DESCRIPTION

The municipality of Sassocorvaro covers an area of 66,6 km2 and includes wonderful plains and hills along the Foglia river, which stops its flow for a short distance in Mercatale lake. It is a relaxing and picturesque scenery, but also the ideal destination in summer for those who love canoe and windsurf.

We do not know exactly when Sassocorvaro was built. It is located on a hill overlooking the valley below. The oldest documents talking about a hamlet is dated 1061. The first defensive structure – with inside a chapel dedicated to St. John – was situated on the highest hill of the area, i.e. “San Giovannino” village. When Sassocorvaro was founded on a lower hill, remaining population settled there, and inside the new defensive structure the first church of St. John the Baptist was created. There are many theories about the origin of the name of this place. Some people think that the name “Sassocorvaro” comes from “Knot stone of crows”, since many crows still nestle on the hill. Other people guess that it comes from the name of its presumed founder, i.e. Corarius. However, according to the best theory, the name of the town is linked to the Latin word “corbis”, which means “basket”, because of typical shape of the top of the hill where it is located. 

MONUMENTS - ARTWORKS - TOWNS AND VILLAGES

FORTRESS UBALDINI

The history of Sassocorvaro, mostly characterized by wars and sieges (evidence of its strategic importance), reached a turning point in 1475, i.e. when the Count “Ottaviano Ubaldini della Carda” ordered to build the fortress to the Architect “Francesco di Giorgio Martini”, under the request of “Federico da Montefeltro”.

The fortress is characterized by a rare shape of tortoise. It is an example of shape purity and it is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Renaissance military architecture.

Established as military structure, it lost its warlike appearance almost immediately to become a refined aristocratic residence.

On May 18^th, 1510 through a seal issued by Pope “Giulio II della Rovere”, the county of Sassocorvaro was given to the Count “Filippino Doria di Genova”, major assistant of “Andrea della Doria”. The Doria Family was the first living in the fortress. In 1498, when “Ottaviano degli Ubaldini” died, the building was still unfinished. Between the 20s and 30s of the 16^th century the Doria finished the part of the fortress called “Doria apartments”, where it is possible to admire wonderful architectural elements like fireplaces and gates with the coat of arms belonging to the family from Genoa. The part of Doria Family that ruled over Sassocorvaro extinguished in 1626. In 1631, when the “Della Rovere Family (who followed the Montefeltro) became extinct, the State of Urbino became again part of the Papal State. During the 17^th century he fortress of Sassocorvaro was given in lease to many noble family, until 1706, when it was given to Giovan Cristoforo Battelli. Giovan Cristoforo Battelli, archbishop of Amasia, came from Sassocorvaro and while he was at the peak of his career at the papal court, he received the fortress also for his heirs. Thanks to him the small chapel and the Library with wooden shelves and polychrome marble floor were built.

At the end of the 1700s the family Massaioli received it as inheritance, and they owned it until the mid-nineteenth century, when the Municipality started to use it and established there some offices and the Theatre, which was decorated by the painter Enrico Mancini (Sassocorvaro, 1867 – 1913) in 1895.

Currently the fortress hosts the Theatre but also the Museum of Fortress Ubaldini, where it is possible to see artworks dated from the 14^th to the 19^th centuries. Among them there are a “Crocefisso” (1325) attributed to Giuliano da Rimini, an altarpiece made at the beginning of the 16^th century by Evangelista da Piandimeleto, and a big altarpiece made by Girolamo Cialdieri (1593-1646) representing St. Francis, St. Antony and the Child. Recently a new section was added in the Museum dedicated to the painting Enrico Mancini (Sassocorvaro, 1867-1913).

During the Second World War, thanks to Pasquale Rotondi, the Ubaldini Fortress became a precious custodian of more than 6500 artworks coming from the North and the Centre of Italy. Actually Rotondi was superintended of arts of the Marche and to honor him the “Rotondi Prize” was created, which is a prize given to “saviors of art”. In this regard, it is interesting to remember the donation of an artwork by the Tinelli family, made by Pietro “Uccio” Tinelli, who won the “Rotondi Prize” in 2007.

THE OLD TOWN

Walking through narrow streets and small squares of the old town it is possible to see some fragments of the old city walls, gateways to the village and some historic and architectural evidences. Among them it is interesting to visit:

–          The Oratory of St. Rocco, elegant building created at the beginning of the 16th century by the Doria Family as thanksgiving for being saved from the danger of an epidemic of plague. There are three altars inside with paintings of the 16th and 17th century.

–          The Clock tower that in the past used to work as bell tower of the church of St. Francis (13th century), which unfortunately was destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century by an earthquake.

–          The small and elegant Battelli Palace, built in the 18^th century under the request of Monsignor Giovan Cristoforo Battelli.

–          The Church of St. Jophn the Baptist, which was mentioned for the first time in the “Codice Pandolfesco” remembering that on May 18, 1296 “Malatesta da Verrucchio” met “Taddeo di Montefeltro” in the church situated in Sassocorvaro castle. Thanks to the Count “Ottaviano degli Ubaldini” it became Parish and on July 27, 1756 through a seal of the Pope “Benedetto  XIV Lambertini” it was converted into collegiate. Inside there are paintings of the 17^th century made in the workshop of Federico Barocci, some decorative elements of the “Ciborio Doria”, one painting representing the SS. Trinity, the Blessed Virgin and Saints made by Michele Rocca (1666 – post 1751).

–          The Oratory of the SS. Trinity, which was built by 1722 by the abbot Gaspare Fabbrini. It preserves the relics of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers.

In the area of Saccocorvaro it is interesting to visit the “Casino Doria di Mercatale”, known as “Casino della Madonna del giardino” (example of fortified court built between the 16^th and the 17^th centuries), the Church of St. Michele Arcangelo di Mercatale built at the end of the 16^th century with many wonderful paintings (among them the “Lady of the Rosary and Saints” attributed to Giovan Battista Urbinelli dated 1621).

The village of “San Donato in Taviglione” (once called “Castrum Montis Tabellionum”) at the beginning probably was the site of a notary. The first settlement in San Donato rised in the middle of the 8^th century in the Lombard period, when the martyr Donato (Bishop of Arezzo who died in 362) was venerated by people of Montefeltro. The surviving structure of the castle, which probably was built in the year 1000, nowadays consists of an embankment surrounded by walls, where it is possible to enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding valley.

It is possible to visit the old church of “St. Andrea in Strada” in the small town of Caprazzino. Oldest records about the church date back to the 13^th century. Inside the church there are many artworks, among them stand out a rare painting by Basilio Maggeri (1642) representing St. Lucia, St. Orsola, St. Andrea and St. Barbara, a valuable fresco (16^th century) representing Christ Crucified and the Virgin and St. Andrea, which is attributed to the Nardini brothers from Sant’Angelo in Vado. On the hill overlooking Caprazzino there the medieval village of “Borgo di Piagnano”, which was the bulwark of the family of “Conti Oliva” from Piagnano-Piandimeleto. Part of its impressive walls and castle gateway are well preserved.