The city lies in a a picturesque valley nestling among green hills along the eastern slopes of the Umbro-Marchiagian Apennines. Fabriano is one of the most extensive communes in Italy; its territory comprises many districts, some of which bear important witness and historical monuments worthy of note. The ancient city centre, although altered throughout its history over the centuries, still carries traces of its original urban Medieval system.
The origin of its name is ancient and according to many historians derives from the aristocratic form of “Faberius”, owner of the land on which the settlement was erected. Evidence of its origins can be seen in the numerous finds spread around the territory, proof of the presence of organised populations from the prehistoric era.
The city of Fabriano counts its origins from the joining of two Feudal Castles erected over former Roman settlements; Castrum Vetus (Castelvecchio) and Castrum Novum (Castelnuovo), arose during the time of the Barbaric incursions and sited on two hills separated by a narrow valley.
Thanks to this union, a vibrant urban centre developed. Alongside agricultural activity, the first workshops flourished, mostly blacksmiths (not without reason that the blacksmith became the symbol of the city), whose products were exported outside. Numerous other trades sprang up: the wool trade, leather tanning, shoe-making, etc., leading to the University of Papermakers .
Ever since the XIII century, Fabriano has been renowned for the art of paper making, above all for the watermarked, introducing important innovations in the productive system, such as the invention of the hydraulic pile and the technique of glue making with animal gelatine.
Having been granted a free commune in 1165, the city saw its major economic, social and cultural development in the XII-XIII century, this period witnessed the growth of its own dominion over castles in the surrounding lands and, with the affirmation of the Germanic Chiavelli nobles who governed from the 1378 to 1435, the city enjoyed a thriving era which brought about the installation of an important school of painting, so increasing interest in culture and university studies. So too, the city's architecture drew benefit from this phase as numerous churches and monasteries were enriched.
After a brief parenthesis in which it was subdued by the Sforza nobles (1435-1444) Fabriano was slowly annexed to the Pontifical State.
From this moment an inexorable decadence began, caused by the multiple pillages and tremendous famine of 1519, added to which was the destruction wroughts by earthquakes.
From 1610 to 1808, Fabriano was directly subjected to the central Roman power and was governed by prelates; in 1808 it was annexed to the Reign of Italy becoming chief town of the IV district below Macerata. In 1849 it was made an integrant part of the Roman Republic; in 1860 it was definitely annexed by general consent to the Reign of Italy.
Apart from the fame deriving from its watermarked paper, this city saw the birth of many great masters of thirteenth century painting, such as: Allegreto Nuzi (1320-1373, Francescuccio di Cecco Ghissi, Gentile da Fabriano (1451-1489) and the subsequent century, Antonio da Fabriano (1451-1489).
Known throughout the world is the museum of watermarked paper, located in the St. Domenico complex, add to this the multitude of fine buildings, monuments and renowned Churches.
Every year in June, the town comes alive along the lanes, cloisters and squares of the old historic town, the re-enactment of the “Trecento Fabrianese” takes place, “The Palio of St. John the Baptist”, in which the four city gates, Borgo, Cervara, piano and Pisana, are protagonist among games, archery tournaments, flagwaving exhibitions, strewing of flowers and the “Challenge of the Hammer”, scenes of Medieval life; the spirited rivalry among the gates is the main element on which the Palio is founded, where everyone is part and parcel of the merriment.
During the evenings, various taverns are set up, high-spirited meeting places where dishes prepared from ancient recipes can be relished. The crafts workshops where blacksmiths, carpenters, woolmakers, shoemakers, potters and paper manufacturers, ply the ancient trades as in the past, using the same techniques to work their artistic products.

Monuments

Ex-Convento S.Caterina da Siena
Portico dei Vasari
Fontana Rotonda o dello Sturinalto
Loggiato San Francesco
Palazzo del Podestà
Palazzo Vescovile e Torre Civica
San Venanzio (Cattedrale) e le su Cappelle Gotiche
San Benedetto con la Cripta B.Giovanni
Complesso San Domenico
Sant'Agostino e le sue Cappelle gotiche
San Claudio
Collegiata di San Nicolò
Ex ospedale di S.Maria del Buon Gesù
Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena
Chiesa di Sant’Onofrio o Scala Santa
Oratorio dei Beati Becchetti (S.Sepolcro)
Oratorio della Carità                                                                Oratorio di S.M. Annunziata del Gonfalone
Il castello
Le mura chiavellesche (la II Cinta muraria)
Palazzi di Via Case Grandi (Via Balbo)
Palazzi di Via Corso Grande (Via Gioberti)
Museo della Carta
Pinacoteca Civica "B.Molajoli"
Museo della Farmacia

In the outskirts...
Sant'Angelo infra ostia
S.Benedetto e S.Biagio in Caprile
Santa Maria d'Appennino
San Cassiano di Valbagnola
San Salvatore di Valdicastro
San Vittore delle Chiuse
Eremo di S.Maria di Grottafucile
Monastero di San Benedetto
Pieve di S.Maria di Civita (plebis Civitae)
Pieve di S.Maria di Torrececchina (plebis Flexiae)
San Bernardino a Spineto
San Leonardo e Trinità a Camporege
Santa Maria del Piano a Castelletta
The borgo of Collamato