Rising at the point where the Braccano and Esino rivers meet, Matelica enjoys a central position in the high Esino valley in the midst of an unspoilt environment. The city boasts considerable importance throughout the centuries, as shown in the elegance and architectural variety of its buildings in the old town whose nerve centre is undoubtedly the beautiful ancient square. The first evidence of human presence in the Matelicese territory can be traced back to neolithic times, indicated by the findings near Braccano. Today's city however, stretches along the site where the first Umbran settlement developed, even though many sources claim that the city was founded by the ancient Picene population.
About the first century B.C. during the Roman dominion, the settlement rose to become municipium by its original name of Matelica, from which its present name is derived. In this period its territory was subdivided into various “centurie” which were, one by one, assigned to colonists and veteran Roman soldiers.
From the V to the VI century, Matelica became the Bishop's seat and was placed under Camerino diocese.
During the Longobard dominion the township was occupied and destroyed; admitted to the Spoleto dukedom and included in Marca di Ancona, was transformed into “castrum”.
After this period, Matelica rose again and in the low middle ages, despite belonging juridically to the Holy See, was subject to the dominion of the Emperor of Germany.
Around the year 1150 the city was promoted to the status of free commune by its citizens who substituted the consuls in place of the feudatory noble of the German empire.
Between 1170 and 1180, massive destruction was caused by Christians. The Archbishop of Magonza was very active in the Marche having been given the task of re-establishing the power of Federico I. He did not, however, prevent the formation of a new communal autonomy around the year 1210.
in 1255 Matelica, more than once, had to fight against the Ottonis, succeeding in submitting the family to a commune.
In the communal era, the city allied itself according to its interests, first to one and then to another faction, taking part in the many battles against the neighbouring communes.
In 1266 the Pontifical authority was re-established in the Marca, so Matelica passed under the direct control of the Holy See. The commune at that time was upheld by three authorities: the Podestà, the Captian of the people and the Council of elders, composed of representatives from various artisans' corporations making up the main body of the citizens' council. It was in these years that a start was made on the formation of the society and company of arms for the security and defence of the city. The successive passage from commune to nobility came about by the internal divisions between Guelphs and Ghibellines to say nothing of the tension existing among the various classes.
In 1394 the Ottoni family obtained from Pope Bonifacio IX the vicarship of the city and with exceptional dynastic continuity managed to hold distinguished governance of Matelica until the mid XVI century. In the initial years of their vicarship, they respected the system in force without encroaching on the rights of the people and corporations, developing one of the main sources of wealth in the city: the manufacture of wool cloth. The growing relationship with the nearby towns developed a flourishing commerce, bringing general well-being to the township.
Soon however the governance of the Ottonis became ever more an absolutist and tyrannical regime who the Apostolic seat, being their superiors, hardly tolerated. Following various internal struggles and numerous trips by the Roman delegations, in 1576 Pope Gregory XIII stripped the Ottonis of their nobility. This caused the return of the city to the direct control of the Church in 1578 and brought the flourishing wool trade into a rapid decline. In the same year, in the name of Apostolic See, the Apostolic commissioner, Nicolò di Aragona, governor general of the Marca, took possession of the city.
With the election of Pope Paolo V in 1618, Matelica was entrusted to a governor “di breve”, independent from the Marca's, with full jurisdiction. The population peacefully accepted the new government, managing finally, after centuries of internal struggles, to enjoy a long period of peace. The stability was maintained also thanks to the prodigious intervention of the governor of  Macerata, Mons. Ottavio Bandine who pacified the souls of the two internal factions in the city allowing them once again to develop a healthy trade and an efficient production of wool cloth.
The following French invasion and the struggle for national unity, brought the wool industry to a standstill but some small leather tanning concerns continued their activity.
Speaking of Matelica is synonymous with Verdicchio, the delicious wine produced in these lands. In the valley between Monte San Vicino to the east, the Catria mountain chain to the west and the Sibillini mountains to the south, stretches the area where Verdicchio Doc di Matelica is produced.
The excellent exposure of the vineyards and the wise work of the producers aimed at exalting its exemplary characteristics, compete to create an ideal environment for the vegetative cycle of the vines.
Thanks to the cutting edge of technology of wine making, Verdicchio di Matelica has carried the national oenology to the highest levels. The Verdicchio di Matelica to the palate is fresh, sapid, warm, soft and with body, with a bitter almond after-taste; a wine of great personality it goes well with every part of the meal and is excellent also in the sparkling version.

A curiosity.
In 1985, during the work to strengthen the foundations of the seat of government palace, in the middle of the old town, an extraordinary archaeological find was made: the globe of Matelica.
It is a very ancient solar clock constituting a sphere of crystalline Greek marble of about 30cms. in diameter on which are engraved: lines, circles, concentrics, arches, letters and words in the Greek alphabet. This instrument is able to indicate with precision, the time of the daily sunrise, the calendar, the dates of the solstices and equinoxes, the entrance of the sun in the constellations of the zodiac, the duration of day and night in the various epochs of the year, etc..
Its particular characteristic is the convex spherical shape, only one other example of spherical solar clock in the world is known, this one was found in Greece in 1939 near the cities of Argo and Micene. The two globes differ only in their dimension; the Greek one is almost double the size of the Matelica globe and for the different engravings on the surface. 

Monuments