Points of Interest

THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF APECCHIO

A significant point of interest in the historical centre of Apecchio is undoubtedly Palazzo Ubaldini, which bears the characteristic features of 15th-century architecture. Construction of the palazzo began on a design by Francesco di Giorgio Martini in 1477 at the behest of Count Ottaviano II Ubaldini, Regent of the Duchy of Urbino and Legislator of Apecchio, as well as half-brother of Duke Federico da Montefeltro.

Palazzo Ubaldini features a beautiful loggia of honour, formed by eight columns surmounted by refined Ionic capitals, overlooked by the finely framed windows of the piano nobile. In the centre of the colonnade is the well: this was used to collect and keep snow almost all year round, for food preservation purposes.

On the ground floor you can find the ‘G. Perugini’ Theatre (with only 42 seats – the smallest in the Marche region) and the music room, built with a vaulted ceiling decorated with refined 15th-century corbels and a fireplace with the coat of arms of the Ubaldini counts: a deer head with an eight-pointed star.

From the colonnade, you can reach the basement of the palace, which today houses the Monte Nerone Museum of Fossils and Minerals, with one of the richest and most interesting collections of ammonites and various palaeontological material in Europe. On the main floor of the palazzo there is the municipal council chamber and in the other adjoining rooms an interesting exhibition of archaeological finds from various periods discovered in the area.

In the historical centre we also find the Jewish quarter: from the second half of the 15th century until 1631, a small Jewish community lived in Apecchio. On the left side of Via Gramsci, you can still see what remains of the quarter, which was made up of low houses where about twenty families lived and gathered to prayer in the synagogue. Also, part of the district is an alley 28 metres long and 37 to 42 centimetres wide, considered one of the narrowest in Italy. It was made to separate Jewish and Christian houses, in order to evade payment of the tax due if there was contact between the buildings.

The Clock Tower, known as ‘el Campanon’, with its grandeur was the main entrance for those arriving in the old town of Apecchio. On either side of the entrance arch are still visible the inscriptions “concordia praesit”, or “may concord reign”. Above the arch is the coat of arms of the Ubaldini family.

Finally, another sight is worth mentioniong: the characteristic “hump-backed” bridge – or the so-called “Ghighetta Bridge” – which overlooks the Biscubio River and is perhaps the most peculiar monument in Apecchio, the only one of its kind in the province of Pesaro and Urbino. It was the arrival point of the roads from the surrounding area to Apecchio. The bridge has a particular humpback shape, due to the fact that each half-arch rests on the other, determining the stability of the entire structure. The old bridge was completely restored and consolidated in the 1980s. Not only of historical but also artistic interest, the bridge was also portrayed by Raphael Sanzio in his famous painting “LA Madonna del Cardellino”.

RELIGIOUS SITES

The entire territory of Apecchio is rich in places of worship, including parish churches, churches and small oratories. In the square in front of Palazzo Ubaldini stands the Parish Church of San Martino, today the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix, inside which a 17th-century wooden crucifix is preserved in a reliquary above the main altar, particularly venerated as – according to popular tradition – it saved the town from the disastrous earthquake on June 3^rd 1781. Inside the temple there are some 17th-century paintings, including the “Madonna del Carmelo” attributed to Giovan Giacomo Pandolfi, and a baptismal fresco attributed to Giorgio Picchi.

Another parish church is in the small village of Serravalle di Carda, the Pieve Matrice di S. Maria Assunta. The ancient parish church dates back to the 12^th century and is mentioned in a privilege of Pope Eugene III with the appellation ‘in trivio.’  The building is oriented to the east; it has a Latin cross plan with three altars inside. In the nave, you can see the 13 tombs that remained active until 1875, one of which was reserved for the parish priests of the church in front of the presbytery and one for outsiders just past the entrance door. The 16th-century altar on the left was built in local sandstone with floral motifs; in the right chapel, traces of frescoes have surfaced after restoration work. The sandstone baptismal font dates back to 1610.

