Ostra Vetere Town Trail – Historical and cultural treasures of the village

Porta Pesa

At the entrance to Porta Pesa, you’ll find a flight of steps leading up to the old town.

Porta Pesa

At the entrance to Porta Pesa you will find a staircase that goes up to the historic center.

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60010 Ostra Vetere AN

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Porta IV Agosto

At the entrance to Porta Pesa, you’ll find a short uphill slope that leads you up to the old town.

Porta IV Agosto

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Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 14, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 14

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Porta Nuova

This entrance was opened in the 17th century at the request of the Buti family, and lies beneath the stately residence which likely replaced an ancient ‘pusterla’ opposite Porta Santa Croce.

Porta Nuova

This entrance was opened in the 17th century at the request of the Buti family, and is under the family building which probably replaced an ancient one “pusterla” opposite Porta Santa Croce.

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Via Lungo le Mura

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Buti Palace

Located above Porta Nuova, it houses an extraordinary gem: a sculptural group attributed to the Palermo-born artist Giacomo Serpotta (c. 1650–1732), which covers an entire wall of the bedroom and forms an integral part of a former alcove

Buti Palace

Collocato al di sopra di Porta Nuova conserva uno straordinario gioiello: un gruppo scultoreo attribuito all’artista palermitano Giacomo Serpotta, 1650 c.a-1732 che occupa un’intera parete della camera da letto ed è parte integrante di una ex alcova

Eretto in forme rinascimentali con archi e lesene sopra Porta Nuova, dove in precedenza sorgeva il Cassero la parte dell’edificio più degno di nota è oggi quella di proprietà Fornaroli. L’elemento di maggiore interesse, che rende unico il palazzo, è rappresentato dal gruppo scultoreo di straordinaria bellezza che occupa un’intera parete della camera da letto ed è parte integrante di una ex alcova. L’opera (per la quale, peraltro senza alcun riscontro, si fa il nome del palermitano Giacomo Serpotta, 1650 c.a-1732) è interamente eseguita in stucco bianco e rappresenta due figure femminili che, a guisa di cariatidi, sorreggono l’arco a sesto ribassato che separa la camera dall’alcova vera e propria, oltre a varie coppie di putti che reggono conchiglie e stemmi (la presenza di quelli dei Buti e dei Razzanti di Matellica fa ipotizzare che l’opera sia stata commissionata in occasione del matrimonio tra Buti Ignazio e Giulia Razzanti avvenuto nel 1717). Inglobata nel Palazzo Buti si apre la Porta Nuova accesso aperto nel secolo XVII su richiesta della famiglia Buti stessa.
La nuova porta andò probabilmente a sostituire una antica pusterla opposta a Porta Santa Croce e denominata Porta di Malachiusi.

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Via Gramsci 20

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Church of San Sebastiano

Now converted into a hall and auditorium, the church of San Sebastiano retains the layout of the reconstruction carried out between 1699 and the early 18th century by Don Ottavio Monti on the existing church building, which was in a state of disrepair at the time.

Church of San Sebastiano

Today converted into an auditorium-hall, the church of San Sebastiano preserves the layout of the reconstruction commissioned, between 1699 and the early ‘700s, by Don Ottavio Monti on the pre-existing sacred building, which was dilapidated at the time.

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Via S. Sebastiano, 8, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 8

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Franceschini Palace

The most striking feature, which makes the building unique, is the extraordinarily beautiful sculptural group that covers an entire wall of the bedroom and forms an integral part of a former alcove.

Franceschini Palace

The most interesting element, which makes the building unique, is represented by the sculptural group of extraordinary beauty that occupies an entire wall of the bedroom and is an integral part of a former alcove.

