Ancient name:
Castrum Montis Offi

Patronage:
S. Giustina - September 26
Patron of the town

Height:
144 meters above sea-level

Historic references about the Town
Mondolfo, fortified town above the sea, contained by a double structural curtain, as guardian of the Adriatic coast and the Cesano estuary, knew the encastellation around the year 1000. Linked at the beginning to the dynasty of Offo’s children - from which derives the name Mondolfo – and closed the period of an autochthonous lordship with the death of Rainaldo from Mondolfo, the Castle became one of the properties of Della Rovere, after the Malatesta domination and a period of direct subjection to the Church. Important town of the Duchy of Urbino, Mondolfo knew, in those years, great prosperity and welfare, with the building of noble palaces and churches rich in art, history and faith. Important to mention is the grandiose Monastery of St. Augustine, with the jewel-case of art given by the sixteenth-century monumental Church. The architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1502) built in Mondolfo, as support of the Castle, a powerful fortress (demolished then in a vandalistic way by the Savoy Kingdom of Italy), as summer residence of the dukes; this fortress was a powerful war-machine and at the same time smart residence for the lord. In 1631 Mondolfo returned in the hands of the Church and, in the papal State, it enjoyed a long period of peace, being able also to develop its own arts. Thanks to the building of the railway on the coast near-by, desired by Pope Pio IX in 1846 and intensely supported by the town, the resort of Marotta could know a strong development so that it became the modern well-known resort of seaside holiday.

The territory
Mondolfo is situated on the hills between the Metauro and Cesano Valleys, 4 km from the sea. The Cesano River marks, for a long tract, the boundary between the Province of Pesaro and Urbino and that of Ancona. It originates from the Mount Catria and its main tributaries are the Cinisco, that originates from the Mount Catria group, and the Torrente Nevola. The Cesano River flows into the Adriatic Sea, near Marotta. Along its course a riparian wet wood grows, with poplars and willows. The most ancient and thick hedges are made up of oak-trees, rural elm-trees, hawthorns, rose hip and plum trees. The Roverella is the typical oak of the country: you can still find some great specimens, shed in the territory. This kind of oak is up to 25 m high and is characterized by leaves hairy in the lower part, and by fruits (acorns), once used to nourish pigs and, during periods of famine, they were used also to make bread. The rural Elm-tree (Ulmus minor) is present both at the arboreous and herbaceous state in the hedges. Typical of this kind of elm are its light and membranous fruits, that grow and fall even before that the leaves peep out.

The panorama towards west and south-west allows to make out, not only the hilly area of the lower and middle sub-Apennines, but also the mountains that lock up the “Gola del Furlo”. Since 2001 this territory is part of the State Natural Reserve “Gola del Furlo”. Of great interest are the landscape, the flora of the rocky walls and different species of animals, rare or little wide-spread, such as The Royal Eagle, The Pilgrim, The Major Swift, The mountain Swallow, The Wolf, and The Snake Cervone.

Even farther, you can see, on a clear day, the mountains of the Catria group standing out. With its 1701 meters the Mount Catria, called “Gibbo” by Dante, represents the highest mountain of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino. The Mount Catria is very important from a naturalistic point of view and for its landscape: it includes steep rocky walls, shrubs and streams. Of great interest are the vegetable species that grow in the rocky surroundings and in the stony meadows, for which have been founded 7 areas of regional floral protection. Very garish are the blooms of Eugenia Violet, Primrose, Gentian, Daffodil, different kinds of Orchid and Forget-me-not. The woods, that are situated over 900 meters, are beeches woods , whereas below 900 meters are in majority Orno-ostrieti, characterized by the Manna-ash and the black Hornbeam, accompanied by other deciduous leaves trees, such as Maple-tree and Roverella. The fauna includes species of great scientific interest: The Royal Eagle, The Pilgrim, The Rock Partridge and the alpine Chaffinch. For its naturalistic importance the Mount Catria has been suggested as natural park in the Regional Environment Program of the Marche.

With the collaboration of Archeoclub Mondolfo - 2005