6 reasons to visit
Isola del Piano
A charming little town nestled 210 metres above sea level, Isola del Piano enjoys a privileged position amongst the Foglia and Metauro valleys. At the foot of the Cesane Mountains and a short distance from Fossombrone, the village offers panoramic views of a landscape that alternates between lush hills and mountainous peaks.
This distinctive name derives from the Latin word ‘insula’, which probably referred to a cluster of dwellings surrounded by open space. Even before the castle was built, the village took the form of a protected enclave, a distinct settlement that has managed to preserve its identity over the centuries.
A site of prehistoric and Roman settlements, Isola del Piano endured the turmoil of the Gothic and Lombard invasions. Despite the destruction caused by the conflicts between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, the tenacity of its citizens enabled the village to be reborn as a sturdy fortified castle, a bastion of defence and resilience.
As part of the Duchy of Urbino, the town passed to the Castiglione family of Mantua in 1574. Among its notable figures, the famous Baldassarre Castiglione stands out – author of *The Courtier* – who, in these very lands, perfected that ideal of good manners, art and music which defined the elegance of Renaissance courts.
Today, Isola del Piano is recognised nationwide as a pioneer in sustainability. As a member of the National Association of Organic Towns and the recipient of the Green Flag for Agriculture, the town exemplifies a production model that respects the land and human health.
The historic centre, enclosed by walls built of local stone, conceals underground cellars and charming bourgeois residences. In summer, cultural life comes alive at the picturesque Belvedere Montone, where concerts and music blend with the hilltop breeze, offering an authentic sensory experience.
Discover the beauty of Isola del Piano
The Beauty Trail comes to life
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Castiglione Palace and the Novilara Estate
The gentle arguments and the witty banter that feature prominently in the famous book *The Courtier*
Among the architectural landmarks that stand out in the historic centre of Isola del Piano, one that is particularly worthy of attention and interest – both for the history it embodies and for its distinctive architectural features (including the striking 16th-century sandstone portal), is undoubtedly Palazzo Baldassarre Castiglione, built in the 16th century and renovated twice, in the 17th and 19th centuries. The history of this palace is inextricably linked to the feudal tradition of the Middle Ages, according to which kings, popes or princes would bestow a fief, that is, a territory, upon those who had served them.
In the 16th century, when Palazzo Castiglione was built, the true ruler of the Marche region was the Pope; indeed, the term ‘sub-enfeoffment’ is most often used in this context. In the case of the Dukes of Urbino, the aim was to establish a circle of trusted dignitaries.
As for the history of the enfeoffment of Isola del Piano Castle – a story of intrigue, misunderstandings and posthumous gratitude – one must look to Baldassarre Castiglione, known for having written the famous treatise *The Courtier*.
In fact, in 1512, he was rewarded with the promise of being enfeoffed with Novilara Castle, thanks to the services he had rendered to Guidobaldo da Montefeltro and Francesco Maria della Rovere, under whose guidance he had spent the most intense years of his life as a man of letters, courtier and diplomat.
In 1522, however, under pressure from the local nobility, Novilara was returned to Pesaro, and it was not until 1574 that Guidobaldo II made belated amends by granting the Castle of Isola del Piano to Camillo Castiglione, son of Baldassarre. After various trials and tribulations linked to misunderstandings with the Pope, Baldassarre Castiglione embarked on a career in the Church, which he pursued until his death in 1529.
The courtier led a full life, rich in cultural stimulation, coming into contact with the most prominent writers and artists of the time, from Pietro Bembo to Giuliano de’ Medici, son of the famous Lorenzo the Magnificent, as well as other poets and humanists.
As one leafs through the pages of Castiglione’s book, the reader can savour the atmosphere of nostalgia that permeated the courtier’s pen as he transcribed those conversations – or rather, ‘the gentle discourses and witty banter’ – exchanged between Duchess Elisabetta Gonzaga and himself and other courtiers, which inspired his work.
Like many dreams, however, Castiglione’s too came to an abrupt end when the duchy was taken from the family and bestowed upon Duke Guidobaldo II della Rovere, before eventually passing into the hands of the sergeant-major and architect Giambattista Gotto of Messina.
Former Church of the Santissima Annunziata
The oldest monument in Isola del Piano and its frescoes
Another architectural structure inextricably linked to the Castiglione family is the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, the oldest monument in Isola del Piano.
It was built in the 14th century as an oratory of the ‘Fraternity of the Disciplined of Saint Mary’, then passed to the Chapter of Saint John Lateran in Rome in 1474, before finally coming under the care of the Dominicans of Urbino in 1493. It was in 1600 that it became the private church of the Castiglione family, and later of the Bartolini family (in the post-unification era).
