Stands on the brow of a steep hill, 6 km above the main provincial highway which climbs along the left bank of the central Foglia Valley, in dramatically undulating countryside.
The name of the town is thought to have come from the local activity of wood cutting and sawing tree trunks into planks ('tavole'). The impressive crenellated castle with its tall tower which stands above the town, was almost entirely the result of rebuilding work carried out in 1865 by the Petrangolini family. The interior is furnished with antique furniture and various armaments. Only the foundations and part of the walls belong to the original castle which was built in 1465 by Francesco di Giorgio Martini to a commission by Federico da Montefeltro to form an advance bulwark in the Montefeltro territory at the border with the lands ruled by the Sforzas of Pesaro (and previously the Malatestas).
At Monte San Giovanni (620 m) there are still some ruins of the castle known as 'La Trappola' - a pine wood and several caverns remain as yet unexplored.