Pesarese

<< Marche

The part of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino around Pesaro is known as Pesarese, and features various towns among the hills near the city. This territory also includes Fano, a historic city and seaside resort, and the valleys located nearby.

Pesaro

Pesaro is the second largest city in Marche, located along the Adriatic coast in the north of the region. The town was founded by the Romans as Pisaurum in 184 BCE, and during the Early Middle Ages it was one of the five cities of the Byzantine Pentapolis. Pesaro was later a free comune and then a signoria ruled by the houses of Montefeltro, Sforza, and Della Rovere, before becoming part of the Papal States and finally Italy. Pesaro is now a seaside resort with various historic landmarks.

Civic Museums of Pesaro

The Civic Museums (Musei Civici) of Pesaro is a museum complex hosted in a historic palace in the center of the city. Its collection includes numerous paintings dating between the Late Middle Ages and the 20th century, mostly of Renaissance and Baroque style. The most notable work hosted here is the Pesaro Altarpiece (Pala di Pesaro), painted in the 15th century by Giovanni Bellini.

Domus of Via dell’Abbondanza

The Domus of Via dell’Abbondanza is an archaeological area in the center of Pesaro, featuring the ruins and the reconstruction of an ancient Roman house. The original building was erected in the 1st century BCE and was later reworked several times.

Pesaro Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Pesaro Cathedral (Duomo di Pesaro) is the main church in the city. The building has its origins in the Early Middle Ages, and it was reworked several times. Its Romanesque facade dates from the 13th and 14th century, while the interior is mostly Baroque and the church had some Neoclassical additions. A few artworks and ancient mosaics are hosted inside the church. The Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano) of Pesaro is located in front of the cathedral, and it hosts several artworks including various pieces from the Early Middle Ages.

Casa Rossini

Casa Rossini is a museum hosted in the birthplace of composer Gioachino Rossini in Pesaro. The museum displays numerous memorabilia of the composer, and an exhibition dedicated to his life and his most famous works, such as The Barber of Seville and William Tell.

Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie

The Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie (Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie) is a church in Pesaro. Erected in the 13th century, it features an elaborate 14th-century Gothic portal, while its Baroque interior houses some ancient artworks and funerary monuments.

Rocca Costanza

Rocca Costanza is a 15th-century fort in Pesaro, erected under the rule of the Sforza family. The fortress features four large cylindrical towers, and it is now used to host cultural events.

Biblioteca Oliveriana

The Biblioteca Oliveriana is a historic library in Pesaro, founded in 1756 and hosting thousands of ancient books, documents, and drawings. The library also includes an archaeological museum with Italic, Greek, and Roman objects and artworks.

National Rossini Museum

The National Rossini Museum (Museo Nazionale Rossini) is a museum in Pesaro dedicated to composer Gioachino Rossini, who was born in this city in 1792. The museum features various interactive exhibitions on the life and works of Rossini, and it hosts numerous memorabilia of the composer, including his piano.

Church of Sant’Agostino

The Church of Sant’Agostino is a historic church in Pesaro, originally built during the Late Middle Ages and reworked in Baroque style in the 18th century. The church is notable for its elaborate Gothic portal, erected between the 14th and 15th century.

Officine Benelli Museum

The Officine Benelli Museum (Museo Officine Benelli) is a museum in Pesaro hosting a collection of historic motorcycles made by the Benelli company. The museum is housed in a former factory and features an exhibition on the history of the company.

Villa Imperiale

The Villa Imperiale is a suburban palace located among the hills north of Pesaro. Erected in Renaissance style between the 15th and 16th century, the villa was inhabited by noble families for centuries, and now it serves as a museum. The palace houses several richly frescoed hall and numerous artworks, and features a Renaissance style garden.

Gradara

Gradara is a small town in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, near the border with Emilia-Romagna. It is known for its ancient castle and the walls that surround its medieval old town.

✪ Gradara Castle

The Gradara Castle is a fortress erected in the 12th century and later expanded in Renaissance style during the 15th century. The castle is well preserved, and it is connected to the walls that completely surround the medieval old town of Gradara. According to legend, the love story of Paolo and Francesca, told by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy, took place here.

Fano

Fano is a city located along the Adriatic coast south of Pesaro. Fano was once an important Roman city, known as Fanum Fortunae, and was one of the five towns of the Byzantine Pentapolis in the Early Middle Ages. After a period as a free comune, it was ruled by various local powers, then becoming part of the Papal States and finally Italy. The city features some historic attractions and has grown to become the third most populous city in Marche.

Palazzo Malatestiano

Palazzo Malatestiano is a historic palace built between the 14th and 15th century in the center of Fano. The building hosts a museum featuring a collection of archaeological finds from around the city, various historic ceramics and coins, and an art gallery.

San Domenico Art Gallery

The San Domenico Art Gallery (Pinacoteca San Domenico) is a collection of artworks hosted in a deconsecrated church in Fano. The museum includes many historic works by artists such as Guercino and Palma il Giovane, among others.

Fano Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Fano Cathedral (Cattedrale di Fano) is the main church of Fano, erected during the 12th century in Romanesque style. The church features a few artworks and decorated chapels, as well as an elaborate pulpit.

Church of San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco is a ruined church in the center of Fano. The building was erected in the 13th century and it hosts the funerary monuments of some members of the Malatesta family. The church was later abandoned, and its roof was demolished in 1930 after being damaged by an earthquake.

Walls of Fano

Fano still features some sections of its ancient defensive walls, originally erected by the Romans and later reworked during the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The main attraction along the walls is the Arch of Augustus (Arco d’Augusto), which was erected in 9 CE along the Via Flaminia, an ancient Roman road that connected Rome with Rimini.

Mondavio

Mondavio is a small town in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, best known for its historic castle.

Rocca Roveresca

The Rocca Roveresca is Renaissance castle built in Mondavio during the 15th century, under the rule of the Della Rovere family. The fortress is well preserved and now it hosts a museum of ancient weapons and local history focused on the Renaissance period.

Pergola

Pergola is a small town among the hills of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino. It is best known for the Roman gilt bronzes found in its territory, now hosted in a local museum.

Museum of the Gilt Bronzes and the City of Pergola

The Museum of the Gilt Bronzes and the City of Pergola (Museo dei Bronzi Dorati e della Città di Pergola) is a museum of archaeology and local history in Pergola. It hosts the Gilt Bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola (Bronzi Dorati da Cartoceto di Pergola), the only surviving Roman sculptural group in gilt bronze. The statues date from the 1st century BCE or the 1st century CE, and were discovered near Pergola in 1946. The museum also includes various other archaeological finds, coins, and artworks.