Trecastelli

The town of Trecastelli was born on January 1st, 2014 from the merging of the three municipalities of Ripe, Castel Colonna and Monterado. It is located a few kilometres from the sea, in the province of Ancona, among the beautiful typical hills of the Marche region. Trecastelli has about eight thousand inhabitants and it is a new town with a great cultural and historic heritage.

Ripe is located 140 meters above sea level and it is 15 km far from the coast, in a plain where the river Nevola joins the river Misa. Its inner city is crossed by beautiful alleys, which surround the main neo-romantic building, which today is the residence of the new municipality. Another point of interest is the church of San Pellegrino, restored in 2015, which contains a precious Organo Callido, built in 1792. The Villino Romualdo (second half of XVIII C.) has been recently restored and it is now the house of the Museo Nori De’ Nobili, a collection of paintings by the artist Eleonora De’ Nobili. The Museum is entirely dedicated to the female figure and for this reason, it also hosts the Centro Studi sulla Donna nelle Arti Visive Contemporanee (centre of studies of contemporary visual art about the woman). The Villino is also the seat of the Tourist Office and municipal library. The territory around Ripe is enriched by the presence of the towns of Ponte Lucerta, Passo Ripe and Brugnetto, which are located along the river. In Brugnetto you can find the Palazzo Antonelli Castracani Augusti, built at the end of XVII century and then changed in 1750 by the Cardinal Niccolò Maria Antonelli in the “Palazzo dale 100 finestre” (the Palace with a hundred windows). The artistic handicraft culture has always been an essential feature of Ripe, which is transmitted from one generation to another.

Castel Colonna is a little town located on the borders of the province of Pesaro-Urbino. The castle rises on a hill and it is possible to go inside just through one main gate. Inside one can see small houses and tiny stone streets. Castel Colonna was once called “the Tomb of Senigallia” and only later, its name was dedicated to Vittoria Colonna, wife of Carlo Malatesta, lord of Pesaro and Fossombrone. The symbol of the town is the image of a fortress, which remember the shape of a ship. The most representative monument is the tower “malatestiana”, which dominates the town. Under the town, there are also many underground passages, which were used as a bomb shelter during WWII. The church of San Mauro Abate has been restored in 2017 and it preserves inside the painting “Madonna col Bambino” by Gaetano Lapis from Cagli and a precious wooden crucifix. In 2009 Caste Colonna has been awarded as Bandiera Verde Agricoltura, a prize for his wine and oil making tradition. Other culinary specialities are the “porchetta” and the “salame di Frattula”.

Monterado is located between the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro-Urbino. One of the main peculiarity of this town is the natural terrace, 161 meters above the sea level, which allows admiring the Adriatic Sea and the valley of the Cesano River. The first human settlement goes back to the Middle Neolithic. During the Iron Age, many peoples passed through this territory: Picenes, Gauls, Romans, Barbarians and Longobards. The Church and many noble families also ruled Monterado over the coming years. The Palace of Monterado, now Castello Cinciari, was built in 1742 on the ruins of the ancient centre of the period of Malatesta. It is an elegant Neo-classical building, rounded by towers and by a wonderful Italian-style garden. Vanvitelli designed the Castle in its present form. During the second half of the XVIII century, Count Cerasi ordered to plant a pine forest with secular oaks and laurel. Another important point of interest of Monterado is the church of St. Giacomo Maggiore. Moreover, it is important to underline the great gastronomic and craft tradition of the town.