Among the other churches in Apecchio is the Church of the Madonna della Vita, a small 16^th century building with a half Greek cross plan, located in the heart of Apecchio’s old town. On the façade is a fresco of the Madonna and Child. Inside, it preserves important works of art such as the painting of the Madonna Della Vita on the high altar painted by Picchi. The Church dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, martyred in 305 for not wanting to renounce her faith in Christ, was built around the 13^th century to venerate the cult of the Egyptian Saint, perhaps at the expense of some wealthy knight returning from the Crusades. Also worth mentioning are St. Lucy’s Church (11th century) and St. Stephen’s Church in Osteria Nuova.

CARDA CASTLE RUINS AND SAINT CRISTOPHE’S CHURCH

The Carda Castle, of which only the ruins remain today, is an ancient building whose earliest records date back to the 12^th century. The castle, which from a religious point of view depended on the church of St. Christopher, was built at a strategic crossroads: along the crest of a mountain, at the height of its expansion it occupied the entire ridge of the rocky spur of Mount Carda Maia, covering an area of approximately 15,000 square metres, thus larger than the castle of Apecchio.

In 1270 it was ceded in emphyteusis by the bishop of Città di Castello to the famous Cardinal Ottaviano Ubaldini, the Ghibelline cardinal whom Dante confines in the circles of hell among the Epicureans together with Emperor Frederick II.  The final conquest of the latter castle, however, did not take place until 1410, with the protection of Guidantonio da Montefeltro. Distinguished members of the noble, restless and warlike Ubaldini family will always use the place name “di Carda” next to their name.

The castle and its territory remained in the hands of the Ubaldini family until the extinction of the original branch of the lineage around the end of the 15^th century. It then passed under the direct possession of the Dukes of Urbino, until the end of the dukedom itself in 1631. It then passed to the Apostolic Legation of Urbino and Pesaro within the Papal State until the Unification of Italy.

The castle suffered irreversible damage in the earthquake of 1781, from here began its decline and final abandonment.

SERRAVALLE DI CARDA

Serravalle di Carda, on the slopes of Monte Nerone, is 750m above sea level, close to the border with Umbria, and dominates the legendary Byzantine Corridor with an enviable southern exposure. Serravalle’s history began around the year 1000, and the town passed under various dominions: from the Holy See to the Municipality of Cagli, from the Ubaldini to the Dukes of Urbino, and then returned to the direct control of the Church. With the Unification of Italy, the municipality of Serravalle di Carda was united with that of Apecchio.

Today, the village’s main economic activities include gastronomic and sports tourism, thanks to the numerous outdoor activities that the area offers. But Serravalle is also a destination for religious tourism: on Good Friday, in fact, an important historical-religious commemoration, the Passio, is staged, attracting hundreds of tourists from all over central Italy.

MONTE NERONE AND THE RIFUGIO CHALET PRINCIPE CORSINI

Monte Nerone (1526m above sea level) represents a unique opportunity for those who love the nature. Here, you can relax and enjoy the scents and colours, with beautiful views that appear to the eyes of tourists when they least expect it. Then, we should mention the main outdoor activities you can do here: horseback rides, countless caves for lovers of speleology, narrow gorges where you can practise canyoning. And also, vertical rock walls for climbing enthusiasts, paths for trekking lovers (with marked trails such as the Sentiero Italia or the Sentieri d’Acqua), and amazing roads for cyclists and motorcyclists.

Because of these peculiarities, our territory has also been included in the Marche Outdoor project routes and in that of the Ciclovia Appenninica Alte Marche (CAAM), a ring route on roads with a low vehicular index.

On Monte Nerone, at 1290m above sea level, stands the Rifugio Chalet Principe Corsini, a mountain lodge that was founded in 1967 by a group of ski enthusiasts. Over the years, the structure expanded and improved its tourist offer to mountain enthusiasts who increased in number. The facility is named after the family of the Princes Corsini of Florence, who still own the side of the mountain towards Piobbico and who granted the use of the meadows free of charge. Destroyed by fire in 2017, the Rifugio was rebuilt and reopened in 2021 with modern, sustainable technology in the form we see today. In addition to the bar and restaurant, the reconstruction also provided rooms with 24 beds and an emergency bivouac. In 2023, it was awarded the Best Green Accomodation Italia prize at the BIT in Milan. The Refuge is also an important Italian Alpine Club Point. Rifugio La Cupa is another important destination for mountain lovers, with local food to welcome you properly.