Verucchio’s soul is ancient and mysterious: here lived a pre-Etruscan population between the first half of the XI century b.C. and the VI century b.C. . They lived in thriving communities ruled by the shepherd-princes and they were related to the populations living in the large settlements of Villanova, near Bologna, but the rich and peculiar finds from Verucchio led archaeologists to think that there was an actual Verucchio Civilization. The trip through Verucchio’s history can start from the Civic Archaeological Museum which location is extraordinary in itself: in fact it is hosted by former St Augustine’s Monastery. Here you can see a lot of the archaeological finds, especially grave goods found during excavations undertaken in the 1960s in the fields at the foot of the rock. Both the permanent showcases and the theme ones contain beautiful precious objects of international relevance: urns, jewels, ambers, armors and especially wooden objects, a very rare find, among which a whole throne, and several pieces of cloth which state of preservation is absolutely unique.
But that’s not all of what makes Verucchio a splendid place. If you get to the Museum coming from the alley off the square where the Town Hall is, you will certainly notice that you are at the heart of a medieval settlement, overlooked by the mighty Rocca del Sasso (Rock Fortress) which once was coupled with another stronghold, called Passerello, that was destroyed and, once rebuilt, turned into a convent. A village developed around Rocca del Sasso which, for its strategic importance, was to become the most important settlement of the Malatesta family before they moved their court to Rimini, the capital of their Signory. Verucchio has been defined as the cradle of the Malatesta family. They were actually from the town of Pennabilli, but it’s true that they always considered Verucchio as one of their strong-points from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance period. Rocca del Sasso was already well fortified around the XII century and the squared tower was also built prior to Sigismondo Malatesta’s great architectural renovation, in 1449. Sigismondo strengthened the fortress according to the new military architectural principles and made it impregnable. In 1462 Federico da Montefeltro did actually conquer it, but only thanks to a shrewd trick: he sent a letter with Novello Malatesta’s mock signature announcing the arrival of reinforcement troops, and then he had his own troops disguise as Malatesta’s, which allowed them to enter the town walls without any problems. Many more important traces of the past are kept inside the
Churches. The XIX century collegiate church hosts, among other works, two precious crucifixes painted on wood, one from the XIV century Rimini school, the other by a XV century Venetian artist. Also, XIII century St Martin parish church certainly deserves a visit. In Villa Verucchio, toward the valley, is the Franciscan Monastery that hosts what can e considered a true natural monument: the cypress tree that, according to the legend, was planted by St Francis himself, and a wonderful fresco depicting the Crucifixion. Verucchio also hosts numerous events: the August Parade, a historical commemoration of medieval times that is held around mid-August and involves the whole town with shows, spectacular stagings, banquets in the town squares and in the inns; the Ancient Music Festival gathering Italian and foreign musicians; finally, the traditional country fair “Fiera de quatordg”, taking place in mid-September with the best produce and handicrafts in the area and the Sangiovese Wine Festival, at the beginning of August, during which you can taste the best local wines.
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Rimini Itineraries
