Montelparo

A Beautiful Hill-top Village in Le Marche, Italy

Experience the daily life and history of an authentic Italian hill-top village in the heart of Italy.

Set mid-way between the sea and the mountains, Montelparo, a small, picturesque, medieval town situated 588 metres above sea level and built of the lovely creamy brick so typical of southern Le Marche, is the perfect base from which to explore the entire region.

Montelparo Attractions:

As well as being home to one of only two museums found in Italy that hold a unique collection of antique bicycles, carts, hand carts and trolleys used by local craftsmen, Montelparo has a number of historic buildings dating as far back as the 13th century:

• Sant’Agostino Monastery built in 1686 with the added church (1730)
• The Palazzo Communale (18th century) preserving a valuable collection of parchments
• The church of San Gregorio Magno (1615)
• The Gothic church of San Michele Arcangelo (13th century) which has three exceptional portals: one Gothic, the other two Renaissance; its interior is full of frescoes from the 1500’s, such as The Crucifixion, The Pieta and The Holy Father (1527)
• Torre Civica (town tower, 1400)

Exploring around Montelparo

If you’d like to get out and about without having to drive it’s only a short 2 minute stroll in to the centre of Montelparo.

There, you’ll find a couple of sleepy bars, a delicatessen where you can taste some local specialities or follow one of the local walking trails directly from the hotel and explore the countryside around Montelparo.

See what Tripadvisor has to say about exploring Montelparo, and the best places to visit in the Province of Fermo, including the historic walking areas of Piazza del Popolo and Antico borgo di Moregnano, plus the Centro Ippico San Lorenzo equestrian trail. You could even go truffle hunting!

According to The Italy Magazine article on moving to Le Marche:
“Of Italy’s 20 regions, Le Marche is an unofficial frontrunner for “most underrated of all.” Nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains on Italy’s east coast, you’ll find medieval villages to rival those of Tuscany, beaches to best Sardinia’s shores and food that’s on par with Emilia Romagna’s finest — but none of the crowds of any of those better-known regions.”

The article continues:

“[Unlike] in overcrowded tourist cities like Florence or Rome, witnessing and taking part in the ways that most everyday Italians live day-to-day is a guarantee in Le Marche; English isn’t spoken by everyone, which helps when you’re trying to get a handle on the language and immerse yourself in local life.

“Le Marche is off the tourist trail, which means you rarely sit in traffic or have to wait in a long line to get into a museum or attraction. And unlike other Italian hotspots, you always have plenty of space around you at the beach as well!

“[The region has] Roman amphitheatres and ancient sites; an abundance of beautiful, elaborately decorated theatres; the Sibillini Mountain range with walking and hiking trails; a stunning coastline with plenty of beaches; numerous lakes to walk around or swim in; fields lined with sunflowers and olive trees; and really amazing local cuisine. If it sounds too good to be true, check out Lonely Planet’s list of Best Regions to Visit in the World in 2020: Le Marche came in a cool second place.

“[First-time] visitors, are [recommended to go and check out] a couple of small medieval hilltop towns (the region counts more than 200).

“[There are] pretty walled citadels with cobbled streets and honey-colored houses garlanded with flowers. Even the tiniest towns will usually have a theater or museum to enjoy, as well as magnificent views over the countryside, mountains and sea. [The] picks [of those] are Fermo, a mid-sized town with underground Roman cisterns, and Loreto, which has a domed church that holds the home where the Virgin Mary is said to have lived — all in a gorgeous piazza.”