Pesaro and around
The Bellevue Hotel is able to let the customer appreciate all the richness of the panoramic, cultural and gastronomic landscape of the surroundings of Pesaro: the Rossini Opera Festival, the ducal Urbino, the castle of San Leo, the not distant Gubbio, Assisi, the Frasassi caves and the most interesting gastronomic tracks of the hinterland of the region Marche as Acqualagna and Cagli, famous for the truffle.
Pesaro Pesaro - whose name derives from Pisaurum, the ancient name of the current river Foglia (it means leaf) - has a historical centre, rich of monuments and historic buildings, well-preserved and worthy of attention through interesting tourist itineraries, evocative and fascinating between art, culture and tradition. To Gioacchino Rossini, great composer in Pesaro, born on 29 February 1792, are devoted the Rossini theatre (in antiquity called “Teatro del Sole” – Sun theatre) and the conservatory G. Rossini, inaugurated in 1882 for legacy of the musician, which is a popular musical state school in Italia and that during the years, was directed by famous musician masters and composers like Pietro Mascagni, his student Riccardo Zandonai and Franco Alfano. In the birthplace of Rossini, situated in the homonymous street, are preserved the memories that retrace the life of the gifted musician in Pesaro. In “Piazza del Popolo”, main square dominated by a big fountain of the 17th century with horses and marine tritons, is situated the elegant “Palazzo Ducale” (XV-XVI century), seat of the Prefecture, enriched with a portico with six arches adjacent to the facade and courtyard of honour. Residence of the Sforza family before and Della Rovere family then, inside deserve particular attention the Metaurense salon, a coffered ceiling structure, the salon of Alabardieri and the loggia of Genga, example of extraordinary architecture and beautifully decorated with frescoes of refined artistic taste, in addition to adjacent secret garden, reserved and hidden. To the same time dates back the construction of not far away “Rocca Costanza”, begun in 1474 for defence of the city. Pesaro is also known for the ancient majolica pottery tradition that evolved in the' 500. Within the Civic Museum – inside the Palazzo Toschi Mosca - there is the Ceramics Museum that welcomes visitors with the huge and suggestive Medusa of Ferruccio Mengaroni, which includes a collection of more than 300 copies, rare invoice and artistic beauty of collection Mazza, with majolica of centuries XIV-XVI carried out in the shops of Pesaro and Urbino, Casteldurante (today called Urbania). All within the same museum a section is reserved to the Pinacoteca that hosts, between the many paintings, the famous Coronation of Maria of Giovanni Bellini, called “Pala di Pesaro” (sec. (xv). In the Oliveriano Museum, also the location of the Olivieri foundation and of the homonymous Library, are instead collected and shown archaeological finds of Etruscan and Roman times, found in the area around Pesaro. Another ancient site, worthy of visit, is the area in which are found the “Orti Giulii”, gardens with the ancient city walls and the well preserved entrance to the city “Porta Rimini” with the “Ponte Vecchio”. A significant collection not to miss is the collection of works, dedicated to artists of Pesaro, situated in the State Museum of Palazzo Montani Antaldi palace of the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Pesaro. This is a valuable exposure of majolica, paintings, sculptures, charts, volumes and precious objects made by famous artists of the city; a selection of works shown following a chronological path from 300 to our days. Visit also some of the more significant Churches: the Cathedral with Byzantine mosaics, the church of S. Agostino with the wooden choir and the extraordinary organ, the church of the Name of God, example of rare sacred refinement, the Sanctuary of “Madonna delle Grazie”. For the lovers of Modern and Contemporary Art, meeting point of exhibitions and events is the center for the visual arts in the ancient fishmonger “Pescheria”. Of particular interest to the Centaurs and lovers of bike, not to neglect in the land of engines -visits to the Museum of historical bikes T. Benelli and the wide private collection of over 450 bike of the museum Morbidelli.
Surroundings and historical routes
Gradara is easily reached through pursuing the panoramic Adriatic road, which crosses the regional park of San Bartolo, the hill from which you admire the coast of Pesaro. Gradara is a medieval village surrounded by high walls of the XIII century. The “Rocca” (XI century), squared form with towers at the corners, is a splendid example of military architecture; fitted with armoury and torture room, is perhaps the best-kept castle in Italy. The castle is famous, even for the episode of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, described by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
Cartoceto, centre of production of extra virgin olive oil, where functions a genuine mill. The workshop, which has more than a century of life, is situated in a building, today completely renovated, part of which dates back to 1400 and part to the 1600. The small producers of the area and those of neighbouring countries give this mill their olives, after being carefully selected. The visitors is displayed the whole production process.
Urbino, City of the Renaissance and capital of the duchy of the great family of Montefeltro, has given the birthplace to famous people as Bramante, Barocci and Raphael, one of the greatest Italian painters of all time. With Federico II of Montefeltro, Urbino knew in the XV century a time of unique splendour, becoming cultural centre of the whole Western civilization. It is famous for its masterpieces of inestimable value, kept in the National Gallery in Palazzo Ducale. Highlights: the Palazzo Ducale, the University (1506), the church of Sant' Agostino, the oratory of St John the Baptist, the house of Raffaello etc. From the square Piazzale a splendid panorama that reaches to fortresses of San Marino may be enjoyed.
