Centro storico di San Ginesio

San Ginesio crowns a hill at about 690 metres, where the Macerata countryside rises toward the Sibillini. Its medieval walls and gates enclose squares, churches and palaces associated with the town's communal history and the legacy of jurist Alberico Gentili.

Why it matters

San Ginesio is recognised as one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia and holds the Touring Club Italiano's Bandiera Arancione. The town's medieval layout remains enclosed by walls and towers built in brick and stone between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A church is documented here by 1098, and the civic archive has been preserved since 1199.

What to notice

Four of the town's eight historic gates survive and frame the lanes leading to Piazza Alberico Gentili. The jurist, born here in 1552, taught at Oxford and served at the court of Elizabeth I; he is remembered as a founder of international law. The thirteenth-century Ospedale dei Pellegrini preserves evidence of medieval hospitality in its arcades. The town's elevated position gives views from Monte Conero toward the Gran Sasso and the Sibillini.

Context and history

In 1450, about three hundred citizens were exiled to Siena after a pro-Da Varano faction seized power. The Sienese supported their cause, and they returned. In 1458 Pope Pius II approved a municipal statute modelled on Siena's. Earlier, in 1345, papal action freed the town from pressure by the lords of Camerino. The earthquakes of 2016 damaged homes and monuments across the area; subsequent restoration and cultural work form part of the town's recovery.