MONTE URANO (FM)

The name comes from the ancient Monteriano, as the documents of Farfa of XI century and those of Fermo of the XII century confirm:  the territory is indicated, in fact, among the  properties lost by the imperial Abbey of Farfa and passed to the Bishop of Fermo that assigned them to the Monastero di San Savino on the Vìssiano Hill. Feudo of the Abbey of Farfa (VII-XIII century,) it was constituted by properties and privileges obtained from dukes, emperors and popes in several regions of central Italy Center: in the Marche region their center was in Santa Vittoria in Matenano. In the following century, the inhabitated center grew and the old church was too small, so the Church of St. Michael Archangel has been rebuilt, upon a project of Giovanni Battista Carducci, then modified by the famous architect Giuseppe Sacconi, who continued the works. From the XVI century from urban centers, castles or free communes started the process of land division in the territory, laying the foundations of the sharecropping. Agriculture remained the main resource until part of the current century. Since the eighteenth century, besides agriculture, other important activities are the collection of wine lees, associated with the estabilishment of a factory of cream of tartar, and collection of rags, which were sold by wholesalers to major paper mills of the Region or northern Italy, as well as to the paper mills of Prato. From the Tuscan city also came the raw materials to be used in the footwear industry, which has made Monte Urano one of the most important producers of the entire Piceno.

MONTEGIORGIO (FM)

Montegiorgio is a town of prehistoric origin, particularly flourishing during the Middle Ages. Around the year 1000 Farrfensi monks settled in the place; it was fortified with surrounding walls and then it became a Commune. Montegiorgio tied with neighboring Fermo and followed its alliances with Church and Empire. In the middle of the thirteenth century it was occupied by the Franciscans, the Hermits of St. Augustine, was founded the monastery of the Poor Clares, and a hospital that was enriched by a donation made from James S. Diotallevi in 1320. In 1357, in the law called “Costitutiones Aegidianae”, given its importance, the town was placed on the same level as cities like Pesaro and Macerata, within the properties of the “Holy Roman Church.” The city participated into the struggles that took place the Region between the Visconti dynasty and the Papacy. In an official document of 1433, is shown for the first time the current name of the city “… de terra Montis Georgei.” Montegiorgio was submitted to the Sforza family in 1434 and returned under the Papacy in 1450. In the following years, the city fought with Fermo and neighboring castles. The municipality of Montegiorgio remained independent during the expansion of the Papal states in the marca fermana in the second half of the sixteenth century. Except for brief periods when it was part of Austria (1815) and of the Roman Republic (1849) after the Congress of Vienna, the town of Montegiorgio lost its independence and became a town of the Papal States; in 1816, Pope Pius VII with the reform of the state, consigned Montegiorgio to the apostolic delegation of Fermo, remained under the Papal States until its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

SANT’ELPIDIO A MARE (FM)

The city lies on the territory that belonged to Cluana, ancient Roman city on the river Chienti destroyed by the Goths in the early years of 400. In 887, was founded one of the oldest and most powerful Benedictine abbeys of the Marche region “Imperial Abbey of the Holy Cross to the Chienti”. The medieval village named Castle of Sant ‘Elpidio, rises in the eleventh century on the hill, on top of which, is the church of Madonna dei Lumi. Elevated to the status of a free commune, in 1250 Frederick II allowed the construction of a port between the Chienti and Tenna rivers. It was in the following centuries the center of bitter conflicts with neighboring Fermo. Sacked in 1328 by the troops of Mercenario da Monteverde, the town was destroyed once again by the Ghibelline Rinaldo da Monteverde in 1376 and 1377. In 1380, the citizens rebuilt the village on the hill of the parish church; at its top, the Giacomo Matteotti square is bounded by the Parish of Sant’Elpidio Abate, the tower of Jerusalem, the Lateran Basilica of Holy Mary of Mercy and the town hall. In 1431, the Army of Francesco Sforza penetrated the walls and sacked the town. In 1797, on the Hill of Capuchins, General Rusca of the Army of Napoleon Bonaparte annexed the town to the Department of Tronto, with capital Fermo. In 1828, Pope Leo XII gave the title of City to Sant’Elpidio a Mare. During the Second World War the territory was administered by the Italian Social Republic. In 1952, Porto Sant’Elpidio became an autonomous city.

SERVIGLIANO (FM)

The name (which recalls Servilius or gens Servilia) comes from a Roman settlement which stood 4 km away, on a higher position than the current location. In 1771 the town collapsed and was rebuilt by Pope Clement XIV: in his honor, it took the name of Castel Clementino. The construction continued under Pius VI. In 1863, with the Unification of Italy, the village returned to its original name. In 1915, was built a large prison camp that heavily affected  the history of the town from World War I until 1955. The prison camp first saw the presence of Austrian prisoners, then Jews, Greeks, British and American, Maltese and finally Italian refugees from Libya and Ethiopia.

GROTTAZZOLINA (FM)

The first human settlements in the area date to the VIII century BC, as attested by archaeological excavations carried out between 1948 and 1953. By the middle of the tenth century the castle was later built by the Farfensi monks: the first urban settlement was called Montebello: shortly after, the same passed under the domination of the Canons of the Cathedral of Fermo, which changed its name into Grotta dei Canonici (Crypt Canonicorum). In 1208 Otto IV, granted to Azzo d’Este the marca of Ancona. At his death, in 1217, the possession was confirmed by Pope Honorius III to his son Azzo VII (or Azzolino) who definitively renamed the castle with the name of Grottazzolina. Grottazolina is characterized by an important artisan development and by small and medium industries. A land that, therefore, is able to mix the crafts of the past with modern production techniques. Grottazzolina is primarily a town to visit, to discover and rediscover, thanks to its human , historical and cultural resources. The Castle Azzolino, symbol of civic pride and proof of its historical vitality in ancient times, stands in the heart of the urban settlement. The Cozzana, district of ancient memory, recently renovated by the Municipality, embraces the eastern side of the Umberto I square. Former Hospital Benedetti, completely restored, houses the urban realities that operate in the social and cultural environment.