6 reasons to visit
Carpegna
Nestled in a landscape that is both rugged and gentle, rich in tales of saints and warlords, Carpegna reveals itself with discretion. It offers its historical, artistic and natural attractions with the elegance befitting a place that boasts a prestigious past, the beating heart of a region steeped in legend.
The history of the village is inextricably linked to the noble lineage of the Counts of Carpegna. Having risen to the rank of Princes and formed alliances with illustrious families such as the Malatesta and the Montefeltro, the Carpegna family represents one of the deepest-rooted lineages of the Italian nobility, shaping the destiny of these lands for centuries.
As a testament to this glorious past, the imposing Palazzo dei Principi stands in the centre of the town. This princely building is not merely a monument, but a living residence, still inhabited by the descendants of the ancient family, the custodians of a tradition that continues to thrive at the heart of the historic centre.
Recognised as the green lung of the Montefeltro region and awarded Italy’s first ‘Bandiera Trasparente’ for the purity of its air, Carpegna is an oasis of health. Nestled amongst centuries-old woods, including the largest oak forest in Europe, it offers a perfect microclimate that shields visitors from the cold and provides a cool respite in summer.
The extraordinary natural setting makes Carpegna the ideal destination for active tourism. From hiking to mountain biking, from horse riding to trail running, every activity takes place in perfect harmony with the environment, allowing visitors to explore the various levels of the mountain that overlooks and protects the village.
The Carpegna climbs have become part of cycling legend, the scene of epic battles in the Giro d’Italia. Here, champions such as Merckx and Fuente made history, but it was Marco Pantani who immortalised this mountain, using it as his natural training ground and proudly declaring: “The Carpegna is enough for me!”
Discover the beauty of Carpegna
The Beauty Trail comes to life
Exploring the beating heart of the Marche region has never been easier with Criluma Viaggi!
Romantic weekends, days spent immersed in nature or cultural tours: we’ve put together itineraries to suit all tastes and time constraints.
Palace of the Princes
The past meets the present
In Carpegna, time seems to stand still, inextricably intertwined with the history of the noble family that bears its name: the Counts, who over time became the Princes of Carpegna Falconieri. As long-standing lords of these lands, they have left an indelible mark, not only by erecting an imposing palace but also by creating a cultural legacy that endures through the centuries.
The architecture of the Palazzo dei Principi tells tales of heaven and earth, intertwining the human with the divine, and radiating an aura of peace and serenity. Commissioned by Cardinal Gaspare di Carpegna and designed in 1675 by G. Antonio De Rossi – an architect who brought a touch of Rome to the heart of the Marche region – the palace is a fusion of medieval solidity and Renaissance elegance.
Its walls, built with sandstone quarried from the surrounding hills, stand as sentinels of an illustrious history and a vitality that can still be felt today in its halls and corridors.
This palace, guardian of the past, stands proudly in the heart of the village of Carpegna, overlooking Piazza Conti and commanding the skyline and the hearts of all who pass by. It covers an area of 6,000 square metres and comprises around a hundred rooms, spread over four floors steeped in history.
On the ground floor are the service areas, such as the kitchen – where the large wood-fired ovens and the basins fed by spring water stand out – and the stables. The first floor is characterised by the spacious and imposing atrium, where majestic pillars flank the two main entrances: one opens onto the monumental staircase that dominates the main façade, whilst the other, situated on the garden side – an oasis featuring centuries-old trees, a spectacular fountain and a cistern-dovecote tower – once led directly to the palace stables.
This floor also houses a small private chapel, which preserves its original furnishings, paintings and some 1,600 relics of saints, once collected personally by Cardinal Gaspare. Along the grand staircase, the great poet Dante acts as a guide, his verses weaving a tapestry of nobility and courage – a thread leading to the throne room, where the tapestry depicting Cardinal Gaspare’s coat of arms stands out as a promise of eternity.
The rooms, secret in their beauty and wisdom, jealously guard the family’s heritage of knowledge, whilst the cellars, once stables, conceal stories of war and liberation. During the Second World War, the palace became a sanctuary for priceless masterpieces of art, a refuge from the fury of the bombings, under the expert guidance of Pasquale Rotondi, a hero of dark times. The Rocca Ubadinesca in Sassocorvaro Auditore and the Ducal Palace in Urbino also played a key role in this rescue operation.
