Home to one of the most beautiful Malatesta castles, Montefiore looks charming even from a distance.
The massive, crenellation-free castle can be seen from every point in the valley; the village, which is one of the most beautiful in Italy and has been awarded the Bandiera Arancione (awarded by the Touring Club for the quality of the balance between tourism and the environment), has been built around it; the village is circular in shape, enclosed by ramparts, and the streets all lead from the village towards the castle.
Many have sought to rule Montefiore: the Malatesta, the Papal States, the Borgias, the Medici and Venice.
The village is accessed via a gate built into the walls, known as Porta Curina (the gate bears the papal and municipal coats of arms, as well as an image of the Virgin Mary); immediately beyond the gate stands the church of St Paul, who is also the patron saint of Montefiore (with a stone entrance in pure Gothic style, a Romanesque bell tower, and, inside, a marvellous wooden crucifix dating from the 1300s).
As you continue your walk, you can visit the Bottega dei Vasai, a working pottery workshop that still uses traditional techniques (the foot-powered potter’s wheel and the wood-fired kiln are still in use). Montefiore also has a rather unusual theatre, built on a U-shaped plan and featuring two tiers of galleries; also worth visiting are the Church of the Ospedale (a shelter for wayfarers) and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Bonara.
