Mercatello sul Metauro

City of Mercatello Metauro

Piazza Garibaldi, 5-0722 89114

The origin of Mercatello in the upper Metauro Valley and date back to the twelfth century BC. by the population of Umbria, in a border area between their own territory and that of ‘Etruria, is then inserted into Regio VI Umbria Emperor Augustus is then destroyed, as most of the towns in the area by the passage of the barbaric population . Rebuilt by the Lombards in the sixth century. Peter called Pieve d’Ico under the jurisdiction of the City of Castle. Under the papacy of Celestine II and Alexander III the village was declared independent in 1235 and the Pope Gregory IX decided to bring together the scattered population in seven neighboring castles in one parish church and later built the walls so that they form the municipality named which now it belongs to Mercatello due to the many markets that took place as a major center of trade Apennines.

In 1437la history of Mercatello it joins the destiny of the Duchy of Urbino, following the marriage of Gentile Brancaleoni with Federico da Montefeltro permanently leaving the “Massa Trabaria”; in 1636 of course it goes under the Papal States to the fall of the Duchy of Urbino to the lack male heir and become Diocese of Urbania.

 In the old village, which today still retains its medieval appearance, are centered around the city Piazza Garibaldi overlooked by the main buildings, a work that was part of the nineteenth-century project to modernize the city at the time, among the structures that we can we are here to admire the Collegiate Parish Church, a Romanesque structure of the tenth century. and rebuilt in 1363 originate from this period are its walls and Gothic windows of the sides, the ancient church of St. Peter today it houses the Museum where you store numnerosi furnishings and vestments of the XIII-XVII Sec. museum is open by appointment. Also on the square are two buildings of civil architecture such as the Town Hall and the oldest Palace Gasparini of the seventeenth century. in which by ‘April 2013 is housed in its basement a permanent Contemporary Show which includes 158 works, including sculptures and paintings of various national and foreign artists of high-value internationally. The exhibition is open to the public every weekend.

 Monumental Church of St. Francis (sec. XIII) early Gothic style is one of the oldest Franciscan constructions, we have the first news with Pope Innocent IV in 1215 granting the extraordinary indulgence to anyone who aid the friars in its construction, today The monastery is enriched inside the halls of the ‘former refectory of the friars, the Museum art gallery in which are preserved valuable paintings school Rimini and local Marche and Umbria regions, and even of Tuscan art as two splendid marble medallions awarded with 1474 figures Duke of Urbino Federico and Count of Mercatello both are attributed to Benedetto da Maiano and Francesco di Giorgio Martini.

 In the Church of St. Clare rebuilt in 1646 with a single nave barrel it is decorated with the figures of St. Francis and St. Clare on canvas by Felice Damiani of the ‘600, other paintings depicting always St. Francis and St. Philip Blacks the same artist, noteworthy instead in the sacristy is preserved a collection of documents and iconographic relics of Saint Veronica Giuliani compatriot

In front of the Church of the Holy Cross built in the ‘300 we find the Monastery of the Capuchin in which we can visit the small sanctuary of St. Veronica in which are kept the relics and writings of Santa.L anoint the course Bencivenni can admire unfortunately only outside the Palazzo Ducale commissioned by Federico da Montefeltro, designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and unfinished, has undergone renovations over the centuries due to the many changes of ownership .I always along the other hand we can visit for free and no appointment is the “Saletta Pawnshop” to Mercatello founded in 1500 by Francesco di Simone, and in this particular area we can admire the ancient original furniture under a spectacular coffered ceiling.

The sixteenth century Palazzo Fabbri ancient home of the aristocratic family called the “Palazzaccio” also not visited, has a characteristic shape of a ship that goes up over the creek.

Parish of St. Peter of Ico or Pieve Collegiate of strategic importance in the twelfth century, within a valuable Romanesque-Byzantine icon of the eleventh century, objects and utensils to form the Museum of the Collegiate.

Castello della Pieve ancient manor, now completely deserted, with a tower. Here it was decided the exile of Dante Alighieri.

Palazzo Gasparini (XVII cent.), Now owned by the city hall for exhibitions and conferences.

Palazzo Ducale (sec. XV) by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Mercatello Metauro is the city of St. Veronica Giuliani, Capuchin Poor Clare, of which it preserves the birthplace of the saint.