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Overview
The small Marche village of Pioraco is nestled in a valley at the confluence of the Potenza and Scarsito rivers. The abundance of water characterizes the town, dotted with picturesque canals, ancient washhouses, and mill wheels. It was precisely by harnessing the water that the inhabitants of Pioraco began producing paper very early, as early as the mid-13th century. In the past, Pioraco paper was marked with a dragon watermark, a sort of logo and guarantee of quality.
In the historic center, visitors can explore the interesting Paper and Watermark Museum, featuring a reconstruction of medieval paper mills, machines used to produce paper from rags. The same building also houses a beautiful fossil collection and a mushroom collection, a source of pride for local gastronomy.
Other attractions in the town include the Church of S. Vittorino, built in the 18th century over the remains of a Roman temple; the 14th-century cloister of the Convent of S. Francesco, now the Town Hall; and the ancient Ponte Marmone, built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.
A short distance from the bridge is the Hermitage of Madonna della Grotta, a suggestive place of worship carved into the rock, where, according to legend, a traveling seller of votive statues stopped to rest and, upon waking, found his last Madonna unsold firmly installed in a natural niche, deciding to stay in Pioraco.
In the surroundings of the village, there is also the Cave of S. Vittorino, where the bishop-saint of Camerino retired as a hermit. Before leaving Pioraco, romantics can take a photo on the Bridge of Kisses and stroll along the scenic Li Vurgacci trail, among bridges, small waterfalls, and strange rock “monsters” sculpted by artist Antonio Ciccarelli.
62025 Pioraco MC, Italia