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Piazza Don Minzoni, 3, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 3

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Museum Center Terra di Montenovo

Formerly a monastery of the Poor Clares, it passed into the ownership of the Marulli family, who turned it into the headquarters of their farm. Purchased by the local council, Palazzo Marulli is now home to the “Terra di Montenovo Museum Complex” and houses valuable works of art, artefacts from the Roman town of Ostra, and the Marulli Farm Collection

Museum center Terra di Montenovo

Formerly the monastery of the Poor Clare nuns, it passed into the ownership of the Marulli family, who made it their farm. Purchased by the Municipality, Palazzo Marulli is home to the “Terra di Montenovo Museum Centre” and houses valuable works of art, finds from the Roman city of Ostra and the collection of the Marulli Agricultural Company

The works of art that escaped destruction and dispersion and were collected here cover the broad chronological span that lasted from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century. They are sufficient to document the privileged relationship of the faithful with a place that had to recall for a long time, together with the memory of the community’s ancient origins, examples of faith, dedication, social stability and, finally, cultural updating.

The church of San Francesco, originally with two naves, underwent a radical restoration in 1635. As the paintings in the museum attest, this involved replacing the ancient sacred images with new altarpieces, thus enabling both the updating of the iconography based on the most illustrious models of the Baroque and Ridolfian schools of art and the promotion and renewal of the cult of saints belonging to the Franciscan Order.

The oldest evidence of the pictorial cycle present in the previous building is most likely linked to the serious plague that ravaged the Marca around 1470. In addition to the date reported in the Virgin and Saints John the Baptist and Anthony the Abbot, the presence of Saint Sebastian, invoked for centuries against the disease together with Saint Roch, could support this hypothesis. The two frescoes are the work of the painter Andrea di Bartolo da Jesi, active at the same time in the nearby church of San Fortunato, near Serra de Conti.

The painting with the Virgin and Saints John the Baptist and Anthony the Abbot, a work strongly influenced, in its hieratic and archaic nature, by the ways of the more famous Giovanni Antonio Bellinzoni from Pesaro, confirms the close relationship between the two artists, recently attested through documentary evidence. Two decades later, the painter of Sant’Angelo in Vado, Dionisio Nardini, resumed the decoration of the church with Saint Martin giving his cloak to the beggar and a series of saints, of which Saint Anthony of Padua remains. The Annunciation is from the workshop of the well-known Urbino master Federico Barocci.

Ostra Vetere’s version can be attributed to a pupil and collaborator of Barocci, confirming the privileged relationship of the monastic community of Ostra Vetere with the Baroque workshop. There also remains the painting depicting the Stigmata of Saint Francis, perhaps originally placed in the main altar. This is a copy of the painting executed by Barocci for the church of San Francesco in Urbino. Cristoforo Roncalli, known as Pomarancio, painted Christ and Saint Peter on Lake Tiberias, an altarpiece from the abbey church of Santa Maria. The cycle of paintings in the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso includes the pair of frescoes exhibited in the museum, depicting a Glory of Angels, a surviving fragment of the Nativity of Christ, and a Pietà with Saint Joseph of Arimathea and Saint John the Evangelist. The Glory of Angels remains the only testimony of Giovan Battista Lombardelli’s activity in Ostra Vetere. The painter was born here around 1537 and the works in question document the beginning of his successful professional career, before his prolonged stay in Rome which saw him participate in some of the most important artistic projects of the time. Furthermore, the pair of polychrome terracotta panels, rare examples of a type of majolica, of a devotional nature, comes from this same church.

These plaques depicting the Nativity and the Lamentation are a rare and precious example of late fifteenth-century “majolica plastic”. They present an undoubted artistic interest, characterised by a “still Gothicising flavour, in any case of a suggestive archaism”, distinguishing themselves for their rarity and technical quality. The ceramics are part of a corpus of works, created at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century, attributable to the atelier of an anonymous artist who worked in the Romagna and Marche regions, on the Adriatic route between Faenza and Ancona.

