Mercatello sul Metauro
Encyclopedia
Mercatello sul Metauro is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino
in the Italian
region Marche
, located about 100 km west of Ancona
and about 50 km southwest of Pesaro
.
Economy is mostly based on agriculture and sheep husbandry.
in the 12th century BC. Later it was conquered by the ancient Romans; destroyed during the barbaric invasions, it was rebuilt by the Lombards
in the 6th century as Pieve d'Ico. First under Città di Castello
and Massa Trabaria (9th century), it was turned into an autonomous fortified communee in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX
. In 1437 it was annexed to the Duchy of Urbino; in 1636 it became part of the Papal States
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino
Province of Pesaro e Urbino
The Province of Pesaro and Urbino is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino.-History:...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, located about 100 km west of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
and about 50 km southwest of Pesaro
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
.
Economy is mostly based on agriculture and sheep husbandry.
History
Mercatello is known as a settlement of the UmbriUmbri
The Umbri were an Italic people of ancient Italy. A region called Umbria still exists and is currently occupied by Italian speakers. It is somewhat smaller than the ancient Umbria....
in the 12th century BC. Later it was conquered by the ancient Romans; destroyed during the barbaric invasions, it was rebuilt by the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
in the 6th century as Pieve d'Ico. First under Città di Castello
Città di Castello
Città di Castello is a city and comune in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of the Umbria region of Italy. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain of the river Tiber. The city is north of Perugia and south of Cesena on the S3bis. It is connected to the A1...
and Massa Trabaria (9th century), it was turned into an autonomous fortified communee in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
. In 1437 it was annexed to the Duchy of Urbino; in 1636 it became part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
Main sights
- PievePieveIn the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
Collegiata (with walls from the originary 10th century RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
edifice), rebuilt in 1363. - GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church of St. Francis (13th century), wit ha notable collection of paintings from the 12th-17th centuries (including a portrait of Federico III da Montefeltro attributed to Benedetto da MaianoBenedetto da MaianoBenedetto da Maiano was an Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance.Born in the village of Maiano , he started his career as companion of his brother, the architect Giuliano da Maiano. When he reached the age of thirty he started training under the sculptor Antonio Rossellino...
or Francesco di Giorgio Martini). - Ducal Palace (15th century), also attributed to Francesco di Giorgio Matrini
- Palazzaccio (16th century).