Land of arts and castles, Caldarola amazes the visitor with the fairytale atmosphere of its ancient castle with rectangular battlements, with its refined urban arrangement that makes the town seem an authentic jewel of sixteenth-century architecture, with its important Roman and medieval features which award history the fascinating natural sceneries of the surrounding landscape.
The environment of Caldarola is different from all the other towns around. The current structure, developed at the end of XVI century on the wishes of Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta (only a few parts of the previous structure remain), exploits the valley of the river Chienti develop in this chessboard shape, symbol of progress and refined taste. The square, the porch that surrounds it from both sides, The Collegiate Church of S. Martino, the palaces on both sides, seem to be designed in accordance with the same original project when in Rome, Loreto and Montalto Marche people were experimenting new urban ideas. Caldarola was privileged compared to the others because it is located along the Via Lauretana, which connects Rome and Loreto, and another reason why it was privileged was the presence of an important man of culture, as well as man of the cloth, Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta, a collaborator of the Pope, prefect of the Fabric of Saint Peter from 1589 to 1620
The historic centre: city planning and monuments
The unmistakable urban arrangement that makes Caldarola a rare example of urban renaissance is due to Evangelista Pallotta. The powerful cardinal, as well as the Prefect of the Factory of Saint Peter under the pontificate of Sisto V, wanted to give to his town the shape and dignity of a monumental city, renewing the birthplace according to a “town plan” that totally messed up the ancient medieval burg.
The new urban conceptions “sistine” born in Rome found in Caldarola a global application, completely innovative, that has its epicentre in the square, where the modernised streets converge, large and straight, and where the principle public buildings face to.
In the street we can find:
– The Pallotta Palace, in which architectural installation is drawn the square itself, that the Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta wanted to realize and decorate to arrange a adequate residence for his social class: in the palace we can feel the spirit of the reform through the pictorial and architectural language , it shows up suggestive spaces carefully decorated, such as “The Room of Paradise”, the room of meditation of the Cardinal.
– The Collegiate of Saint Martin, inaugurate in 1590 with the seal of Sisto V that elevated itself as an illustrous collegiate, conserves many works of great interests, such as “La Messa di San Martino” from Simone De Magistris;
– The Sancturay of “S. Maria del Monte” in which is possible to admire the board committed to the Virgin Mary of the Mount realized by Lorenzo D’Alessandro for commission, in 1491 by Beato Francesco Piani from Caldarola;
A few steps away, walking through Via Pallotta, the road that leads to the Pallotta Castle, there are:
– the pretty Comunal Theathre, built in the beginning of the XIX century inside the fifteenth-century Palace of Podestà, completely restructured and dedicated to the cultural activity of the town in 1985.
– the collegiate of Saint Gregorio, built for commission from the Cardinal Evangelista Pallotta in the first years of XVII century on the same ruins of a church dedicated to the Saint at the end of 700, with interesting works of local renaissance and frescos accomplished in the beginning of XX century by Augusto Mussini.
IL CASTELLO PALLOTTA
The Pallotta Castle, from the top of the hill, faces to Caldarola creating a suggestive scenery. It was built in the IX century, and modified at the end of 1500s, when the cardinal Evangelista Pallotta wanted to transform it in a great and harmonious building, and designate it as his own summer residence. The castle instills the prestige of the family, and the important relationship between the four cardinals of Pallotta Family and the Roman Curia. The ancient building conserves the walls, the Guelph crenelation, the drawbridge, the carriage room, the saddle room, the weapons, works of art on canvas, boards, scultures, frescos, ancient pieces of furniture and the testimony of all the illustrious characters that through years visited Caldarola: such as the pope Clemente VIII and Queen Cristina from Sweden. Another treasure are the libraries, recently reorganised.
PIEVEFAVERA, VALCIMARRA AND BISTOCCO CASTLES.
Few km away from the town, nearby Caccamo Lake and near the road to Camerino, we can find Pievefavera, Valcimarra and Bistocco castles.
The position is strategic and breath-taking, and increases the environmental and cultural interests of the tourists. We can see these majestic castles on top of three different hills, right over Caccamo Lake.
These hills are covered by olive trees from the walls of the castles to the ridges of the lake, especially the hill of Pievefavera Castle. Talking about Pievefavera, in the highest part of the hill emerges the castle (from XII century), propriety of Varanos, with three rings of walls and four towers (one of these 4 became a bell tower). Inside the castle there’s the church, with a roman gate and baroque interiors. Along the south bank of the lake there’s an archaeological area of the roman age, part of the “pars rustica” of a bigger building. Other archaeological finds are conserved in the Antiquarium near the Castle.
Not far from Pievefavera, on another hill, we can see Valcimarra, with a super high watchtower (XIII century) used to give alarm signs between Campolarzo and Pievefavera. Immediately outside the houses is worth visiting the church of the Madonna of the Rock, built to give relief to pilgrims and hermits. Inside the church there are frescos of late 1400s.
Near Valcimarra there’s another historical building, The Monastery of Saint Benedetto Saxi Latronis. It is not easy to reach. But the sight is really suggestive.
In the proximity of Caldarola, reachable in a few km throughout a deviation of the road to San Ginesio and Sarnano, there are the suburbs of Vestignano and Croce with their ancient castles from IX century.
Vestignano conserves its strong stone walls and the medieval city plan, with a cylindrical fortified tower in the east part of the ring of wall. Outside the burg there is the church of Saint Martino (XI century) with frescos and other works by Simone de Magistris. Around XVI century the church was restored, and many artist took part of the painting restoration, such as Nobile da Lucca, Andrea de Magistris (“Madonna col Bambino, 1538 – Saint Rocco and Saint Sebastiano, 1551 – Saint Giorgio and Saint Martino, 1551) and Simone de Magistris.
Croce conserves the ruins of the defensive walls built with big squared stones, in addition they have a polygonal tower that today is the bell tower of the church. Inside the church there are some relevant paintings of Nobile da Luca and De Magistris brothers.