Most of these works are preserved in the most prestigious museums in the world, testifying to the great collecting attention they have received over time for these objects, suspended between sculpture and ceramics. The size of this type of plaque often indicates its devotional use, suggesting its placement in shrines or chapels ancillary to larger buildings, as well as in small external niches protecting houses, especially those with Marian subjects or saints. Ceramic historiography has always emphasized the rarity of this plastic genre of majolica, characterizing it as an isolated and singular expression of craftsmen directly influenced by “Flemish” or at least “Nordic” stylistic features probably acquired from the cultural climate of refined and cultured courts such as those of Ferrara and Urbino.

In fact, what most links one of these works, the Lamentation, to the northern figulina art of the Marche region is the presence of the coat of arms of the Montefeltro family, lords of Urbino. Thus, for this and other works, it is right to think of a “nomadic artist”, trained in the Faenza environment, sensitive to stylistic features from beyond the Alps, wandering between Romagna and the northern Marche, where majolica has always characterized the cultural identity of a territory, between art, faith and popular devotion. In the Marche region, only one other work of the same type is preserved, the Lamentation of Saint Cyriacus in Ancona. To date, very few works belonging to this typology are known: around forty throughout the world, including plaques, caps, sculptures or high reliefs, and of these only 18 are preserved in Italy.

The collection of the Marulli Agricultural Company which preserves equipment, machinery and furnishings that once belonged to the company. Worth noting is the company’s own business archive, recently reorganized and catalogued.

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Piazza Beata Suor Maria Crocefissa Satellico 3

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Civic Tower and Town Hall

Situated on high ground, the building took on its present form in the 17th century, although it underwent significant alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The town tower dates back to 1569 and still houses a bell from 1643

Civic Tower and Town Hall

In an elevated position, the building took on its current form in the 17th century despite undergoing significant renovations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The civic tower dates back to 1569 and preserves a bell from 1643

The Town Hall took on its current form in the 17th century, while the interior was defined in the post-unification years. The civic tower, designed by the Ostrense residents Michele Corazzini and Gerolamo Arcangeli, was built in 1569 by Francesco da Modena and has a bell tower dating back to 1643. The municipal residence houses interesting artifacts and works of art; halfway up the entrance staircase, a metrical panel from 1560 is visible; the old council chamber (now a waiting room) is elegant, with beautiful ceiling decorations. Inside the building are also kept some historical relics, including an autograph note by Giuseppe Garibaldi addressed to the photographer Pavia, a gift from fellow citizen Lino Lauretani. The complex underwent significant renovations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Via Don Giovanni Minzoni 1

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Church of Santa Maria di Piazza

The Church of Santa Maria di Piazza, rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in the early 20th century to a design by the Bolognese architect Giovanni Gualandi, houses a 17th-century painting attributed to Girolamo Cialdieri and a fine organ by Gaetano Callido, one of the most famous organ builders of the 18th century

Church of Santa Maria di Piazza

The Church of Santa Maria di Piazza, rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the early ‘900s based on a design by the Bolognese Giovanni Gualandi, preserves a seventeenth-century painting attributable to Girolamo Cialdieri and a precious organ, the work of Gaetano Callido, one of the most famous “organ builders” of the eighteenth century

E’ the main church of the historic center in terms of size and visual impact: the ancient seat of a Benedictine abbey, it was, after its foundation in 1444, completely rebuilt twice; the current layout is that derived from the last renovation completed in the early ‘900s, designed by the Bolognese Giovanni Gualandi. In neo-Gothic style, with the exception of the façade, which bears predominantly Romanesque influences and displays some vestiges of previous buildings, it dominates the historic center with its monumental complex. From the dome and bell tower, which form a singularly imposing ensemble, you can enjoy splendid views from the Adriatic to the Apennines. The interior of the church houses some valuable works, including a precious eighteenth-century scagliola antependium depicting the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and a Madonna and Child, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Anthony the Abbot attributed to Claudio Ridolfi, but more likely to his pupil Cialdieri. The organ is also precious, which is due to one of the most famous “organ builders” of the 18th century, Gaetano Callido.

