Overview
Gradara is best known for its beautiful Fortress and for the love story of Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini, made immortal by the verses of Canto V of Dante's Inferno.
The Fortress’s interior houses 15th- and 16th-century furniture and is decorated with valuable frescoes; Lucrezia Borgia’s dressing room and Francesca's bedroom deserve special attention, but above all the magnificent Renaissance works of art on display, such as the glazed terracotta altarpiece by Andrea della Robbia and the famous altarpiece by Giovanni Santi, Raphael’s father.
Gradara clearly deserves the prestigious Orange Flag and Most Beautiful Village in Italy awards. It has two city walls: the outer one is punctuated by square crenellated towers and turrets, offers an amazing sight to visitors and can still be walked today.
Around the castle, visitors can stroll along the Lovers' Walk or the paths of Bosco di Paolo e Francesca that encircle the hill, which present a beautiful view of the rural landscape of the Pesaro area, where cultivated fields and typical Mediterranean scrub join a spectacular view of the sea.
In the fabulous setting of the mediaeval village, in addition to the Fortress and Camminamenti di Ronda, you can visit other cultural venues such as the Historical Museum and its grotto, the Municipal Theatre, Teatro dell'Aria ornithological park and falconry centre, and finally the street art route 'Beyond the Walls’.
Some important events in Gradara throughout the year are: Gradara d'amare (February), Assedio al Castello (July), Castello di Natale (December).
61012 Gradara, Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Italy
