Marche Breaks

Situated on a side of a hill, in the beautiful Tronto River Valley, Monsampolo was founded in the middle Ages, but its territory was inhabited since the remotest times. Many archaeological findings were unearthed in Treazzano and Comunanza, bearing witness to the presence of Apennine and Mycenaean settlements.

This beautiful town with a traditional agricultural vocation probably was founded in IX the century by Benedictines monks of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Tronto, situated in the actual inhabited of Stella.

From such structure today it remains the church with Greek cross of the Saints Mauro and Benedetto and conserve in all its intensity the ancient cripta.

The historical nucleus of Monsampolo of the Tronto, with its defensive structures still visible today, reveals how much strategically important was this center in the Middle Ages: the high door-tower access to walls of the town, the evocative angular tower and the remarkable Porta da Mare renews to every step the magical trecentesc atmosphere.

Crossing tightened alleys, colorful intimate sottopassi and piazzette, buildings from the precious particular (as the seicentesc Malaspina Palace are met from the elegant facade) and beautiful churches (like the Saint cinquecentesc Maria and San Paul, that it guards splendid burlaps coeve). Of great interest also the seicentesco chiostro of the former Franciscan convent that it has, in the annexed Civic Museum, remarkable works like the sculpture in wood policrome of XVII the representing century Saint Alessio. In the Communal Palace the rich Libreria Tomistica di San Alessio and the Archaeological Laboratory, that conserve two roman toumb discovered in Contrada Comunanza.

In Monsampolo del Tronto is still prepared a yummy and ancient specialty - lu panette- made up of fichi buckets, good to be tasted with the fabulous Rosso Piceno Superiore one of the best wine of italy, both easy to be found in the many annual religious and popular festivities.