Montefiora Conca - Driving itineraries

Montefiore Conca, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy
Montefiore Conca has recently been included in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy due to its outstanding fascination and legendary history. Its impressive square fortress boasts breathtaking views over the valley of the river Conca, from the sea up to the mountains.

The Malatesta Family loved Montefiore for the strategic position of its impressive fortifications and the wide and comfortable halls of its castle. Today the halls, communication trenches, arches and stairs of the castle, which have recently been totally restored, can be visited by the general public. The top of the castle, which develops next to the bell tower, is occupied by a wonderful panoramic terrace which gives visitors the possibility to enjoy breathatking views over the coast, from Fano to Ravenna, and the charming ridges of the Apennines of the Marches. The so-called Hall of the Throne gives the lovers of art the possibility to admire some precious fourteenth-century frescoes by Jacopo Avanzi.

Montefiore also boasts a picturesque medieval village, which is totally surrounded by impressive city walls and peppered with narrow streets, mysterious nooks amd crannies, lovely squares and lush green areas. The pretty houses of the old town are dominated by two important churches: the Parish Church of St. Paolo, which was erected in the XII century but then subsequently remodelled according to the canons of the neo-Gothic style, and the fourteenth-century church of the Ospedale della misericordia, which contains an important cycle of frescoes depicting the Last Judgment by Bernardino Dolci.

Montefiore is a lively municipality featuring genuine traditions and ancient usages and customs. On Good Friday Montefiore stages an important procession featuring the Passion of Christ, which leads both participants and the main characters, such as Christ and the Roman soldiers, from the monastery of Mount Auro up to the Church of Ospedale. Every summer, Montefiore also arranges the so-called "Rocca di luna": during the full moon days of July, visitors flock to Montefiore to attend amazing shows and events, buy original souvenirs from the local street markets or taste traditional food and wine specialities. Not to be missed is the wonderful panorama which can be observed from the top of the fortress under the moonlight.

Montefiore is home to the sumptuous Sanctuary of Madonna di Bonora, which attracts large numbers of pilgrims from the nearby city of Rimini. The sanctuary was built around a huge fourteenth-century picture depicting the Madonna, which was given to the local Franciscan friars by Ondidei di Bonora in 1409. The picture, which depicts the Virgin Mary while breast-feeding Jesus, is a traditional mecca for thousands of believers.

From Cattolica, take the SP17 A-road in the direction of San Giovanni in Marignano and Morciano di Romagna. Once crossed Morciano, go straight on for some kilometres, then turn left to Montefiore. It is a highly accessible road