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Piazza Beata Suor Maria Crocefissa Satellico 1

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Former Convent of San Francesco al Mercatale and Square of Libertà

The San Francesco al Mercatale complex Originally situated in the heart of the town, in the ancient Piazza del Mercatale – now Piazza della Libertà – the monastic complex of San Francesco was for centuries the main religious centre of Ostra Vetere. The works of art that escaped destruction and dispersal and are now housed in the museum cover a broad chronological span stretching from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. They are sufficient to document the special bond between the faithful and a place that, for a long time, must have evoked not only the memory of the community’s ancient origins but also examples of faith, dedication, social stability and, ultimately, cultural renewal. The Franciscan settlement of Ostra Vetere is first mentioned as early as 1292, when Pope Nicholas IV sent a precious relic of the Cross of Christ to the convent, granting it permission to confer indulgences. The first detailed descriptions of the church date back to the 17th century. Originally a two-nave building, it underwent a radical restoration in 1635. ‘In our day,’ as sources from the period recall, ‘the said church was reduced to a single nave […], transforming it from low, dark Gothic architecture into a slightly more refined and modern style.’ As evidenced by the paintings in the museum, the restoration involved the replacement of the ancient sacred images with new altarpieces, thereby making it possible both to update the iconography in line with the most illustrious models of the Baroque and Ridolfian artistic schools, and to promote and revitalise the veneration of saints belonging to the Franciscan Order. The failure to acquire significant works of art in the 18th century coincided with the monastery’s gradual decline, to the extent that, when the order to close it was issued in the following century, only four monks—the sole occupants remaining in the vast spaces of the convent complex—responded. As the monastery was included in the first measures to suppress religious orders following the unification of Italy, it was secularised in 1861, passing under the administration of the municipality, which in turn handed it over for use to the parish priest, who was permitted to keep the church open for worship. This was not, however, sufficient to ensure its upkeep; indeed, it was amidst the dispute—easily imagined—over the respective responsibilities of the owning body and the custodian that the religious building fell into sudden disrepair, leading to its closure in 1909. The final chapter in the history of this centuries-old monument unfolded between 1914 and 1915. With the Romanesque marble portal of the façade preserved – and reused in the local church of S. Severo – and part of the 15th-century frescoes removed, the church was razed to the ground to make way for the present-day square, onto which, in addition to the bell tower and the cloister, several rooms of the former monastery still overlook today.

Former Convent of San Francesco al Mercatale and Square of Libertà

The complex of San Francesco al Mercatale Originally located in the heart of the town, in the ancient Piazza del Mercatale, now Piazza della Libertà, the monastic complex of S. Francis represented the main religious settlement of Ostra Vetere for centuries. The works of art that escaped destruction and dispersion and were collected in the museum cover the broad chronological span from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century. They are sufficient to document the privileged relationship of the faithful with a place that had to recall for a long time, together with the memory of the community’s ancient origins, examples of faith, dedication, social stability and, finally, cultural updating. The Franciscan settlement of Ostra Vetere has been remembered since 1292, when Pope Nicholas IV sent a precious relic of the cross of Christ to the convent, granting him permission to grant indulgences. They date back to the second century. XVII the first specific descriptions of the church. Originally a two-nave building, it underwent a radical restoration in 1635. «Nowadays» they recall the sources of the time «the said Church was reduced to a single nave […], removing it from the Gothic architecture, low and dark, to a slightly more adapted and modern architecture».The restoration involved, as attested by the paintings in the museum, replacing the ancient sacred images with new altarpieces, thus making it possible both to update the iconography on the most illustrious models of the Baroque and Ridolfian schools of art and to promote and renew the cult of saints belonging to the Franciscan Order. The lack of significant works of art in the eighteenth century corresponded to the progressive decline of the monastery, so much so that the injunction to close it, in the following century, was answered by four religious men, the only ones left to occupy the large spaces of the convent complex. When the monastery was included in the first measures to suppress religious corporations following the unification of Italy, it was secularized in 1861, passing under the administration of the municipality, which in turn handed it over for use to the Parish Abbot, who was allowed to keep the church open for worship. This, however, was not sufficient to ensure its safekeeping; indeed, it was in the easily speculated dispute over the respective responsibilities of the owner and the trustee that the religious building suddenly deteriorated, until its closure in 1909. The last act of the secular monument was consumed between 1914 and 1915. The Romanesque marble portal of the facade has been preserved – reused in the local church of S. Severe – and part of the fifteenth-century frescoes were removed, the church was razed to the ground to make way for the current square, which still overlooks, in addition to the bell tower and the cloister, some rooms of the former monastery.

