First Day: la Gola del Furlo and Acqualagna
Between Acqualagna and Fossombrone, in the Marche hinterland, the Metauro river carves an impressive gorge named “la Gola del Furlo”, between Monte Paganuccio (976 m) and Pietralata (888 m), characterized by a landscape of white and pink limestones, on whose sheer walls the golden eagle nests. Today, a modern highway bypasses the gorge through a tunnel, but the most spectacular route remains the old Via Flaminia, up to the almost 40 meter long tunnel, dug by Emperor Vespasian in 76 AD. Just outside the gorge, the Romanesque church of San Vincenzo al Furlo is an absolute must-visit. Before leaving the hinterland, a stop in Acqualagna is mandatory, a town famous for the precious white truffle, which every year, between October and November, hosts an internationally renowned fair.
Second Day: from Pesaro to Gradara
Pesaro, the city of Gioachino Rossini, offers a splendid seaside walk, lined with Art Nouveau villas and immaculate beaches, and a pedestrian historic center centered around Piazza del Popolo, at the heart of which stands a 17th-century fountain. On one side of the square rests the 15th-century Palazzo Ducale, headquarters of the noble Della Rovere family, which greatly promoted the art and trade of ceramics, whose history can be relived inside the beautiful museum and in the artisan workshops operating in the city and surroundings. If heading north from Pesaro, via the panoramic road crossing the San Bartolo Natural Park (the smallest in Italy, but a jewel of nature), you can also reach the medieval village of Gradara, on the border with Emilia Romagna, surrounded by powerful 14th-century walls. The most suggestive point is, naturally, the quadrilateral fortress, topped at the corners by angular towers, one of which is the mighty keep. Started in the 12th century, later enlarged by the Malatesta and Sforza families, the fortress was deeply restored in 1923 and refurnished. Today, the visit route winds through the Guardhouse, with its armory; the Justice Hall; Francesca’s Chamber, where the sweet-tragic story with her beloved Paolo is set; and the Council Hall. From the top of the keep, the view of the coast stretching to Gabicce Mare is truly unmissable.
