Historycal Notes
Verucchio has an old soul, ennobled by the presence of a civilization still mysterious but, judging by the evidence left, among the most extraordinary in Italy. A pre-Etruscan people that settled here between XI and VI Century B.C. in thriving communities ruled by “Shepherd Princes”. These people were related to one of the big centres of Villanova, near Bologna, but for its richness and the particularity of its archaeological finds archeologists talk about a real Verucchio Civilization. The trip in Verucchio’s history starts from the Archeological Town Museum, already surprising just for its location in the former Saint Agostino’s Convent.It houses funeral outfits found in the ‘60s in the fields at the foot of the cliffs, as

well as objects of international fame like jewels, urns, armors,clothes and a beautiful wooden throne .But Verucchio’s splendours are not exhausted here: those who reach the museum from the Town Hall square along the tiny street, notice that they are in the heart of a small medieval town, still dominated by the impressive Rocca del Sasso fortress which twinned with the former Passerello fortress, and was destroyed and transformed into a convent. The village which developed around the fortress was linked to the Malatesta family not only for its strategic importance, but also because it was the first village they settled in on their way to Rimini, which became their Dominion capital. In the past someone defined Verucchio as the “Malatesta’s cradle”: it has been ascertained that, even though they originally came from Pennabilli, the Malatesta considered Verucchio as one of their strongholds from the Medieval Age to Renaissance. The Rocca del Sasso fortress was already powerfully fortified in the XII Century and even before the restoration by Sigismondo Malatesta. Sigismondo strengthened the fortress and adapted it to the new military require_oncements so that it became impregnable. Only in 1462 did Federico da Montefeltro conquer it deceitfully: he sent a false letter with Novello Malatesta’s signature announcing the arrival of new troops. Then, he disguised his soldiers who quietly entered through the boundaries. Other important signs from the past can be found in the churches. Inside the Collegiata church are kept, among other works, two valuable crucifixes on wood, the older from 1300 by the school of Rimini, and the other from 1400 by a Venetian artist. San Martino parish church from 1200 deserves a visit. In Villa Verucchio, towards the plains, lies the Franciscan convent, where visitors can admire a real natural monument, the cypress planted by Saint Francis, as well as a beautiful fresco representing the Crucifixion.

Verucchio offers plenty of events: the August Parade, a historical commemoration of the late medieval age that take place in mid-August and absorbs the whole village with shows, exhibits, dinnersion the squares and in the inns; Verucchio Music Festival in July with famous Italian and foreign musicians; and, finally, the Fiera de Quatorg (fair of the fourteenth day) that takes place in mid-September and displays the best of agricultural and handicrafts production.