Coldellanoce: Church, Art and Trails

Coldellanoce lies at the entrance to the valley formed by the Gallo, Le Siere and Puro mountains. The village connects this landscape with a church, works of art, a small castle and several trails. In Coldellanoce, architectural history, painting, family connections and routes through the surrounding area thus come together. The three mountain names Gallo, Le Siere and Puro refer to the valley area at the entrance to the village.

Church and Art in Coldellanoce

The focal point is the Chiesa di San Lorenzo Martire. It was extensively rebuilt in its present form in 1854 under Don Giuseppe Bartoletti and is always open during the day. The church complex also includes the Cripta del Volto Santo crypt. Its daytime opening hours give a visit to the church a clear place in the daily schedule on site.

The Chiesa di San Lorenzo Martire houses a triptych by Matteo da Gualdo dated 1471. It depicts the Madonna and Child enthroned, along with Saints Lorenzo and Sebastian. The church also contains a 16th-century fresco of the Madonna del Rosario, attributed to Ramazzani of Arcevia. The Trittico di Coldellanoce is one of the few surviving works from Matteo da Gualdo’s workshop outside present-day Umbria. Both works are therefore located in the same church building.

Castle and Historical Connections

The small castle is also one of Coldellanoce’s historical points of reference. It was initially associated with the Federici or Federicucci family and later with the Collenuccio family. The castle is also attributed to the Federici di Collenuccio family and dated to around 1220. Alongside the church complex, it thus provides a second historical landmark in the village.

Trails through the Landscape and Park

The trails also pass through specific landmarks in the landscape. CAI Trail 156 leads from Coldellanoce, more precisely from Parco Collenuccio, via Bosco to Sentinum. CAI Trail 148 connects Coldellanoce with Val della Fratta via waypoints 152 and 153. Its key details are difficulty E, a length of 6.2 kilometres, two hours of walking time and an ascent of 354 metres. Anyone planning this route can treat the two-hour walking time and 354-metre ascent as fixed time and exertion parameters.

Another connection is provided by Stage 24 of the Viae Sancti Romualdi. It leads from Pascelupo to Sassoferrato through the park dedicated to Pandolfo Collenuccio. Pascelupo and Sassoferrato mark the two endpoints of this stage.

Distance and Directions

The Chiesa di San Lorenzo Martire is 6 km from Sassoferrato. From there, take the SS Arceviese towards Scheggia; immediately after the level crossing, there is a turn-off to the left. When travelling from Sassoferrato, you can use the SS Arceviese and the turn-off after the level crossing as landmarks.

Other Destinations in the Same Area

For further orientation, you can also view Cancelli, Colleaprico, Camerano, Rosora, Caudino, Castelfidardo, Offagna and Numana.

To the higher-level travel overview: Ancona.