio dates from the 16th century and is richly decorated with stucco and 17th-century frescoes. The organ in San Giuseppe is also one of the oldest and historically most significant organs in the Marche. This provides a cultural focus for planning your day, particularly if you would like to combine architecture, art and regional history.

A copy of the Shroud of Turin was formerly used to depict the Crucifixion of Jesus and was kept in San Giuseppe. This historical information forms part of the church's distinctive tradition, while the chapel and its furnishings vividly complement the sacred character of the village.

Landscape and travel orientation

From the Monterolo Pass, Montevecchio can be reached after approximately 7 kilometres through the hilly landscape around Pergola. Depending on whether historical discoveries or landscape impressions are your priority, Montevecchio may be an appealing, peaceful base within your travel plans.

Historical traces in the village centre and surroundings

The former town hall of Montevecchio has a tower. The historic Church of Sant'Apollinare in the village centre is now used as a garage; its roof has been renewed. Both buildings show that the current use of individual structures may differ from their former function. In the Valle di Fosso di Fontebuona, about half a kilometre east of the village, lie the ruins of the Church of Madonna dei Canapini. Traces of a fresco have survived on one wall of these ruins.

Viticulture is also part of the village landscape: in Montevecchio, vines of the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aleatico and Riesling varieties are cultivated at an altitude of 485 metres. The range of impressions therefore extends from medieval wall remains and church art to a specific agricultural tradition. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can thus focus on a stay shaped by history, landscape and regional character.

Further places for orientation: Fiorenzuola Di Focara, Montebello, Bargni, Urbania, Frontone, Cuccurano, Torrette, Santa Veneranda

For the higher-level travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.