Montelparo

A Brief History

The first historical documents mention several meaningful Picenian settlements dating back to the 8th century B.C. There are also findings of late Roman age. The name of Montelparo is supposed to date back to the early middle ages, when a Longobard warrior named Elprando or Eliprando built a castle there. The ancient name was probably Monte Elprando changing then into Montelparo. The castle passed to the monks of the Farfa abbey and was strengthened and widened. On the hill they built the church devoted to Saint Michael the Archangel with the added monastery (in the 11th century). During the 13th century Montelparo became a free commune with its own constitution.

It had its own hospital, pawn shop, coin shop and wheat shop. It was a Guelph territory and therefore had many important privileges and indulgences bestowed by different popes. Sixtus V took all the privileges away by creating the Diocese of Montalto Marche. With its well equipped position Montelparo guaranteed both inner and outer security, so, during the 13th-14th century, a lot of families from the neighbouring areas got the right to live there permanently raising its population up to 5000 inhabitants. Montelparo had three cenobite communities: a Benedictine monastery, an Augustinian monastery and the Third Order of St Francis dating back to 1259. The 18th century earthquakes destroyed or devastated at least 75% of the urban settlement. The present old centre clearly shows the gradual development of Montelparo:

·         1st wall circle (7th-11th century)

·         2nd wall circle (12th-14th century)

·         3rd wall circle (15th-18th century)

Places to Visit

The town planning structure of the old centre is of a remarkable value:

Among the 25 churches and three monasteries remaining, those worthy of attention are:

·         The monastery of Sant’Agostino (Cantinone) started in 1686 with the added church (1730) in which we find the remarkable walnut choir and an organ;

·         The Palazzo Communale (18th century) preserving a valuable collection of parchments;

·         The church of San Gregorio Magno (1615): inside a painting of Our Lady with her Child and Saints of the Old Church of Santa Maria Novella is preserved;

·         The Gothic church of San Michele Arcangelo (13th century) showing the visitors three exceptional portals: one is Gothic, the other two are of the Renaissance; its interior is full of frescoes from the 1500’s, such as The Crucifixion, The Pieta and The Holy Father (1527);

·         The churches of Sant’Antonio da Padova (15th century), Santa Maria Novella (13th century), Santa Maria in Camurano (1549), San Pietro (1286);

·         And furthermore the Torre Civica (town tower, 1400), the Porta del Sole (Sun Gate, 1300), the Wheat Shop (1511) and the Palazzo Petrocchini, a house with an interesting Gothic terracotta portal.

Nature Routes

As the name suggests Montelparo extends its own territory on several mountains, five of which range from 550 to 585 metres above sea level. Many perpetual streams rise in the south-eastern side of this plateau, placed on the first part of the Apennines, the Sibillini mountains. These include the Indaco, the Roncone, the Santa Lucia, the Santa Maria, and all tributaries of the River Aso. In the Western side the Ete Vivo valley rises and winds down the hills, flowing into the sea.

Moreover, extending from the lowest heights (Ete, Aso, Indaco and Roncone) ranging from 200 to 585 metres above sea level, the area has remarkable landscapes of rivers, arboreal forests, sowing and high hills with some Mediterranean vegetation made up of deciduous bushes and copses.

The village’s position, just in the heart of this territory allows a wide view ranging from the Gran Sasso (in the south) to the Conero (in the north). It takes in the whole chain of the Sibillini and Laga mountains (in the south-east) to the sea, from Ancona to San Benedetto del Tronto (in the east) with endless valleys full of rivers and streams lining the route.

Finally, Montelparo is about 30 km from both the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini mountains. You can also reach the village from the valley of Aso and the valleys of Tenna and Ete Vivo.

Exhibitions and Folk Festivals

·         17th January – festival of Sant’Antonio abate and festival of baccala (dried, salted cod) which dates back to the 18th century as proved by documents

·         3rd Sunday of June – festival of via Sala, open market place and folk games

·         July – festival of San Paolino

·         July-August – Il Choistro d’Oro, festival of regional theatre

·         15th August (Feast of the Assumption) – festival of polenta on the spianatora (baking board)

·         end of August – festival of pappardelle with papera (goose) and Papera d’Oro, a competition of amateur artists

·         8th September – festival of Santa Maria in Camurano, parade of Canastrelle and folk games

Gastronomy
The gastronomy of the village is strictly bound to an aged rural tradition whose balance began to break in the 50’s and 60’s along with the phenomenon of country depopulation. At one time the diet was made up only of cereals and legumes, and any recent additions to this are mostly meat. White, red and cotto (cooked) wines were very important energy integrators and were produced only in the family cellars. Still nowadays such wines are produced domestically and the tradition of salata, consisting in the pork meat and cold cuts processing (the ciauscolo is a typical one) is still alive in this context.

On the tables one can still see traditional dishes such as: the vincisgrassi (baked noodles), the polenta on the spianatora, the faro (spelt), the frascarelli, the taglioni as first dishes; chicken, rabbit, lamb, pork, porchetta (roast suckling pig) as second dishes.