The first human settlements in the territory of Grottazzolina date back to the 8th century b. C., as the archaeological discoveries, carried out between 1948 and 1953, have testified. These first discoveries have brought to light more than 50 tombs and numerous findings and they were located in Montebello, near the present sporting grounds and the former railway station, where the School of Piane di Tenna is. Around the half of the 10th century, the Farfense monks have erected the castle: the first inhabited core of the town which they named Montebello; later on, the Canons of the Cathedral of Fermo modified the name of the castle in Grotta dei Canonici (the Cavern of the Canons). In 1208, the Emperor Ottone IV conceded to Azzo d’Este the Marca of Ancona. At his death in 1217, the possession of the Marca was confirmed by Pope Onorio III to his son Azzo VII (named also Azzolino) who baptised the castle with the name of Grotta Azzolina, as it is called today. Since the 14th century, Grottazzolina has been under the dominance of the town of Fermo, which was reigned, since the end of the 12th century, by a freely elected government in the PapalState. In 1407, an army composed of 1,000 foot soldiers and 1,500 horsemen by order of Benedetto, bishop of Montefeltro, occupied the county of Fermo to chase away Ludovico Migliorati, lord of the town and nephew of Pope Innocenzo VII; in 1413, 1422 and 1444 the same happened to chase away, respectively, Carlo Malatesta from Cesena, the mercenaries of Braccio Perugino and, finally, Niccolò Piccinino.
In 1465, after a period of quietness, due to futile reasons there exploded a controversy with the citizens of Ponzano and Montegiberto. Peace was, later on, restored by the senate of Fermo and Grottazzolina was fortified by the lord of Fermo Oliverotto Uffreducci, who established there a foundry of canons one year before being strangled by order of Cesare Borgia. In 1514, another member of the Uffreducci family came back to Fermo: Lodovico, nephew of Oliverotto. Initially, he was protected by Pope Leone X but was, later on, opposed by the same Pope who, in 1520, sent against him Niccolò Bonafede, bishop of Chiusi; he defeated and killed Lodovico Uffreducci in the locality of Piane di Grottazzolina. The town of Grottazzolina took the status of free town, for the first time, in 1537 when Pier Luigi Farnese, by order of Pope Paolo III, occupied and fined the town of Fermo, depriving it of every right. After ten years of tranquillity, the town came back, once again by order of the Pope, under the jurisdiction of the barons of Fermo, which unjustly put to the near Castles the fine of 25,000 scudi. This was not the only act of vexation perpetuated by the government of Fermo until the 18th century; incessant fights, discordance and protests to the State of the Pope brought no improvement. These were no longer times of war and the controversies were exposed to the Supreme Courts of Rome, which were always on the side of Fermo, sentencing in 1771 and 1782. From the 17th century, Grottazzolina was governed, together with 47 castles, by podestà and vicars belonging to the town of Fermo. Around the period between 1810 and 1815, there was a project to annexe the town of Grottazzolina to the territory of Fermo, to compensate this last one of its loss of the harbour, which counted, at that time, more than 5,000 inhabitants. After the battle of Castelfidardo, Grottazzolina entered the Kingdom of Italy and from December 1860, when King Vittorio Emanuele II took away the status of Province from Fermo to give it to Ascoli Piceno, Grottazzolina became an autonomous town.
Inside the walls, disappeared together with the Town Hall, there are traces of the ancient Palace Azzolino.
Outside the walls there was S.Giovanni Battista’s RomanesqueChurch.
Westwards, on a ridge, the town built up between XVII and XIX century has linked up harmoniously with the ancient centre.
The present Town Hall, reviving last century typical style, stands out.
A collectionof Sacred Art is inside, with Northern-European prints of great value dating back to XVI and XVII centuries.
Outside the village there is the “silk mill”: a true example of industrial archaeology linked with silkworm breeding, last century typical activity in most of the area.
The present of the town is characterised by an imposing development of the handicraft and small companies. Grottazzolina is above all a town which is worth a visit, for its human, historical and cultural resources. The Castle of Azzolino, pride and testimony of the historical vitality of the town, rises at the centre of it. The Cozzana, the oldest district of the town, recently restored, embraces the eastern side of the Umberto I square. The former BenedettiHospital, completely restored, will host the social and cultural activities of the town. The Ermete Novelli Theatre, featuring Art Nouveau and more than 250 seating places, hosts every year an important theatre season with the most important national theatre companies. The Town Hall features, instead, a Renaissance style and a very interesting tower with battlements.
The Church of St Sacramento and St Rosario (1768) features a Classic facade and houses frescoes, paintings and sculptures. The Church of St Giovanni Battista (1684) was reconstructed on a pre-existent Romanesque church. These are the resources which make Grottazzolina worth a visit. A visit that can be enriched by the 21st Marathon of the Piceno, which will take place this year as usual and is one of the most important Italian sport meetings and also an occasion to enjoy the beauty of the Piceno region.
