ANCIENT DREAM - HAMLET

→ Marche → Urbino → Montefiore Conca

Montefiore Conca

Suggested length
of stay: less than half a day

	Accommodation
	Add to your ancient trip

Quindi mutando bestie e cavallari,
Arimino passò la sera ancora;
né in Montefiore aspetta il matutino
e quasi a par del sol giunge in Urbino.
(Ariosto, "Orlando Furioso", c. 43, s. 147)

Montefiore Conca is placed on a hill in a sentry position over Valconca, near the old border with the dukedom of Urbino. Overlooking the Apennines and the Romagna coast, the hamlet is completely immersed in woodland and greenery, dwarfed by the imposing Malatestian fortress whose lone square outline against the sky is viewable from a fairly far distance.
Inside its fortification walls, a stroll through the alleys offers a clear view of the hamlet’s narrow winding alleys gathering at the foot of the fortress towards one only access door. Here, one can easily hit on precious works of art and small tokens that call to mind a remote life style, such as the Bottega del Vasaio, the potter’s workshop with its treadle wheel and the old wood stove under the shop, modern proofs of ancient arts and crafts.
The first time the hamlet was referred to in an official document was 1136; pope Innocenzo II mentioned two churches in Castro Monte Flori. Its name could be drawn on the Latin Mons Florum (Monte dei Fiori, in Italian, mountain of flowers in English), linked to the wonderful position it occupies.
The hamlet is rooted to an ancient past. Important pre-historical finds of archaic tombs dating back to the iron age, trigger thoughts on primitive settlements previous to the Roman age, at a time when a considerable number of settlements established in this area.
During barbaric invasions, populations inhabiting the coastal area were forced to seek refuge on the inland mountains settling around existing fortified sighting towers. The following Lombard domination, led populations to move even further inland, to populate the hills and ness. With great probability, this aggregation resulted into the Monfloris settlement around year 1000.
As referred to in the bulls by pope Alessandro III, in the XII century the inhabited centre was placed under Rimini’s jurisdiction.
Towards the end of the XIII century, when Malatesta da Verucchio, called "Mastin Vecchio", the old mastiff, took possession of Rimini, Montefiore followed the same fate. By the advent of the Malatesta, Montefiore witnessed its most prosperous years. In fact, it was selected by the powerful family, as the place where to build one of the greatest and most impregnable fortresses, which was to be assigned a crucial role in the strategic boundary control of the Urbino dukedom, situated only a few miles away, and watched over in turn, by the opposing Montefeltro family.
The fortress was erected around the mid XIV century and was immediately used as a dwelling to host important characters and also as an effective outpost. The Malatesta ruled the country and kept their fortress for over a hundred years. In 1377, the fortress became Galeotto Novello Malatesta’s birth place of, who, because of its name was named Galeotto Belfiore, after it.
After Galeotto’s death, the fortress passed into the hands of his brother, Carlo and later, his nephew’s, Galeotto Roberto, who, in 1432, was succeeded by his own brother, Sigismondo Pandolfo, the most popular of the Malatesta.
As pugnacious as few others, he enhanced the fortress’s strategic importance improving its defences. At this very time, the hamlet improved its organisation by creating religious and civil institutions with great social importance such as monasteries, hospitals and the pawn shop. The hamlet also boasted a vast presence of notaries, bankers, jurists and intellectuals who were assigned very important roles throughout Italy.
In 1462, the fortress was conquered, “not without great effort and risks”, by Federico da Montefeltro, the duke of Urbino on behalf of the Holy See, namely pope Pio II. Since then, a carving of the pope’s coat of arms is placed above the gate of the castle.
The defeat of the Malatesta, caused Montefiore and the other hamlets in this part of Romagna, an alternating of different dominations. The hamlet was ruled by the Guidi di Bagno, Borgia, The Venetian Republic and even by Costantino Comneno prince of Macedonia who died in Montefiore in 1530. After this long period of transition, the hamlet and castle passed into the hands of the Church once and for all.
In 1797, Montefiore entered in the Cisalpine Republic.
One of the leading personalities in the democratic deployment was the priest of Montefiore, don Gaetano Vitali, who, after having held speeches in Rimini in defence of the Republic, after Restoration was forced to recant publicly his former opinions.
Once it returned to the Papacy Governement in 1815, the village followed the vicissitudes of the Risorgimento until it was comprised in the Kingdom of Italy.
Every July, during full moon week, the Rocca di Luna celebrations takes place. A three-day festival during which a replete of performances including theatre, music, poetry, art and animation fill the Borgo Antico’s suggestive squares and streets, turning them into one unique culture and entertainment happening.

Monuments

Inside the borgo...
La Rocca Malatestiana
Chiesa parrocchiale di S. Paolo
La piccola Chiesa dell'Ospedale

In the outskirts...
Santuario della Madonna di Bonora
Sassofeltrio