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Piazza della Libertà, 4, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 4

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Cloister San Francesco

The Cloister of St Francis is all that remains of the Convent of San Francesco al Mercatale, which was demolished in the early 20th century. Traces of the original cycle of frescoes depicting Franciscan subjects, which once adorned all four sides of the cloister, can still be seen. To the right stands the convent’s ancient bell tower.

Cloister San Francesco

The Cloister of S. Francesco is what remains of the convent of San Francesco al Mercatale demolished in the early 20th century. Traces of the original cloister are found in the cycle of frescoes of Franciscan subjects that decorated it on all four sides. On the right stands the ancient bell tower of the convent.

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Piazza della Libertà 4

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Church of Santa Lucia

The Church of St Lucia is an elegant building featuring decorations typical of the late Baroque and early Rococo styles; it houses a collection of interesting works of art, as well as an organ crafted by the master organ builders Canonici di Montecarotto and installed in 1707. The remains and relics of Blessed Sister Maria Crocifissa Satellico (1706–1745), beatified in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, are preserved here.

Church of Santa Lucia

The Church of S. Lucia is an elegant building with decorations typical of the late Baroque style, early Rococo, and houses interesting works of art together with an organ built by the master organ builders Canons of Montecarotto and installed in 1707. The remains and relics of Blessed Sister Maria Crocifissa Satellico (1706-1745), beatified in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, are preserved here

Rich in valuable Baroque decorations with stucco in the altars representing cherubs and decorations with foliage and racemes, decorations typical of the late Baroque taste, early Rococo, it houses a magnificent altar with a central case in which a wooden Crucifix is kept, and two elegant side altars containing eighteenth-century paintings depicting the Madonna with Saint Charles Borromeo, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and Saint Catherine and the other Madonna with Saints Francis, Peter, Bonaventure and Clare recently returned to their former splendor thanks to a recent restoration work. In the choir loft, an organ made by the master organ builders of the Canonici family of Montecarotto and installed in 1707. The remains and relics of Blessed Sister Maria Crocifissa Satellico (1706-1745), who was mother abbess of the annexed Poor Clare monastery, and who was beatified in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, are venerated in the church today.

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Via S. Lucia 11

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Church of San Severo

This place of worship is located in the village; its entrance features a majestic 13th-century portal, originally from the demolished church of San Francesco al Mercatale. Inside are two 17th-century paintings

Church of San Severo

In the village there is this place of worship whose entrance is composed of the majestic 13th-century portal, coming from the demolished church of San Francesco al Mercatale. Inside two 17th century paintings

Located along Via Mazzini, it preserves two Baroque altars with a Madonna del Carmine with Dominican Saints by Terenzio Terenzi of Rondolino from Pesaro and a Saint Francis of Paola by an anonymous Baroque artist from 1618. There is an artistic organ built in 1895. On its bare external façade is a majestic 13th-century portal, originating from the church of San Francesco al Mercatale.

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via Mazzini

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De Pocciantibus Palace

This Renaissance building, designed by Antonio Poccianti – who settled in Montenovo after moving from Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, in Croatia) – is now owned by the local council and the restored section is used as an exhibition hall.

De Pocciantibus Palace

A Renaissance building designed by Antonio Poccianti, who settled in Montenovo and came from Ragusa (present-day Dubrovnik, Croatia), it now belongs to the municipality and is used – for the restored part – as an exhibition hall.

