Stands on a hilltop just 12 km from the mouth of the Metauro river, dominating the wide valley from high above the right bank. Here the valley meets the coastal plain on which Fano stands.
The strategic position of this ancient fortified town and the smaller nearby castles of Stacciola and Cerasa has always been of fundamental importance in defending and controlling the territory of Fano and its coastal strip. Important archaeological finds indicate that early human settlements existed here as early as the 8^th-7^th centuries BC. Only much later, however, do we have any evidence relating to the town around which the Malatestas build its wall in 1429 at the expense of the people of Fano. After various episodes, the town was removed from the territory of Fano to become part of the Duchy of Urbino until it passed to the Church. A tall bell tower soars over the square of the borgo, which stands below the town's fortifications. Inside the wall we find the parish church of Santi Cristoforo e Costanzo which was built in the 16^th Century inside a pre-existing Malatesta hall and modified in the 18^th Century. The Palazzo Comunale (town hall) stands on the opposite side of the square. This had once been the residence of the Counts Cassi. Giulio Perticari, scholar and son-in-law of the poet Vincenzo Monti, died here on 26^th June 1822. Today, part of the town hall houses an art gallery which includes fine works by Terenzio Terenzi (known as Il Rondolino) of Pesaro and Giovanni Anatasi of Senigallia. The church of San Pietro (also known as Sant' Agostino) stands in the borgo. Its fine entrance portal dates from 1617, while inside there is an 18^th century organ by the celebrated organ builder Gaetano Callido.
The 18^th Century Teatro della Concordia stands just inside the escarpment walls of the town's fortifications. It was here that Monti's tragedies received their first performance. Now completely restored, the theatre is frequently used for a wide range of plays, including comedies, musicals and experimental theatre.