The borgo Castelfidardo, well-known throughout the world as the home of the Accordion, lies between the Aspio and Musone Valleys, nestling in lush green hills, a stone's throw from the sea.
Several tombs dating back to V-IV century B.C. Bear witness to the origins of an ancient community of Piceni, established near the border with Numana, in the Valluriana area, giving life to a well-organised settlement.
Later the original settlement was transfered to higher ground, its present location, to protect itself from barbaric invasions. Coming under Longobard control, the hamlet assumed the name of Valdum de Fico (from the Lomgobard “Wald” wood) deriving from the thickly wooded mantle covering the territory back then.
Not long after the year 1000 and not far from Valdum de Fico, rose a Castle by the name of Castrum Guicardi, transformed in XII century into Castrum Ficcardi.
Becoming subject to the city of Ancona, in the 1174, it suffered heavy losses and was devastated after a long siege carried out by Barbarossa's troops.
In 1196, following the theft of the relics of Saints Vittore and Corona, on the wishes of Bishop Gentile, the Consul and population of Castrum Ficcardi swore allegiance to the Bishop, so beginning a dependence from the city of Osimo, broken only during the XIII century.
This period turned out to be one of the most chequered in the history of the Castle which tried, through a dense network of alliances, to maintain its independence from the surrounding territories, the Church and the Emperor. In 1240 however, its destruction came about by the end of King Enzo, son of Federico II.
Following these events, the borgo was rebuilt and embellished on the wishes of Pope Gregory IX in exchange for its submission to the Church. Several years later, becoming newly independent from Papal domination it submitted to Manfredi. Returning under the Church 1292, it obtained the use of the Apiro and Musone waters.
In the XIV century during the bloody battles between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, the deaths and misery mounted caused by appearance of soldiers of fortune. In the pay of one or other of the factions, they roved about the territory breaking death and fear.
The following period was very controversial and soon the free communes alternated with the rule of the Lords.
The arrival of Cardinal Albornaz in Italy and the subsequent annexation of Castelfidardo to the Church in 1354 under the name of “Terra Parva”, meaning a free commune not erected as a city,
put an end to the violent sacking by the neighbouring communes Osimo and Recanati.
In 1443 the township came under the control of the Signoria of Francesco becoming a refuge for the soldier of fortune operating raids in the area. In 1449 it accepted the protectorate of Ancona in order to suppress Osimana authority, however, in 1451, Ancona's jurisdiction was expelled and the Castle passed under the protection of the Church.
The second half of 1500s was once again eventful for the Castle community as it was continually subjected to the passage of armies stealing food and provisions while imposing heavy taxes, bringing about a strong economy crisis. Only at the end of the XVII century did Castelfidardo become one of the most flourishing lands of the region, thanks above all to its textile and combing industry. In the sixteen hundreds, the holy house of Loreto, which exercised a strong influence of the Castle territories was responsible for a slow and painful political and economic decline.
In 1860 the borgo was theatre to one of the most remarkable episodes of the Italian Risorgimento, the “Battle of Castelfidardo”, which witnessed the position of the Savoy forces sent by Cavour from Naples and those of the Papal authority.
The Papal defeat determinated the annexation of Umbria and Marche to the reign of Sardinia in the first instance and then to the reign of Italy.
Castelfidardo is a real and proper paradise in which the flavours of the land and sea make a marriage through ancient recipes scrupulously cooked, fish from the Adriatic joins the precious olive oil of the highest quality; pasta accurately hand-made accompanied by a exquisite pigeon and rabbit meat. The excellent locally-produced wines, all enclose the multiple aromas of these lands, made precious by the care and passion for the wine of the numerous wine producers.

Monuments