Stones suspended in time
A marked contrast between limestone and clay
The Carpegna area is like a geological timeline, bearing numerous traces of the past, where Mount Carpegna and the twin massifs of Sasso Simone and Simoncello tell an ancient story of the landscape’s formation. Sasso Simone, at 1,204 metres, and Simoncello, slightly higher at 1,220 metres, are silent witnesses to a world that once was, dating back to the Upper Miocene. They are the pillars of a limestone platform that migrated from the Gulf of Genoa to the heart of the Apennines. The limestone rocks, rich in fossils, reveal their marine origin, whilst Mount Carpegna, with its visible stratifications, tells of deep seabeds and an even more distant past, dating back to the Eocene.
Simoncello stretches across a territory where the topography is defined by a marked contrast between limestone and clay, creating a landscape of rolling hills and ridges.
The Sassi, with their imposing presence and the fascinating badlands that surround them, are an unmistakable landmark in this region’s rich biodiversity, which stretches across the Marche, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Legend tells of Roman priests and solitary hermits who found refuge in these hills, where the breathtaking view seems to brush against the Adriatic coast. Sasso Simone was even chosen by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1565 as the site for a fortress-city, the Città del Sole, the twin of the Terra del Sole in Romagna – an ambitious project symbolising the power and influence of Florence. The Park’s variety of flora and fauna is astonishing. The ‘cerreta’, a forest dominated by Turkey oak, covers the area and is home to a myriad of tree and herbaceous species, with the woods turning shades of green and red in autumn. The Apennine wolf and the roe deer are just some of the inhabitants of this landscape, which has become a sanctuary for wildlife. Meanwhile, the forthcoming Sasso Simone eagle observatory will offer a unique insight into the lives of these magnificent birds of prey.
The Parish Church and San Sisto
Spiritual jewellery
The spirituality of the place finds one of its greatest expressions in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, a church that has witnessed the history of the community since the first millennium.
Although only fragments of stone and documentary records remain of the original building, the parish church still stands, with its Romanesque apses and ancient altar, as a beacon of faith and history.
Inside, the baptistery dating from 1575 and the remains of 14th-century frescoes dedicated to St John the Baptist form a direct link to the past of the local Christian community, which has celebrated its sacred rites here for centuries.
This parish church – a term evoking the community of the faithful – has been the religious focal point for the surrounding area, the beating heart from which Christian practice radiated out to the chapels and smaller churches.
As well as being a place of worship, the ‘Pieve’ was the centre of spiritual life, where newborns were baptised and where, on Palm Sunday, holy oil was distributed. Over the centuries, the parish church has undergone numerous restorations and alterations, which have saved it from the ravages of time, fire and earthquakes.
Each restoration has left a mark – a plaque, an inscription – making this place a rare example of living historical memory, which still reveals its beauty and significance today.
A short distance away, the Church of San Sisto, dating from 1182 and situated in the cemetery, with its striking Romanesque apse and crypt supported by an ornate column, bears witness to the antiquity and continuity of Carpegna’s religious tradition. This ancient place of worship, once the parish centre for the people of the neighbouring villages, still retains the mystical aura of a past in which the sacred was intimately linked to everyday life. Carpegna’s history is thus revealed not only through its landscapes and forests, but also through these sacred buildings, where architecture and art merge to create spaces for reflection and prayer, guardians of a spiritual heritage that Carpegna continues to honour and preserve.
From Il Cippo to Passo Cantoniera
"Carpegna is enough for me" – M. Pantani
The Cippo di Carpegna, famous for its gruelling climb which Marco Pantani favoured for his training sessions, features gradients of nearly 20 per cent.
“Carpegna is enough for me!” was the cyclist’s iconic statement; in emphasising its intensity, he recalled: “Ever since Coppi, it’s been a climb that has shaped the history of cycling, and every now and then the Giro has passed through it too. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve done it whilst training.” The climb winds its way through woods and fields up to a monument dedicated to ‘Il Pirata’, from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Republic of San Marino, Monte Fumaiolo and Monte Aquilone, the Marecchia valley and, on clear days, even the Adriatic Sea.
The pine forest surrounding Il Cippo offers an ideal retreat for nature lovers and campers, with picnic areas and the “Il Cippo” campsite for those seeking a more immersive experience. It is here that the Futurist obelisk, erected in memory of Sandro Italico Mussolini, stands, adding a touch of history to the natural beauty of the place.
The Pineta Museum, near the Cippo, allows visitors to immerse themselves fully in the natural environment of Monte Carpegna.
Here, amongst other things, you can learn about wild animals through audio recordings of their calls and discover the secrets of the forest through interactive displays
As well as cycling challenges, the Cippo is also a starting point for mountain bike trails, offering routes to suit both family-friendly cyclists and those seeking legendary climbs and adrenaline-fuelled descents. In tribute to Pantani, the Cippo is adorned with an iron sculpture depicting him, making the site a shrine for cycling enthusiasts and a cultural landmark.
