Poggio Torriana

Its delightful and fertile countryside, as well as its gently rolling hills, which offer spectacular panoramic views, are dotted with important historical buildings. Some of these recall its vocation as a residential area and popular holiday destination, whilst others are structures that once served the community.

In fact, there are several palaces and noble villas once owned by rich and powerful families next to other buildings linked to traditional local customs and culture like mills, some still in working order. Combined with the presence of accommodation facilities, their fairly high concentration makes a visit or stay in the area an interesting option.

It has a lot to offer in geological terms too, with wonderful fossil deposits along the Marecchia river. A quarry park, Cava Park, has been created to testify to the hundreds of artefacts found here – mainly marine vertebrates that populated the sea that covered the area in the Pliocene epoch. In the old town, a fountain recalls one such fossil, an ammonite, an ancient snail that encloses the mystery of the world. The fountain is based on a design by local poet Tonino Guerra who works tirelessly to ensure the memory of these places is not lost.

Inhabited since ancient times, this area was once ruled by the Malatesta whose presence is documented as early as 1197 and who succeeded in exploiting its productivity and wealth. Historically known as the “Tomba di Poggio Berni”, Palazzo Marcosanti is on the road leading to the old town from Santarcangelo. Built when Poggio Berni was the administrative centre of a vast agricultural area, it is one of the best-preserved fortresses in the seignory and has magnificent 14th-century walls.

First documented as early as 1141, the town was once known as “Scorticata”, a name that describes the geological configuration that has always hosted the castle, just like nearby Montebello.

In a fairly distant geological past, these two imposing rocky spurs overlooking the Marecchia valley arrived from the Tyrrhenian Sea ending up here on the banks of the river. Their configuration was exploited during the Middle Ages when the invincible fortresses of Scorticata and Montebello were built. The centuries that followed did the rest, with villages, fortifications and castles constructed that enjoyed both the splendours of the seignory of the Malatesta and repeated battles with the Montefeltro, fought precisely because of the importance of possessing such key strategic points for controlling and defending the territory.

The two villages have experienced differing fortunes; Torriana, its new name since 1938, has changed considerably in architectural and institutional terms, becoming a main municipal town, whereas Montebello has largely maintained its original charm, history and mystery. They are surrounded by an interesting and rich natural environment protected thanks to the Fauna Oasis of Torriana and Montebello and the Marecchia Valley Naturalistic Observatory, an environmental study and research centre. In Torriana, the 15th-century Malatesta fortress, subsequently owned by the Borgia and Medici families, underwent renovation work in the 20th century. According to legend, this is where Gianciotto Malatesta met his death in its dungeons. He is also sadly notorious for having killed the famous lovers, his wife Francesca and his brother Paolo. Montebello (“beautiful mount” in English) lives up to its name thanks to its delightful old town and ancient castle, famous for the legend of Azzurrina. Given its mediaeval layout, there is only one entrance into the village through a fortified gate that leads visitors into its wonderful atmosphere.