Staircase of Polenta

The Medieval Soul of Corinaldo

The Staircase of Polenta, or Piaggia di Corinaldo, is one of the most famous stairs in the Marche region. From the staircase, on which traditional brick houses overlook, picturesque alleys branch off. Here you can breathe the medieval soul of the country. In the 15th century, instead of stairs, there was a paved road uphill.

The 109 steps are a journey through time and the legends of the country. Halfway up the hill is the Pozzo della Polenta. On the third Sunday of July, the Contesa del Pozzo della Polenta is staged, celebrating the victory of the Corinaldesi over the army of the Duke of Urbino Francesco Maria I della Rovere who in 1517 had unsuccessfully besieged the country.

The well was built in the second half of the fifteenth century by Antonello Attaccabriga, tyrant of Corinaldo, to bring water to the houses of the street. According to legend, a man climbed the ladder with a sack of flour on his shoulder, leaned here to rest and the flour fell into the well. To recover it, he went inside and, not seeing it go up, the locals gave life to the story that the man was preparing the polenta in the well.