Gradually, it lost its function as a sanctuary, to the extent that it was used as a warehouse before becoming part of the municipal administration’s public heritage, which invested resources and effort to restore it to its former splendour. This splendour is evident in the fragments of frescoes that can still be glimpsed along the walls of the building, and in the painting, dated 1622, by Girolamo Cialdieri, ‘Rest on the Flight into Egypt’, which previously hung on one of the side altars of the ancient church of San Cristoforo, destroyed by a landslide.
The painting depicts the Holy Family resting, watched over by angels, as they fled from Egypt to save Jesus from Herod’s terrible and bloodstained hands.
As for the frescoes, over the years they have built up in layers one on top of the other; only two remain visible: a ‘Madonna Enthroned with the Child, Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi’, dating from 1521, attributed to the circle of Giovanni Santi, Raphael’s father, whose workshop, in fact, was home to numerous collaborators, who later scattered across the region, spreading their master’s distinctive art and unique style.
The other fresco, traces of which are still preserved today, is attributed to the artist Giovanni Antonio Bellinzoni da Pesaro: the ‘Madonna of Mercy and God the Father Shooting Arrows’, although its exact date is unknown: it is probably a work dating from the second half of the 14th century.
What can be made out in what remains of the fresco is the figure of the Virgin Mary who, to protect the faithful kneeling at her feet from the arrows fired by God the Father and the angels, wraps them in her cloak.
The symbolic meaning underlying the work is the idea of a Church that offers protection and relief to the devout faithful from storms, environmental devastation caused by earthquakes, epidemics and other calamities.
Graziella Ra, the little bronze idol who hurls ears of wheat
A journey through the wonders of the historic centre
It is not an arrow, but an ear of wheat that is clasped, ready to be hurled to fertilise the soil, in the right hand of the small statue that can be seen as you approach Isola del Piano.
The work of contemporary artist Pino Mascia, this bronze statue, depicting a typical cherub armed with a bow and arrows, symbolises the history, culture, way of life and, in particular, the very essence of the village.
Indeed, everything about the statue evokes the nature of Isola del Piano: the curly hair, formed from ears of wheat; the sash supporting the quiver, bearing the phrase ‘O thou who savest, strike, grant that I may live’ – a wish, a veritable invocation to the earth and its fertility – and the name engraved on the plinth upon which the cherub stands, namely Graziella Ra.
This is the name of a variety of wheat grown on the lands of Isola del Piano, an ancient wheat of Egyptian origin: the wheat, was in fact discovered during an archaeological excavation in Egypt and arrived in Italy in the late 1970s, thanks to an archaeologist who found it and who asked that, should it take root in Italy, it be named Graziella, in memory of his daughter who was killed during the Second World War.
Ra, on the other hand, is a deity of ancient Egypt, the sun god: by bestowing warmth and light upon the earth, he contributes to the emergence and development of plant species on Earth, including wheat.
For a number of years now, the Municipality of Isola del Piano has been awarding a special honour to those who have distinguished themselves in the protection of the environment, culture, biodiversity and sustainability; this award is known as the Idolino Graziella Ra Prize.
Castelgagliardo and the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
Monsignor Simone Stock and the vision of the Virgin Mary
A small church, a house and imposing defensive walls: this is all that remains of Castelgagliardo, an ancient Malatesta castle whose foundations date back to the 14th century.
Anyone visiting Isola del Piano simply must stop off at these evocative sites, which offer a breathtaking view stretching from Mount Catria to the Adriatic Sea and across the entire Metauro valley.
Castelgagliardo, in fact, was of crucial importance due to its strategic position over the entire territory of the municipalities of Isola del Piano and Montefelcino. There is no precise information regarding the date of its foundation, nor the identity of its founder: it is likely that a Provençal feudal family, the Galharts (from whom the name ‘Castelgagliardo’ derives), settled in this hilly area – now steeped in peace and tranquillity – around the year 1000.
Over the years, the castle grew in importance, to the extent that it is mentioned in various 14th-century documents, such as the *Codex diplomaticus*, the *Descriptio Marchiae Anconitanae* and the *Costitutiones Aegidianae*.
Among the notable figures from Castelgagliardo, one in particular stands out: Maestro Andrea, a doctor practising in Pesaro, whose name is linked to the fact that the ancient church here, that of Santa Maria del Carmine, was dedicated to Saint Andrew.
At the end of the 18th century, Castelgagliardo lost its status as a municipality, probably due to its small population (there were just 321 inhabitants in 1656), and was annexed to Isola del Piano.
The church dedicated to Santa Maria del Carmine remains the stronghold and symbol of the castle; it consists of a single nave with three altars, at the centre of which stands a painting depicting the Madonna and Child, at whose feet we find Saint Thomas and Monsignor Simone Stock, an Englishman and General of the Carmelite Order.
