Fratte Rosa – Medieval Heritage, Terracotta and Tacconi

If you want to locate Fratte Rosa geographically, the town lies on the watershed between the Cesano and Metauro valleys. This location provides the spatial setting for a journey in which historic settlement structures, religious buildings, terracotta and regional foods emerge as different facets of the town.

Fratte Rosa and its historic centre

The medieval fortification wall of Fratte Rosa completely encloses the historic centre. At the highest point of the settlement stands the 14th-century Pozzo Malatestiano beneath the portico of the former town hall.

Religious Buildings and Terracotta

Santa Maria in Castagneto was rebuilt in 1713 on the remains of an old medieval parish church. The building thus combines its 18th-century reconstruction with an older religious site. For visitors interested in cultural history, the historical depth here lies in the architectural history of this individual site.

The original complex of the Convento Santa Vittoria dates back to the first decades of the 13th century. The Convento Santa Vittoria houses Fratte Rosa’s demo-ethno-anthropological terracotta museum, as well as a research and experimentation laboratory for terracotta. This building therefore brings together an early monastic complex and engagement with terracotta in a museum and laboratory setting.

The Convento Santa Vittoria also contains an altarpiece by Gianbattista Ragazzini from the 16th century. It depicts the Descent from the Cross and is currently being restored. If you do not want to view historical art separately from its architectural setting, this is where a specific work, its subject and its ongoing restoration status come together.

Torre San Marco and the Pottery Tradition

Torre San Marco includes a partially restored late-medieval fortification wall and the historic settlement core. Underground, there are a number of galleries and grottoes that have not yet been fully explored. The combination of medieval fortifications and underground structures makes Torre San Marco a place where historic fabric and open areas of research come together.

As heir to the Fabiani dynasty, Beatrice Gaudenzi’s workshop continues a pottery tradition that has remained uninterrupted since 1730. The municipality’s themed tourism trail leads to the workshop. The pottery tradition is thus reflected in an unbroken line dating back to 1730 and in a municipal trail leading to the workshop.

The raw material is also closely connected with Fratte Rosa: The clay used by Terrecotte Giombi comes directly from the soil of Fratte Rosa. Tacconi are a type of pasta still made in Fratte Rosa today and containing 30 to 50 percent fava bean flour. The production area of Fava di Fratte Rosa covers the municipal area of Fratte Rosa and neighbouring municipalities in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino. The local profile therefore extends from clay to specific food products.

More destinations

More destinations: Novilara, Torrette, San Michele, Massa, Tavoleto, Tranquillo, Apecchio, Montemaggiore Al Metauro

To the higher-level travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.