Of Renaissance forms, with a beautiful sandstone portal, it is a document of the taste and refinement of the Poccianti family, who settled in Montenovo and came from Ragusa (today’s Dubrovnik, Croatia). The building commissioned by Antonio Poccianti (as attested by the entablature in white Istrian stone: ANTONIUS DE POCCIANTIBUS SUBLEVAVIT), physician to the King of France Charles VIII, was built in 1513 and is embellished on the left side by a characteristic loggia from which it extends over the Nevola valley to the hills that slope down towards Cesano. The building, now owned by the municipality, is used – for the restored part – as an exhibition hall.

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Via Gramsci 12

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Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Peruzzi Palace

The Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Palazzo Peruzzi are regarded as places of worship entrusted to the care of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament; the church features a beautiful painted wooden ceiling and a 16th-century fresco depicting the Madonna del Soccorso. The palace housing the church, built by Giovanni Battista Peruzzi, took on its present form in the early 18th century

Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Peruzzi Palace

The Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Palazzo Peruzzi are considered places of worship entrusted to the care of the SS confraternity. Sacrament, the structure features a beautiful painted wooden ceiling and a 16th-century fresco depicting the Madonna del Soccorso. The building that houses the church built by Giovanni Battista Peruzzi took on its current form at the beginning of the 18th century

Embedded in an imposing seventeenth-century building is Sant’Antonio al Borgo, formerly the mother church of the SS confraternity. Sacrament. Inside, the painted wooden ceiling and a 16th-century fresco depicting the Madonna del Soccorso are noteworthy. From this church come some small paintings, now preserved in the Civic Parish Museum. The suburban palace was commissioned by Giovanni Battista Peruzzi, abbot of Santa Maria di Piazza, and took on its current form at the beginning of the 18th century following the marriage between Margherita Peruzzi and Marcantonio Maurizi.

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Borgo Cavour

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Convent of the Friars Minor and Church of the Holy Cross

This convent was built in 1605 in a very pleasant spot, half a kilometre from the village of Ostra Vetere. The church was completed in 1620 and solemnly consecrated in 1622. The convent served as the seat of the Faculty of Sacred Eloquence and the Preparatory College. It has been well restored and is well maintained. The church houses a fine panel painting by the artist Claudio R. Veronese, as well as a wooden crucifix, a gift from Francesco II, Duke of Urbino. Devotion to St Pasquale Baylon is deeply felt here; both on the annual feast day and on a daily basis, the faithful flock in large numbers to entrust themselves to his intercession. For some years now, it has been the seat of the Commissariat of the Holy Land.

Convent of the Friars Minor and Church of the Holy Cross

In 1605 this convent was built in a very pleasant location, half a kilometre from the village of Ostra Vetere. The Church was completed in 1620, and was solemnly consecrated in 1622. The Convent was home to the Sacred Eloquence study and the Preparatory College. It is well restored and well maintained. The church has a valuable panel by the painter Claudio R. Veronese; a carved wooden crucifix, a gift from the Duke of Urbino Francesco II. Here devotion to St. Pasquale Baylon; both at the annual festival and daily, devotees flock to trust in his intercession. For a few years now, the headquarters of the Holy Land Commissariat has been there.

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Via S. Croce, 32, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 32

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Ostra Antica

Ostra Antica, which was situated in what is now the territory of Ostra Vetere, in a locality known as Muracce due to the presence of ruins on the surface, was established as a municipium and assigned to the Pollia tribe.

Ostra Antica

The Ostra Antica, already located in the current territory of Ostra Vetere in a locality called Muracce due to the presence of ruins on the surface, was established as a Municipium and included in the Pollia tribe.

With the Roman conquest, Ostra was also connected to the urban centers of Sentinum (now Sassoferrato) and Sena Gallica (now Senigallia) by a branch of the Via Flaminia built along the Misa Valley; the Ostrense territory was also divided and organized with the creation of a centuriation.

The few inscriptions that have reached us attest to the presence of magistrates (duovir, sexvir) of artisan guilds (collegium Fabrum and Centonariorum) and of the pagan (Dea Bona) and Christian religious cult, as evidenced by the existence of a bishop of Ostra as late as 502.

