Marche Breaks

According to legend, at the time of their raids along the Adriatic coast, a group of Moors went further into the interior in order to build a fortress in the heart of Christianity.

Others, on the contrary, maintain that the Castrum Morisci was built near the sea to drive back the assaults of the Saracens.

Most probably the place name comes either from a noble family named Mori, or from the word in dialect morrecine, which refers to the heap of stones on which the castle rests.

The heptagonal tower

In spite of the wrinkles of wisdom which have appeared, the microcosm of Moresco continues to withstand the deceit of time. It is the castle which gives the mediaeval village its elliptic shape and its dominating position overlooking the green valley of the Aso, famous for its fruit growing. The castle, with its watch towers and defence towers, was the strategic fortress of the Commune of Fermo in its war against Ascoli and its allies.

The outline on the horizon that immediately identifies Moresco is that of its 12th cent. heptagonal  tower, standing 25 metres high: why it was built with such an unusual number of seven sides is not at all clear – perhaps merely to distinguish it from the other watch towers in the defence system of Fermo.

In 1418 the Arabic spire  fell and was replaced by Ghibelline embattlements.

The large 16th century bell still chimes every day in alternate succession with the bell on the Clock tower built to guard and defend the old entrance to the castle.

Proud, independent and very attached to its bell tower, as is every village in the Marches, Moresco boasts of one of the most beautiful Council Rooms in the province. This holds the large altar-piece by Vincenzo Pagani, who also painted the fresco under the portico of the square which was once the left-hand nave of the church of St. Maria in Castro, later demolished and replaced by the parish church of St. Lorenzo. The latter was built beneath the large tower and absorbed the tiny church of St. Francis Borgia, of which it is now the vestry. After walking under the Clock tower, we come to the church of St- Sofia whose original use has since changed: known as lu teatrì, it became a small theatre after its desecration. According to tradition it was built to commemorate a young lady, Sofia Amati, who had been raped and killed. Others believe that the mother of Saint Sofia was born in the castle. The church holds an interesting fresco by the school of  Carlo Crivelli (1430-95). It is worth while stopping to take a look at two of the civil buildings, the palace of Patrizio Gennari and that of Cardinal Capotosti. Also worth a visit  outside the town walls is the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Salute and the Church of St. Maria dell’Olmo, in particular, which was enlarged in 1521 to include the ancient Gothic shrine, which divides it into two parts with two different altars. Vincenzo Pagani was asked to embellish the altars, which he did by painting the fresco of the Crucifixion and the altar-piece of the Madonna kept in the Council Room.

You can climb the modern staircase built inside the tower in order to discover the wide view over the valley and when you descend you can visit the beautiful churches outside the walls, each one, thanks to its artistic treasures, is an experience not to be missed in Roman times the Moresco territory was dotted with important settlements.