Carpegna: Nature, History and Trails on Monte Carpegna

Carpegna offers different ways to experience a trip: natural landscapes, cultural history and outdoor activities. For your planning, it is worthwhile to consider these areas separately and use them to define your personal daily destinations.

Landscape Between Forests and Badlands

The limestone massifs of Sasso Simone and Simoncello reach approximately 1,200 metres in height and are set in a landscape of forests, pastures and heavily eroded clay badlands. The Sasso Simone and Simoncello area was declared a nature park in 1994 and is home to numerous rare plants and animals.

Trails for Hiking and Cycling

The Carpegna area has numerous trails for hiking, mountain biking or horse riding. A trail to the Sassi begins at the Cantoniera di Carpegna and leads through the forest.

Carpegna Park lies at the foot of Monte Carpegna and at the start of the Parco Sasso Simone e Simoncello nature reserve. Several nature trails start from the park, including Trail No. 118 to the base of Sasso Simone and Simoncello.

La salita del Pirata begins in the centre of Carpegna. Marco Pantani rode the La salita del Pirata route and used the climbs of Carpegna to prepare for his victories.

Fortified Town and Palace History

The fortified town of Città del Sole was conceived by the Medici in spring 1554 and completely abandoned about ten years after its construction. The archaeological site is accessible only on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.

Construction work on the Palazzo dei Principi di Carpegna began on 30 April 1674 with the excavation of the foundations. The Palazzo is considered a palace-like fortress inspired by fortified Florentine-style villas.

Museums, Churches and Local Crafts

The Museo dei Borghi is located in the deconsecrated church of S. Maria della Misericordia in Castacciaro di Carpegna. Through a visual, tactile and acoustic exhibition, it conveys the rural environment, activities and farming life of Carpegna’s 15 hamlets.

In the hamlet of Cippo, the Museo della Pineta is housed in a former forester’s lodge and presents interactive materials about the forest of Monte Carpegna: animal sounds, animal tracks and the layers of vegetation. The Geoteca della vallata di Carpegna conveys the geological history of the valley through painted reconstructions and exhibits such as shell fossils, sea urchins and minerals.

The Romanesque Pieve di San Giovanni Battista is located just over two kilometres from the centre of Carpegna, on the border with the municipality of Frontino, and dates from the 12th century. It is considered one of the oldest church buildings not only in the park area but in the entire Montefeltro region.

For six generations, the Antica Stamperia Carpegna has been hand-printing fabrics with wooden blocks and traditional rust dye.

Active Experiences at Carpegna Park

The Carpegna Park Adventure Park comprises twelve courses in a Turkey oak forest. They include climbing elements, zip lines, suspended passages, Tibetan bridges and a bicycle element running between the trees.

When choosing your accommodation in Carpegna, it is helpful to first determine your main focus: forest and mountain landscapes, cultural and historical sites, museums or sports trails.

More Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also explore Fratte Rosa, Pergola, Montegrimano, Novilara, Lunano, Marotta, Candelara and Mercatello Sul Metauro.

To the overarching travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.