Overview
Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club
Called Montalboddo until 1881, the village underwent many conquests and destructions, which, however, spared part of the medieval walls, 1200 meters long, interspersed with square-tower bastions, nine of which are still present. The Town Hall in neoclassical style and the prestigious La Vittoria Theatre are the main features of the central Martiri Square, which serves as a connecting point between the two parts of the ancient settlement: Ostra Alta, with the Rocca and the typical winding and circular medieval streets, and Ostra Bassa, or the Plain, with regular and symmetric streets resulting from an intervention planned around the Abbey of S. Croce and carried out between 1280 and 1350. The Church of S. Francesco also has a central position, its interiors decorated with frescoes by Filippo Bellini and several canvases by Ercole Ramazzani. Also worth noting are the Municipal Pinacoteca, housed in the former convent fathers' palace, and the Madonna della Rosa Sanctuary from 1754 with the miraculous shrine dedicated to the Madonna and votive tablets.
The typical food and wine products include the excellent Verdicchio and Lacrima wines, and the extra-virgin olive oil obtained from the "raggia," an excellent olive variety from the area.
Among the events is the important national exhibition of antiques and artistic craftsmanship held in August.