The excavations, which have been ongoing since 2006, conducted by the University of Bologna and the French University of Clermond Ferrand, have brought to light several public buildings located in the forum area of the ancient city.

With the barbarian age and especially in the period of the Greco-Gothic War (535-553), the ancient urban centre of Ostra was gradually evacuated until its definitive abandonment probably due to the consequences of the Lombard invasion, even if recent finds suggest that the city was still frequented in the late ancient period.

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Church of SS. Crocifisso

The Church of the Holy Cross is a simple building situated not far from the town centre; it houses a 15th-century Crucifixion by the Marche school and several other 15th- and 16th-century frescoes, some of which are attributed to Giovanni Battista Lombardelli of Montenovo, a painter active in the second half of the 16th century in the Marche region, Umbria and Rome

Church of SS. Crocifisso

La Chiesa del SS. Crocifisso è un semplice edificio posto poco lontano dal centro abitato conserva una Crocifissione quattrocentesca di scuola marchigiana e diversi altri affreschi del XV e XVI secolo, alcuni attribuiti al montenovese Giovanni Battista Lombardelli, pittore attivo nella seconda metà del Cinquecento nelle Marche, in Umbria e a Roma

Edificata nel ‘500 inglobando una preesistente edicola sacra, è divisa internamente in due corpi, separati da una cancellata lignea. Dietro l’altare maggiore, una Crocifissione quattrocentesca di scuola marchigiana. Le pareti sono decorate da diversi altri affreschi del XV e XVI secolo, alcuni attribuiti al montenovese Giovanni Battista Lombardelli, pittore attivo nella seconda metà del Cinquecento nelle Marche, in Umbria e a Roma. Provengono da questa chiesa due pregevoli terrecotte policrome d’arte popolare del sec. XV, raffiguranti la Natività e il Compianto, che si trovano attualmente al Museo Civico Parrocchiale.

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Via Santissimo Crocifisso

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La casa di terra

The earthen house is an example of poor architecture, evidence of the ancient technique of walling with earth mixed with straw. The current construction dates back to the early twentieth century. This construction technique is of medieval origin and housed the families of sharecroppers and seasonal workers

La casa di terra

The earthen house is an example of poor architecture, evidence of the ancient technique of walling with earth mixed with straw. The current construction dates back to the early twentieth century. This construction technique is of medieval origin and housed the families of sharecroppers and seasonal workers

The Marche region boasts important evidence of the ancient technique of walling with earth mixed with straw. We find official references to this ancient and fascinating architecture since the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in municipal statutes, cadastral maps, toponyms and surnames. These buildings are modest in size, sometimes they have only the ground floor, and the town is adjacent to the stables and cellar, other times they have two floors, with a staircase connecting them. In this case, the working rooms are on the lower floor and the living rooms above. They can be recognized, even if they are plastered, because they have very small windows, the spur of the perimeter walls, the layout of the internal rooms is irregular and the rooms are narrow and low.
Clay and straw were used to build the mud houses. Straw was joined to earth and water and was beaten barefoot in a hole, or “raw” bricks were made in it. Another element that was widely used and found in quantity was cow dung, what to put it mildly was called “vil materia”. Once the two or three elements were combined, “maltone” was obtained, a very ancient term used to indicate both the mortar and the construction technique. Maltoni were then made from raw earth and straw, also called Freemasons, which were nothing more than large loaves weighing 7-8 kilos: by mounting them one on top of the other, the earth wall was created, and with the same amount of mortar, if necessary, they were tied together. Arranged in a “knife”, that is, slightly inclined and in the opposite direction layer by layer, a “herringbone” wall was obtained which gave more stability to the construction. Ostra Vetere has a tradition of earthen houses, very interesting and well documented since the 17th century. The Ostra Vetere earthen house, in the Molino district, which has now become one of the most visited earthen houses in the northern marches, originally belonged “to a certain Luigi Gregorini, a direct farmer, who had built it around 1905¬ to 1910; it then passed through various passages to the Perlini family, who lived there until 1957. Maintained almost intact in its original typology, the house has a rectangular plan and is spread over two floors, with a central partition that forms four distinct rooms: the kitchen and stable on the ground floor and the bedrooms on the first. The connection between the two levels takes place through¬so a modest wooden staircase located close to the entrance. The vertical walls’ of the artefact are made of earth mortar and straw, with an external plinth made of slightly ‘shoe’ brick masonry. The gabled roof rests on the perimeter struts¬tures and, in the central part, in correspondence with the partition, on a wooden distribution beam with a strut on the centerpiece which interrupts the ridge beam. The intermediate floor is made of currents and above it is flat ‘dry’.
The house was purchased by the municipal administration of Ostra Vetere in the late 1980s for one million lire and subsequently restored by the Superintendency of Architectural and Environmental Heritage of Ancona. The building, appropriately marked with street signs, is open to the public year-round and can be visited free of charge.

