Fossombrone

Fossombrone (Fossombron in dialect gallo-piceno) is the largest among the hamlets of media val Metauro, characterized by a medieval town center, lying on the slope of a hill and dominated by a citadel and by the ruins of the rocca malatestiana. The name Fossombrone undoubtedly derives from the Forum Sempronii name of the ancient Roman center linked in turn to the figure of the tribune Gaius Sempronio Gracco happened in these areas in the 133 B.C. to the application of the agricultural law.

The village of Forum Sempronii, 164 miles from Rome, was located to the east of the current Fossombrone, in the locality of San Martino del Piano, was soon to be elevated to the rank of Town Hall (I century a.C.) and experienced a period of splendour in the imperial era. The ancient city was devastated by the Goths guided by Alaric, in transit toward Rome in 409 A.D. after many ruins the inhabitants built the new center on the hill that dominates the current city. In the Lombard period its territory was the theater of a hard battle between king Liutprando and the rebel duke of Spoleto Trasmondo that won, was deposited and closed in a convent.

Fossombrone as it is clear from the written documents, remained outside the domain of the Church until 999, after which came under the power of Pope Sylvester II. In the first years of the XIV century the Church State invested the Malatesta family to the lords of the city, and in their hard government proceeded to the construction of the imposing fortifications. In 1444 Galeazzo Malatesta, lord of Pesaro, sold the town to Count Federico da Montefeltro, under whose dominion, Fossombrone enjoyed a period of prosperity for the flourishing of productions of wool, paper, silk and the building renewal.

Federico was succeeded by his son Guidobaldo who lived there almost constantly because of the pleasantness of the place and the healthy climate and was succeeded by Francesco Maria Della Rovere nephew of Guidobaldo. Under the Duchi Della Rovere the city was greatly expanded, Francesco Maria II in 1616 did expand the town in the plain below the hill up to touch the Metauro river. In 1631 having settled the family Della Rovere, the entire duchy of Urbino, and therefore also Fossombrone, passed under the direct control of the state of the Church, of which State became part until 1860 year of annexation to the Kingdom of Italy of which it followed by then the historical events.

Give a certain prominence at Fossombrone some streets and neighborhoods of historic center born around the XV and XVI century, during the period in which the town was elected country residence of the family Della Rovere. Great importance is Corso Garibaldi for its palaces four-sixteenth century as palazzo Staurenghi Cattabeni, municipal, episcopal and even though they have lost much of their ancient splendour except for the High Court. Between the ecclesiastical buildings are worthy of note are the churches of San Filippo, St Francis, St Augustine, Sant'Aldebrando on citadel and the Cathedral. Worthy of note is the monument 'twinning', cast in bronze by the artist Andrea Corradi.

Certainly deserve a visit the Archaeological Museum 'Augusto Vernarecci', the house museum and the Quadreria Cesarini, the Ponte della Concordia, the symbol of the village, and Archaeological Park Forum Sempronii.

BY CAR

• From North and South: Take the A14 motorway (from the north: in the direction of Ancona; from the south: in the direction of Naples and then of Pescara), exit at Fano and continue on the SS 3 (Via Flaminia) in the direction of Rome, continue on the SS 73 Bis, exit at Fossombrone Est and follow the direction Fossombrone.

ON THE TRAIN

• Railway station of Fano

BY PLANE

• Ancona airport
• Rimini airport

BY SEA

• Port of Pesaro
• Port of Ancona