Montegiardino between the Borgo, art and gypsum trails

Montegiardino combines local history with an unusual art event and trails through gypsum landscapes. This opens up different ways to shape your stay: you can explore the town’s history, discover art as part of everyday life, or head outdoors along one of the named trails. Whichever of these aspects appeals to you most can also guide your search for a suitable holiday apartment.

Local history and art in the Borgo

Montegiardino is thought to be of Lombard origin and was ruled by many feudal lords until it was wrested from the Malatesta in the war of 1463. On the advice of Federico da Montefeltro, the castle was destroyed for fear of uprisings. These historical turning points give the town’s history a tangible context. A 19th-century church preserves antependia—that is, altar frontals—from the 18th century, offering further evidence of Montegiardino’s past.

Art takes an unusual form at the Artisti in Casa festival: in the 2024 edition, the homes, balconies, courtyards and living rooms of Montegiardino residents served as stages. Instead of taking place in a single venue, the festival used a wide variety of locations throughout the Borgo. Those interested in local art and its different forms of presentation can discover it through a different lens than that of the historic buildings and their history.

Trails through the gypsum landscape

The Sentiero delle Coste begins at the end of Strada Pratacci, which can be reached from Piazza di Montegiardino via Strada delle Macchie. This provides a clearly signposted starting point, using named roads and the town square as reference points. For the Sentiero i Gessi di Montegiardino, specific trail details are available: it has an elevation gain of 121 metres and runs at an altitude of between 225 and 341 metres above sea level. Rated as moderately difficult, it also has a few short, steep and slippery sections. These details can help you tailor your plans to the trail you choose.

Within the wider destination of Montegiardino, the Sentiero i Gessi is thematic Trail No. 3 of the Cammino del Titano. It starts in the medieval centre of Castello di Montegiardino and passes through the site of an old gypsum quarry. The trail is approximately 2.3 kilometres long. Its trail number, starting point and connection to the quarry give the walk its own historical and landscape context; the stated difficulty and elevation details describe other aspects of the route.

Nature and landscape along the Sentiero delle Coste

Within the wider destination of Montegiardino, the Sentiero delle Coste crosses gypsum terrain around the old Borgo and enters the densely vegetated gorge of the Torrente Marano. Its waters have carved deep cuts and numerous impressive cavities into the gypsum. The landscape gradually evolved after the gypsum workers left and the infrastructure fell into disrepair. The traces of past work and the wild, distinctive and appealing landscape that developed later are thus closely connected.

Nature along the Sentiero delle Coste also has some striking features within the wider destination of Montegiardino: migratory birds use the corridor of the Sentiero delle Coste, particularly during the autumn migration. The rare Italian cave salamander (Speleomantes italicus), a lungless amphibian, lives in damp rock crevices and on moist rock faces. There is also an equipped picnic area along the Sentiero delle Coste, with benches and a large wooden table. This combination of gypsum formations, wildlife and a place to rest is quite different from a cultural and historical perspective on the Borgo.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider what you would like to focus on during your stay: local history and the art event, or time spent on the trails and in the gypsum landscape. Choose according to the mix you have in mind; the sights and trails described here offer different starting points for planning your stay.

Back to the wider travel guide: Montegiardino.