Monte San Giusto: Renaissance, Church Art and Alleys

Monte San Giusto is located in the gentle hills of the Marche region and overlooks the Chienti Valley. Its historic center has narrow alleys known locally as “gabbe,” which you can explore on foot. A route through the historic center enters through the Porta Romana.

Renaissance and Church Art

A defining building is the Palazzo Bonafede, a Renaissance residence and fortress built between 1513 and 1524. The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà in Telusiano was rebuilt between 1513 and 1529 as the mausoleum of the Bonafede family. The MUD is a museum route connecting the Palazzo Bonafede, the Chiesa Collegiata di Santo Stefano and the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Purità. The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà also preserves remnants of frescoes from the late 16th century attributed to Durante Nobili di Caldarola.

Lorenzo Lotto’s Crocifissione was created in Monte San Giusto between approximately 1529 and 1534 and is considered the artist’s masterpiece. Nicolò Bonafede commissioned the Crocifissione for the church’s main altar. By September 1529, it had been placed on the altar of Santa Maria in Telusiano; it remains in its original frame in the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà in Telusiano.

The Chiesa Collegiata di Santo Stefano is the city’s most important church and was built between 1765 and 1781. It houses a wooden statue of the Madonna Incoronata from the Umbrian-Marchigian school, dating from the 16th century. It also preserves a 15th-century fresco depicting a Madonna del Latte.

Museums and Special Collections

The Museo di Palazzo Bonafede includes a collection of old drawings by Alessandro Maggiori, with important works from the 16th to the 18th century. It also features a picture gallery with works by Alessandro Ricci and Luigi Fontana. A permanent exhibition of artistic nativity scenes is curated by Andrea Pistolesi.

Tours and Activities

The church tour begins at the Chiesa di Santo Stefano and continues to the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà, the Chiesa di Sant’Agostino and the cloister.

Monte San Giusto’s official outdoor program offers three experiences by e-bike, mountain bike or gravel bike, accompanied by local guides. For planning purposes, the type of bicycle is a specific difference between the three experiences, all accompanied by local guides.

The Teatro Durastante in Monte San Giusto has 235 seats. The number of 235 seats gives performances at the Teatro Durastante a clear spatial setting in the town. The Clown&Clown Festival is an international event that combines art, entertainment and social commitment, transforming the town’s streets into one large stage every year. Companies and artisan workshops in Monte San Giusto continue the tradition of high-quality shoe manufacturing, combined with innovation and design.

Matelica, Petriolo, Belforte Del Chienti, San Ginesio, Massa, Frontignano, Pioraco, Castelsantangelo Sul Nera.

To the higher-level travel overview: Macerata.