Within the Marche hills, not far from the town of Urbino, lies a small village, sometimes forgotten due to its small size and few remaining inhabitants; despite its small size, this village resists the years and remains unchanged in its beauty.
Historical background
ts origins are uncertain, the most reliable information dates back to the 6th-7th century and is linked to a settlement that arose during the construction of the Pieve di San Gaudenzio.
Only later did some defensive works begin to protect the village with the construction of a first castle of which we know for certain, with some documents, only in the early 1200s.
Subsequently, the village fell under the dominion of the families of the surrounding areas who contested this small village precisely because it was a checkpoint along the road between Pesaro and Urbino. Montefabbri passed between the Malatesta and Montefeltro families until it returned to the dominion of the Duchy of Urbino, which gave the village a certain prosperity thanks to the Paciotti Counts.
In 1744, Montefabbri passed to the Papal State, and to a period of famine and banditry that ended after the definitive passage to the Kingdom of Italy.
The tourist sign outside indicates that the origins of the Pieve are uncertain, a parchment testifies that it was given to Rodolfo da Rimini and the document dates back to between 1033 and 1046.
The village
The village is truly small and presents itself with an external road that runs along the entire city walls, inside of which we can find the houses that make up the small village and we can notice the alternation of older houses next to newly renovated ones.
The main road that leads to the village passes in front of the Pieve di San Gaudenzio.
Pieve San Gaudenzio
The large church has an austere facade and inside it presents a set of works dating back to the 17th century, to which are associated the decorations and panels in white and black scagliola, such as some altars, and the use of marbles with light and dark veins that characterize the church; in a dedicated chapel, the remains of the patron saint of Montefabbri, Saint Marcellina, a Roman virgin and martyr from the 3rd century, are preserved.
After leaving the church, we can stroll through the alleys of the village which, starting from the square, branch out throughout the village. Here, while walking, we have the opportunity to savor a sort of silent contemplation, to encounter small gardens and some interesting views, in addition to the beautiful panorama observable from the city walls. Silence is part of this place also thanks to the fact that the village is almost completely abandoned, in fact, we find many houses that have been put up for sale, and others that have been directly abandoned and therefore present themselves almost entirely in ruins.
Inside the village, the sign of a club stands out (I believe the only point of aggregation in the village besides the church), which still seems to be in activity