MONTEFELTRO, KILOMETERS OF WONDERS

THE MONTEFELTRO

Il Montefeltro it is a geographical area located in the hinterland of the Marche province of Pesaro-Urbino, sandwiched between the regions of Umbria, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and the Republic of San Marino. 35 municipalities are part of it, which have given rise to 4 mountain communities: Montefeltro, Alta Valmarecchia, Alto and Medio Metauro, Catria and Nerone.

Territory of rare environmental beauty and great cultural richness, Montefeltro has as its natural point of reference Urbino, his ideal capital, city Unesco world heritage of humanity, any underlining is superfluous when thinking about this masterpiece town of the Renaissance.

In reality, Montefeltro's fortune lies in that precious circumstance in which earth and man are united and in harmony together they produce long-lasting results.
For centuries man has been collecting, cultivating, transforming and protecting the gifts of this land. In turn, the earth takes from man the respect, delicacy and even shyness of those who have understood the essence of their own identity.

Located at a crossroads between historic streets, it has always been characterized by a changing territory with multiple environmental and landscape aspects. At each pass and change of direction, we witness the changing scenery and landscapes: from the rugged mountainous horizons of Sasso Simone and Simoncello and Mount Carpegna, to the majestic and imposing ones of Catria and Nerone, passing through the greener and more wooded ones from the Alpe della Luna to the soft hills that descend towards the Adriatic.
Everywhere, the signs and works of man who have made connections and stops are easy, through a the hospitality system is widespread and widespread.

Acqualagna, Apecchio, Auditore, Belforte all'Isauro, Borgo Pace, Cagli, Cantiano, Carpegna, Casteldelci, Fermignano, Frontino, Lunano, Macerata Feltria, Maiolo, Mercatello sul Metauro, Mercatino Conca, Monte Calvo in Foglia, Montecerignone, Montecopiolo, Montegrimano , Novafeltria, Peglio, Pennabilli, Petriano, Piandimeleto, Pietrarubbia, Piobbico, San Leo, Sant'Agata Feltria, Sant'Angelo in Vado, Sassocorvaro, Sassofeltrio, Talamello, Tavoleto, Urbania, Urbino.

This is the list of villages/municipalities that make up the Montefeltro territory in alphabetical order (to date some of them have merged, giving rise to "unions of municipalities")

Urbino

City crowned by time and forever linked to the memory of its enlightened lord, Duke Federico.
Anyone who has not seen it cannot imagine the sober splendor of Ducal Palace, the harmonious latch of the streets and gods alleys with sudden glimpses of Montefeltro.
But Urbino is not the only jewel that shines in this land. Indeed, it seems that the light of ideal city of the Renaissance illuminate and project architectural echoes around you that spread to the nearby and small villages, to the many parish churches and abbeys, to the rural houses and dovecotes.
There are two unmistakable features of Montefeltro architecture: the red terracotta of bourgeois elegance and the solid quarried stones of the most exposed and climbing buildings.
In each municipality, then, a palace, a castle, a residence, a stronghold to remember the nobility of the place: private wealth and protection of the community.

Montefeltro has preserved its different identities well, proof that this land has never experienced abandonment, but the continuity of eras that have left their mark. Discreetly and happily placing their footprints next to each other, to trace a rich journey of history that is still clearly legible today.

FOOD AND WINE

Crescia Sfogliata

It is a very close relative of the Romagna piadina, but differs in the dough which is enriched with eggs and pepper, making it very tasty and tasty. It is so delicious that you can even taste it on its own. Its perfect pairing is with raw ham and casciotta d'Urbino but it can be stuffed in a thousand ways, with cured meats, stracchino, squacquerone, pan-fried wild herbs, or bresaola.

The Crescia Sfogliata is used on the Urbino side. The crostolo is different, but is used on the Urbania side, where polenta is also added to the dough, with corn flour.

Urbino casciotta

The real "Casciotta d'Urbino" is produced exclusively in the territory of the province of Pesaro-Urbino, according to dairy techniques with ancient roots, consolidated over the centuries, strictly regulated.
The first specification was formalized in 1982, a specification which was subsequently integrated and modified to give rise to the Protected Designation of Origin, a PDO which is still in force today. But the first news of the production of this cheese dates back to 1400 when Pope Boniface IX regulated transhumance in the lands of the Vatican and consequently in Montefeltro. Documented news testifies that in the mid-1500s the great Michelangelo was sent hams and forms of casciotta from Casteldurante, of which the famous sculptor apparently was an admirer.
The PDO establishes that "Casciotta d'Urbino" is a product whose organoleptic and product characteristics derive mainly from the environmental conditions and manufacturing customs existing in the production area.
Naturally, the PDO is reserved only for the product that possesses all the requirements that give it a peculiar connotation: "Casciotta d'Urbino" is a semi-cooked fatty cheese, obtained with whole sheep's milk in quantities varying from a minimum of 70% to a maximum of 80%, and whole cow's milk for the remaining 20-30% coming from two daily milkings, represents one of the symbols of the typical food and wine of the Marche region (Urbino in particular) and a moment of enrichment for many dishes. If it is true that it can also be enjoyed on its own, perhaps with rustic bread, for a simple snack, it is equally true that it pairs perfectly on tables with eggs and ham or in symbiosis with other dairy products.

The Montefeltro it is one of those rare lands where you can travel on a theme:

for art and architecture – for maps of taste and typicality – for environmental oases and nature reserves, or for everything together,

here the wonders never end!

La bicycle it is certainly the ideal means to choose to cross and fully experience an area like Montefeltro. A vast range of proposals will repay the tourist who, dedicating interest and time, will be accompanied on his discovery.

MARCHE and Bike provides professionalism and services and offers the possibility of making these discoveries, organizing an accompanied visit to Montefeltro and its peculiarities through a series of itineraries.