Overview

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

Mercatello sul Metauro, which proudly flies the Bandiera Arancione of the Touring Club Italiano, was one of the most important cities in the Massa Trabaria. Since 1235, the village has developed around the collegiate church of SS. Peter and Paul, originally known as the Pieve of San Pietro d'Ico. Inside the collegiate, there is a museum that collects sacred art objects from the 13th and 14th centuries. Mercatello has preserved much of its ancient medieval appearance, including its 13th-century city walls, protected by both the Metauro River and the Sant'Antonio stream. In some houses, you can still observe the so-called “doors of the dead,” raised by a few steps, recalling an ancient Etruscan tradition meant to prevent easy access to the homes by the souls of the deceased. Not far from the Gasparini Palace, a characteristic feature is the Church of San Francesco, in Romanesque-Gothic style. The church is a concentration of art: it houses works by Benedetto da Maiano, Giovanni da Rimini, Giovanni Baronzio, and other precious paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries.