Description of the attraction
Cagli is a small but very interesting city for tourists in the Italian region of Marche, located 30 km south of Urbino. It occupies the territory of an ancient settlement located on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia, which was probably called Calais. In the 6th century, it was the stronghold of the Byzantine Pentapolis - the Pentapolis, which included Rimini, Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia and Ancona, and became an independent commune of Calla only in the 12th century. The city quickly subdued more than 52 neighboring castles-settlements, overthrowing local rulers and beginning to pose a threat to the feudal ambitions of the local abbeys. Soon the bishopric of Calla was founded, but at the end of the 13th century, the city was partially destroyed as a result of a terrible fire and was rebuilt a little lower - on a fertile plain at the foot of Monte Petrano. And again, Calli in a short time turned into one of the main cities of the Marche on a par with Pesaro, Fano and Fossombrone. The city's economy was based mainly on the production of woolen products, and later on silk products, and leather tanning. In the 16th century, cereals began to be grown here.
After the entry of Cagli into the united Italy, it seemed that a new life began - the Fano-Fabriano-Rim railway was built, the huge Municipal Theater and many other public buildings were erected, which provoked economic and cultural growth. However, in 1944, the Nazis destroyed the railway, and the ancient Via Flaminia had already lost its significance by that time - this was the beginning of a long period of decline for Calia and the surrounding villages, which lasted until the 2000s.
Today Cagli is a small provincial town that attracts tourists with its atmosphere of the past and interesting monuments of history and architecture. One of its main attractions is the fortified complex Rocca Torrione, built in 1481 for Duke Federico III da Montefeltro. Noteworthy is the secret passage of the complex - Soccorso Coverto, which connects the tower with the imposing ruins of a diamond-shaped fortress destroyed in 1502. Since 1989, the Center for Contemporary Sculpture has been located in Rocca Torrione.
On the Piazza Matteotti square, the 13th century palace - Palazzo Pubblico, built for the rulers of the city, attracts attention. The fresco in the lunette on the back wall depicts the Madonna and Child, the Archangel Michael and Saint Gerontius - this is the creation of Giovanni Dionigi. Here you can also see the family coats of arms of the Montefeltro and Della Rovere families and the emblems of the commune. A door to the left of the entrance leads to a basement with medieval stonework, which served as a kind of dungeon. Next to Palazzo Pubblico there is another palace - Palazzo del Podesta, which is now occupied by the Archaeological Museum.
Of the religious buildings in Cagli, it is worth noting the Cathedral Basilica with a Gothic portal of the 15th century and a bell tower with an octagonal belfry, the Church of San Francesco of the 13th century, around which, in fact, a new city was rebuilt after the fire, the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia of the 14th century with beautiful old frescoes, the church of Sant'Angelo Minore and the temple of San Domenico with the Tiranni chapel - a masterpiece of Giovanni Santi, the father of the great Raphael.
About 8 km north-west of Cagli and 4 km west of Via Flaminia, in the vicinity of the town of Aqualagna, there is an ancient settlement, literally strewn with ruins. Today it is known as Piano di Valeria.