The latter was the protagonist of a remarkable story: it is said, in fact, that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a vision in which she promised that whoever died whilst wearing the Carmelite habit would be saved.
In the hamlet of Castelgagliardo lies ‘La Fattoria della Legalità’, a facility and organisation housed in the first property confiscated from the Mafia in the Marche region, which was subsequently transferred to the Municipality of Isola del Piano.
Promoted by Libera, this ‘home of the social anti-Mafia movement’ has taken on the role of a centre for training and promoting a culture of legality, serving the whole region and young people in particular, whilst numerous activities also involve the general public.
Le Cesane, the green lung of Urbino
The Cesane State Forest and its protected species of flora and fauna
Between Isola del Piano, Urbino and Fossombrone lies a vast natural area of immense importance from a tourist and landscape perspective.
We are referring to the Monti delle Cesane, an area covered in woodland even before Roman times; indeed, it was during this period that land exploitation began; the Cesane owe their name precisely to the Latin verb ‘caedere’, meaning ‘to cut’.
In this area, at that time, trees were felled to provide timber; as a result, the landscape underwent a drastic change in its woodland cover.
It was then during the First World War that Austrian prisoners planted Austrian black pines and, gradually, other tree species, ensuring that the area was repopulated with greenery.
Maritime pines, silver firs, Norway spruce, Aleppo pines, common cypresses, Arizona cypresses, Lawson cypresses, Atlas cedars and even species originating directly from the Himalayas – the Himalayan cedars – populate the Cesane State Forest. The blue berries of the common juniper and the red berries of the oxydendron juniper add a splash of colour.
Thanks to reforestation, the soil, now protected once more, has become fertile ground for native plants, amongst which the downy oak, manna ash and holm oak stand out.
It is not only protected plants in the State Forest that find refuge and protection in this area of the Cesane; wildlife species do too, particularly birds.
In fact, it is not uncommon to see the golden eagle soaring through the sky in search of food, before nesting in the vicinity of the Furlo massif.
We also find thrushes, woodpeckers, robins, titmice, serins, shrikes, warblers and the red-breasted flycatcher.
As for mammals, wild boar, fallow deer and roe deer are abundant, as are hares, weasels, stone martens and dormice, squirrels, pygmy shrews, foxes and badgers, attracted by the vast quantity and abundance of wild fruits and small mammals to feed on, such as mice.
Reptiles include green lizards and grass snakes, as well as the European adder.
In the footsteps of our loved ones and our love for our homeland
When Gino Girolomoni revived the Monastery of Montebello
Gino Girolomoni, former mayor of Isola del Piano and the father of organic farming in Italy, had a dream: not to stand with those who destroy the world, but with those who cultivate, love and protect the world, the earth and nature.
And Gino Girolomoni shaped this dream, nurtured it and made it a reality.
The Monastery of Montebello has ancient origins, dating back to the 14th century, as documented by Father Bernardino Pucci, Prior of the Monastery in 1638.
A place that boasts of having ‘remained intact and spared from the waters of the universal flood’, as Father Pucci writes, a space covered in greenery, with fertile land for pasture, surrounded by walnut trees, chestnut trees, cypresses and oaks.
The monastery is situated on the Cesane plateau, between Urbino, Fossombrone and Isola del Piano. It was restored from its former state of ruin by Gino Girolomoni, who decided to turn it into his home, but also into a place for the exchange of ideas and the promotion of rural culture.
Today it is home to the Girolomoni Foundation, which organises cultural activities and live events, the Educational Farm and the Museum of Rural Life ‘In the Footsteps of Our Fathers’, as well as serving as a haven for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and find refuge in a pleasant setting (the Montebello Monastery also operates as a bed and breakfast, with five guest rooms and two meeting rooms for gatherings or various activities, from yoga to meditation, and a further six rooms at the nearby Locanda Girolomoni).
The Museum, established in the 1970s, is of particular interest; it is divided into two sections: one houses ceramic artefacts and written sources documenting the civilisations that have successively inhabited the Cesane area.
The second section comprises tools and implements used by the farming community – such as carts, horse-drawn carriages and wooden ploughs – as well as the tools used by traditional craftsmen, from blacksmiths to stonemasons, and from shoemakers to potters.
The museum also features stone mills and a pasta factory, which can be visited by appointment. In 1977, Gino Girolomoni was the principal founder of a cooperative that was one of the first producers to introduce organic farming in the Marche region, in Italy and beyond: in fact, it was not until 1987 that the first European regulation on organic production methods was published. In short, a boundless love for the land, the local area, nature and the world.
Discover the beauty of Isola del Piano
The Beauty Trail comes to life
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