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Contrada Molino

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Shopping

For those who wish to purchase a souvenir of the village or discover local handicrafts, the historic centre offers some shops of particular interest. Sinfonie del Colore e del Ricamo is perfect for finding souvenirs and decorative items created with skill, while La Bottega delle Nuvole offers stationery items and creative ideas ideal as gifts or souvenirs of your visit to Ostra Vetere.

La Bottega delle Nuvole
Via Cesare Battisti - Tel: 071 965991
La Pasta Di Pietro Dal 1965
Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 18, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN - Tel: 071 965073
Mancini Gilberto Rostry Butcher’s Shop
Via Cesare Battisti - Tel: 071 9639072
Silhouette Intimo Boutique
via SS. Crocefisso - Tel: 071 963 8230
Stefania Spose
Via S.ta Croce, 13/A, Ostra Vetere, Italy - Tel: 071 964104
CARNALI Supermarket
Piazza della Libertà, 14, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN - Tel: 071 964 5011

Taste

While visiting Ostra Vetere, you can take a break at the village's bars, perhaps starting with a coffee or a sweet stop at Bar Contini or Bar Pasticceria Mille Voglie, both located in the heart of the historic center. For those who want to enjoy traditional Marche dishes, Agriturismo Le Muracce is an ideal choice, thanks to its authentic cuisine and atmosphere immersed in the surrounding rural landscape.

Bar Contini
Piazza della Libertà, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN , Ostra Vetere, Ancona, 60010 - Tel: 377 287 5874
Mille Voglie
Contrada Santa Croce, 15, 60010 Ostra Vetere AN 15, Ostra Vetere, Ancona, 60010 - Tel: 379 284 9970

Porta Pesa

Porta Pesa

Porta IV Agosto

Porta IV Agosto

Porta Nuova

Porta Nuova

Buti Palace

Buti Palace

Church of San Sebastiano

Church of San Sebastiano

Franceschini Palace

Franceschini Palace

Museum Center Terra di Montenovo

Museum center Terra di Montenovo

Civic Tower and Town Hall

Civic Tower and Town Hall

Church of Santa Maria di Piazza

Church of Santa Maria di Piazza

Former Convent of San Francesco al Mercatale and Square of Libertà

Former Convent of San Francesco al Mercatale and Square of Libertà

Cloister San Francesco

Cloister San Francesco

Church of Santa Lucia

Church of Santa Lucia

Church of San Severo

Church of San Severo

De Pocciantibus Palace

De Pocciantibus Palace

Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Peruzzi Palace

Church of Sant’Antonio al Borgo and Peruzzi Palace

Convent of the Friars Minor and Church of the Holy Cross

Convent of the Friars Minor and Church of the Holy Cross

Ostra Antica

Ostra Antica

Church of SS. Crocifisso

Church of SS. Crocifisso

La casa di terra

La casa di terra

Shopping

Shopping

Taste

Ristoranti

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