| Description: |
The medieval origin of the village is proved as much as anything by its name, meaning a round and flat area, the one in which it was founded, maybe taking the place of an ancient worship place (probably because of its proximity to the nearby watersprings). A legend claims that the foundation of the castrum was made by some venetian fugitives; having the same patron saint, San Marco, and the same winged lion on the town’s armorial bearings could be seen as a confirmation of this theory. However this may be, we know for certain that the defensive castle, whose walls and towers still exist today, was owned by the Da Varano family from Camerino, and was used to defend and protect the territory, especially against the neighbouring San Ginesio. Partly surviving are the two XIV century entrances to the town named the “porta grande” and the “portarella”.
Text by Fabio Santilli
Translation by Gianfranco Martorano |