Hinterland.
Situated a 142 metres above sea level, with the Republic of San Marino, Rimini and Carpegna in the background, Gradara represents an extraordinary urban and architectural combination.
Legend tells us that the castle was the scene of the famous and tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, caught in each other’s arms and killed by Gianciotto, Francesca’s husband. This love story was immortalized by Dante in his Divine Comedy,
MONTEFIORE CONCA
RAVENNA
Ravenna is a treasure chest of art, history and culture of the highest order, a city with ancient origins and a glorious past and capital three times, of the Western Roman Empire, of King Theodoric of the Goths and of the Byzantine Empire in Europe.
The basilicas and baptisteries of the city contain the richest heritage of mosaics dating from the 5th and 6th centuries and eight historic buildings included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. The cultural offer of Ravenna is abundant and varied: the MAR, City Art Museum of Ravenna, programs regular exhibitions of high profile and is home to a number of permanent collections; the National Museum exhibits a variety of collections, including finds from excavations of Roman and Byzantine remains; the Archiepiscopal Museum includes the Chapel of Saint Andrew (Unesco); the Dantean Museum holds relics connected with the cult and fame of the poet while the Museum of the Risorgimento bears witness to the lively sentiments of Mazzini and Garibaldi who stirred up the people of Ravenna in the more recent past.
SAN GIOVANNI IN MARIGNANO
SAN LEO
SAN MARINO
The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. An enclave situated in central Italy, 15 km from the Romagna Riviera, the Republic sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano, a prominence which gives the first hint of the presence of the Central Apennine Mountains. San Marino is an extraordinary example of independence and intense international activity. There are many attractions once you cross the border: shopping, scenery, gastronomy, philately numismatics, celebrations, events, monuments, museums, works of art and typical tourist spots. Entering into the Country is simple since, for tourism purposes, no passports are required. In the territory of the antique white and azure flag of the Republic of San Marino shopping is easy with the utilization of the euro, the currency of the 27 Member States of the European Union.
SANTARCANGELO DI ROMAGNA
URBINO
The beautiful Renaissance town of Urbino, bursting with art, culture and history. There is so much to write about Urbino that it is difficult to know where to start. First some of Urbino's highlights: the Ducal Palace, the narrow streets and alleys, the panoramic view from Raffaello's monumental park, the Piazza della Repubblica and the works of art in the National Gallery. In 1998 Urbino was recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Thanks to its history and the vast number of sights and works of art to be found here, it is one of the greatest artistic tourist destinations in the world. Indeed, during the Renaissance, it was one of the most important towns in Italy. Its location also makes it a key tourist attraction – lying near to the borders with Tuscany and Umbria and close to the Adriatic coast with its seaside resorts of Rimini, Cattolica and Pesaro.
VERUCCHIO
Although Verucchio boasts an ancient history that is inseparably linked to the Malatesta Dynasty, its roots stretch back far beyond the Middle Ages. In the Iron Age, between the 9th and 6th centuries BC, it was the home of an important settlement of the Villanovian culture, and extraordinary artefacts left by these inhabitants of long-ago are displayed in the civic museum. The present structure of the town, however, is of mediaeval origin, and between the end of the 12th century and 1462 the virtually impregnable fortress of Verucchio was the stronghold from which the Malatesta family dominated the entire coastal plain and a large portion of the neighbouring Marche region. On 31 October 1462, the rule of the Malatesta family came to an end, when the fortress was captured with a cunning stratagem by Federico da Montefeltro, after a long but fruitless siege. Pope Leo X subsequently granted Verucchio the status of a city. It was ruled then by a branch of the famous Medici family from Florence and later by the Pio Comneno family, until after the middle of the 16th century it became part of the Papal State.
