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 THE
CESANO VALLEY |
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Walk in the Cesano Valley |
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In the heart of the Marche region,
the Cesano Valley owes its name to the Cesano
River, which springs from the Catria Mountain
and flows into the Adriatic Sea between Marotta
and Senigallia.
The 40 Kilometers long Valley, located in an area
which covers part of the Ancona and Pesaro districts,
can satisfy even the most demanding tourists,
thanks to its offer which goes from beach
to mountain, from art to spirituality,
from tradition to innovation.
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Remains of its long and rich
history are present throughout the Valley which,
thanks to its ancient buildings, churches, monasteries,
archaeological diggings, castles and museums is
one of the most interesting areas in the Marche
Region.
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Going along the Strada Statale
424 from the coast to the inland, the starting
point is the peaceful seaside resort of Marotta,
part of the district of Mondolfo, the fortified
town which boasts important medieval buildings
like Sant'Agostino's church.
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Following for 4 Kilometers the
panoramic road which divides the Cesano Valley
from the Metauro Valley, we reach the old castle
of San Costanzo which, together with the
hamlets of Cerasa and Stacciola always represented
a defensive keypoint for the Malatestian territory.
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Going back to the Strada Statale
424, 10 kilometers from the coast we find the
old castles of Monte Porzio and Castelvecchio
and after a few kilometers there is the crossroad
for Corinaldo.
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Situated in the eastern part
of the Cesano Valley, the city of Corinaldo
boasts medieval and renaissance buildings and
the best preserved defensive walls of the Marche
Region.
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5 Kilometers after the crossroad for Corinaldo
we find San Michele al Fiume, where we
leave the main road and drive up to visit Mondavio.
Its splendid Della Rovere Castle, designed by
the famous architect from Siena Francesco di
Giorgio Martini, houses a museum and an armoury
and is a popular tourist destination.
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Returning to the main road, we
continue onwards as far as a crossroad: turning
right we arrive in Fratterosa, famous for
its terra cotta pottery; turning left we reach
Castelleone di Suasa which stands close
to the archaeological area Suasa Senonum, which
was founded by the Gauls, conquered by the Romans
and destroyed by Alaric and his Gothic army in
409 AD.
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Not far from the crossroad is San Lorenzo
in Campo, which is an important valley town
and boasts a Benedictine Abbey which is one
of the most gorgeous Romanic-Gothic monuments
in the Marche.
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Returning to the main road,
we arrive at the important art town of Pergola
famous for the many beautiful churches and the
Museum where the Bronzi
Dorati di Cartoceto di Pergola, a group of
gilded statues of the Roman Period, are on show.
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Here the road divides. Bearing right, the road
continues on to Frontone and the slopes
of Monte Catria.
The modern part of the town is dominated by
the ancient medieval village and the imposing
castle.
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Taking the road to the left,
and following the course of the Upper Cesano,
we arrive at the Medieval town of Serra Sant'Abbondio
and then through woods and meadows to the Camaldolese
Hermitage
of Santa Croce di Fonte Avellana.
This monastery, on the slopes of Monte Catria,
is the perfect place to experience the unchanged
atmosphere of a remote place of prayer and meditation.
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