From the Cippo, the climb continues to the southern summit of the mountain, at 1,370 metres above sea level, known as the Passo Marco Pantani. From there, the route descends to Passo Cantoniera, offering breathtaking panoramic views, before returning to the village of Carpegna or heading towards Pennabilli and the Romagna region.
A crossroads of flavour and expertise
Food and wine, and traditional crafts
Carpegna carefully preserves its traditions and flavours. Every taste is a journey through history, every craft is a story, and every piece of knowledge is a treasure that is perpetuated and renewed within the continuity of an ancient tradition.
Prosciutto di Carpegna PDO is at the heart of Carpegna’s food and wine traditions, nestled amongst the hills of Montefeltro and produced at an altitude of 748 metres within the Sasso Simone and Simoncello Interregional Park.
This land, rich in influences from Romagna, Tuscany and the Marche, has historically been ideal for the curing of cured meats, thanks to the dry, salty air blowing in from the Adriatic. The firs, hornbeams and vast oak forests have provided the ideal setting for rearing pigs and producing PDO prosciutto since the 1400s.
The ham is made exclusively from heavy Po Valley pigs sourced from Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and the Marche, following a set of specifications that preserve ancient artisanal techniques and ensure a minimum curing period of 16 months.
The Carpegna ham-making facility combines tradition and modernity, making the most of the microclimate for drying the hams.
The tenderness of the ham, its slightly amber colour and the unique recipe for the lard – applied by hand – make it a distinctive and prized product, exported as far afield as the United States and Australia.
The crostolo, a rustic cousin of the piadina, is another mainstay of Carpegna’s cuisine, often served alongside local cheeses and prosciutto, embodying the essence of a cuisine influenced by both the mountains and the sea.
The mushrooms and truffles for which this area is renowned feature on the menus of the valley’s restaurants, as do the meat from livestock reared on the pastures of Monte Carpegna and the honey from local producers.
Beyond the delights of the palate, Carpegna’s craftsmanship is evident in the Antica Stamperia, which for generations has been hand-printing natural fabrics using wooden blocks, perpetuating an art that defies the passage of time.
These fabrics, imprinted with designs that tell of traditions and timeless beauty, are a tangible symbol of Carpegna’s history and craftsmanship.
Camping Paradiso and
Carpegna Park
A warm welcome and plenty of fun
Camping Paradiso is a destination that combines nature and adventure, drawing on the history and hospitality of the local area.
Established in the 1960s based on an innovative idea by Filippo Rosati, it has grown thanks to the dedication of four generations of the family.
Today, it offers a countryside experience that promises relaxation and entertainment, with the chance to immerse yourself in the lush green mountains and breathe air recognised for its purity by the Bandiera Trasparente award.
The campsite has a swimming pool and is ideally situated for exploring the Sasso Simone and Simoncello Natural Park, going on cultural and nature walks, and enjoying activities such as angling and horse riding. Carpegna also serves as a hub for sports tourism, with the Montefeltro Riding Club and other equestrian centres offering the chance to connect with nature through horse riding.
The area is ideal for trekking, with trails ranging from easy walks to more challenging routes such as the Passo della Cantoniera.
Tennis enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of clubs and play this sport, which benefits both body and mind. Carpegna Park, situated at an altitude of 1,000 metres, is an adventure park offering a thrilling experience in the heart of nature.
Here, families and sports enthusiasts can tackle trails through the trees, defying gravity and pushing their limits. Featuring 12 routes of varying difficulty levels and over 80 different obstacles, the park invites visitors of all ages to test their balance and courage on vines, bridges and suspended walkways.
In short, Camping Paradiso and Carpegna Park embody the essence of Carpegna, offering a blend of traditional hospitality, sporting adventure and natural beauty, for an unforgettable experience that satisfies both the need for relaxation and the desire for adventure.
Discover the beauty of Carpegna
The Beauty Trail comes to life
Exploring the beating heart of the Marche region has never been easier. Criluma Viaggi is proud to bring to life Confcommercio Marche Nord’s ‘Itinerario della Bellezza’ project, transforming a guide to excellence into real-life itineraries, ready for you to experience.
Romantic weekends, days spent immersed in nature or cultural tours: we’ve created itineraries to suit all tastes and time constraints. The Criluma experience is the added value that guarantees you first-class treatment, comprising continuous support, personalised attention and prompt responses.