San Marino is the smallest republic of the world, with its 61 km2 and about 25,000 inhabitants; it is a medieval citadel kept in the centuries. You can admire his medieval houses, picturesque alleys. The historical centre is all a monument, located on the Mount Titano, to 750 metres of altitude. To see: the Palazzo of the government, the Basilica, the church of San Francesco, the three fortifications on the edge of Mount Titano and various museums.
San Leo (built on Montefeltro that gives the name of the whole mountainous area) is situated on a huge, insurmountable rock at 589 metres of altitude. In the fortress was imprisoned the count Giuseppe Balsamo, better known as Cagliostro, where he died on 27th of August 1795. For its impregnable position, San Leo has always been a central point of important civic, military, religious and political facts. During the IV century it was evangelized by San Leone. San Leo has supported hard battles and was conquered by monarchies, dukedoms and republics. From 1632 to 1860 it was part of the Vatican. To see: the parish church, today seat of the Museum and Gallery, the Cathedral. Interesting are the panorama and the environment which blend with the architectural aspects.
Le Grotte di Frasassi, charming and fascinating, constitute the main naturalistic attraction of our territory and undoubtedly the most exciting. The caves wind through the underground for about 18 kilometres inside the Regional Park of the “Gola della Rossa” and of Frasassi, a green oasis of history and art. Discovered in 1971 and open to the public from 1974, the spectacular cavities have already been visited by more than ten million people. During the journey of about an hour, you can admire lakes, stalactites and stalagmites, large rooms with crystalline arabesques, and other great works of art forged unknowing by nature and showed up by the wise use scenographic of the lamps of Cesarini from Senigallia.
Loretois the city to admire from the bottom to see the cupola of the Basilica and the campanile, and to admire nearly to see the powerful bastions. It is told that, here, in 1294 would have been transported by angels the birth house of Jesus, to purge the siege of the Muslims. The Sanctuary has always been the destination of pilgrims from all over the world.
Fano, or Fanum Fortunae, is the Adriatic outlet of the ancient via Consolare Flaminia. It was destroyed by the Goths in 538 and then was part of maritime pentacle together with Ancona, Pesaro, Senigallia and Rimini. Subdued by the Longobards of Pipino in 755, the town passed through him to the Church. In the twelfth century, as a free municipality, it recognized the supremacy of Venice in exchange for the protection of the Republic for its trade in the Adriatic Sea. Fano was the Malatesta Lordship up to 1462, when the Duke of Montefeltro reconquered it for the Church. Under Napoleon it became part of the Italian Kingdom and after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 it returned again to the state of the Church. In September 1860, thanks to the forces of general Cialdini, it becomes part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Gubbio, picturesque medieval town that has kept intact over time the characteristics streets, piazzas and monuments. Important Roman city and ancient religious centre, the city “eugubina” was founded by the Umbrian people with the name Ikuvium, at the foot of Mount Igino. After then, the city passed under the dominion of the Romans and has taken the name Iguvium. At the end of the Roman Empire, Gubbio was conquered and destroyed several times by the Scandinavian people. Towards the XI century it knew its final rebirth, and then knew an important political, social, cultural and artistic period.
Perugia, Etruscan city, is a centre of great historical importance, as witness monuments such as the Etruscan Arch, the Rocca Paolina, and the Etruscan well. In the II century A. D. the Emperor Octavian lay siege to and conquered the town giving it the name of “Augusta Perusia”. After the fall of the Roman Empire the town underwent numerous invasions, and then become a free municipality in XI century and it was in that period, that the city began to take that urban planning that distinguishes it still today, enriched of splendid palaces, sculptural and pictorial works of considerable value.
Jesi has very ancient origins and was Roman colony from 247 B.C. (the ancient Aesis); it became free municipality in the XI century and was then contention for centuries between Malatesta, Sforza and Braccio da Montone. The main elements of Jesi are surely the walls that enclose the medieval nucleus of the city. They are of the III century, built on the track of Roman walls. Still visible today are the six ports and the towers. To visit is Piazza Federico II, where the 26 December 1194 the Emperor Frederick II of Swabia was born in a tent. Federico II is also known as "Stupor Mundi", to indicate its undying intellectual curiosity. The Piazza Maggiore is dominated by the theatre Pergolesi, built in 1790, taking the name of the musician of Jesi John the Baptist Pergolesi, born in 1710. Pergolesi was a prolific author of sacred music.
Surroundings, fun trails and sport
- Aquafan, Riccione
- Otremare, Riccione
- Fiabilandia, Miramare di Rimini
- Italian in miniatura, Verbania di Rimini
- Mirabilandia, Ravenna
- Autodromo, Misano Adriatico
