Municipality of Montefortino

Montefortino

Historical Notes

Montefortino rises up on top of the backbone of a hill, at about 700 metres upon sea level, facing the splendid scenery of the Sibillini Mountains. Its history dates back to Roman times, as witnessed by an ancient inscribed tablet from the Girone fortress, destroyed in 1442. In 1084 it became a free municipality and had its own statute, later modified in 1126. In modern times it was part of the Pontiff State, in the jurisdiction of the Fermo diocese. In 1860 it voted to become part of the Italian Kingdom of Vittorio Emanuele II.

Montefortino is one of the more significant settlements of the Mountain Community and of the National Park of the Sibillini.  The amphitheatre of the mountains is spectacular, with peaks that reach the 2000 metres, like that of the Priora or the Pizzo Berro; but the most fascinating presence is that of Monte Sibilla, the female prophet that predicted the birth of Christ.  The figure of the Sibilla is a medieval and Christian transformation of the goddess Cybele, represented with towered head and in fact "crown" is the name of the rocky belt which runs around the homonymous mountain.  The Sibilla Grotto has inspired popular and cultured tradition since Medieval times, the story of the French Antoine de la Sale, the Paradise of the Queen Sibilla, Guerrino so called the meschino of Andrea da Barberino, the poem Meschino said the Guerrino of a refined female poet of renaissance times like Tullia d'Aragona.

Montefortino possesses a significant cultural heritage throughout the territory, but is also a place appointed to the conservation and maintenance of works of art: the Civil Art Gallery named after Fortunato Duranti (1797-1863), romantic personality of bohemian painter and refined collector of works of art which were then donated to the Municipality.
Palazzo Leopardi which hosts the Art Gallery is a truly worthy example of noble architecture of the XVI century, belonging to Sir Desiderio Leopardi created Palatina Court in 1533 and curator of the Statute of Montefortino.
To the same family belonged Leopardo Leopardi, author of "Memorie Istoriche di Montefortino nella Marca" (1783), defined "Patrizio Recanatese" and citizen of the land (of Montefortino).
It unites to its historical and artistic heritage, the natural one which comes from its suggestive geographical and from the beauty of its countryside.  In the surrounding areas Sant'Angelo in Montespino (VI-XI century), must be visited, the series of house-towers deriving from feudal and renaissance, the ‘orrido’ of the Infernaccio overlooked by the eremite at the loggetta of  S.Leonardo and the  Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Ambro.

Traditional events
February – Festival of true truffle of the Sibillini Mountains
The 2nd Sunday of August – Program of the Fortunato Duranti Study Centre
The 1st week of September – Snails Sagra
Throughout the whole year – Excursion with the Cai - Italian Alpine Club

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