Enrolled in “i most beautiful villages in Italy", Gets the first place in the" ranking "in 2007. This is the year in which Corinaldo, country in Marche in the province of Ancona, it earns the precious praise. A place that offers a variety of experiences. A concentrate of history, religion, nature and rural characters.

Corinaldo medieval center, staircase and well - Photo by Mausemarie CC BY-SA 3.0

Corinaldo: a village with many faces

It seems designed specifically for the most insatiable tourist. One of the first things that catches the eye is undoubtedly the city walls. Perfectly preserved, it closes around the medieval old town. Walking inside it means rediscovering buildings, squares, towers. But also to grasp the relationship between history and the surrounding space. From the highest point of the medieval town a panoramic perspective opens up on the surrounding countryside. An excellent "window" to observe and reflect on the peasant development of the area.

Mura di Corinaldo - Photo by Diego Baglieri CC BY-SA 4.0

A testimony of the bucolic connotation is given by theancient Patregnani mill. Located just outside the ancient village it hosts the room for oil, wine and flour. Typical products of the countryside that have favored the local economy. But also the story of the rural activities of the place. Returning to the inside of the walls should not be forgotten the picture gallery and the costume room where reproductions of sixteenth-century clothes are housed. But Corinaldo certainly does not end here. To complete it there are large green areas. Suitable for picnics and nature walks that can also be traveled by bicycle. To all this there are other historical itineraries. These are the Roman origins of which traces remain in the archaeological site of Suasa. Located a few kilometers from Corinaldo, it offers mosaic floors and the early Christian basilica of Santa Maria in Portuno.

And that's not all

The possibilities offered by Corinaldo are truly manifold! Perhaps not everyone knows it but this lively town was the land of Santa Maria Goretti. Here it is possible to visit the house where the saint was born. A modest peasant house with simple and spartan spaces. The bedroom stands out and acquires a notable symbolic meaning with some pieces of furniture that belonged to the Goretti family. But Corinaldo also reserves other surprises. Popular events are added to the aforementioned agricultural activities that draw the environment with slopes, hills and rows. Fruit of the intense rural past, they are intertwined with legends and traditions. Like that of "Well of polenta" which is found along the staircase inside the medieval center. Here you can hear the fanciful story of the tired farmer.

Pozzo della Polenta, Corinaldo - Photo by Claudio Stanco CC BY-SA 4.0

Sitting on the edge of the well to rest, he inadvertently fell into it, dragging the sack of flour with him. How does this story end? The desperate man asked for help by catching the attention of several passersby. And here is a twist. The real protagonist of the legend is not the farmer but the sack of flour! Looking out over the well, the local people noticed how the flour was amalgamating with the water from the well. Thus was born the polenta, still celebrated today through curious anniversaries. Like the eloquent “dispute over the polenta well”. The historical re-enactment of Corinaldo's victory over the army of Urbino which in 1517 had occupied the city. Corinaldo is all of this. A place where infinite paths of human history are hidden. Tenacious constructions and regenerating landscapes contaminated by agricultural laboriousness. A destination where you can satisfy your desires for knowledge.

Corinaldo: discovering one of the most beautiful villages in Italy last edit: 2020-08-04T09:30:00+02:00 da Sabrina Cernuschi

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