Descrizione
Scenes of narrow streets interspersed with charming squares, one after the other; windows opening out onto olive groves and unspoilt nature; flowers and plants adorning doorways and skylights… and then there are caves, historic buildings, art studios, places steeped in history and spirituality, and a myriad of intriguing tales.
All this is the historic centre of Cartoceto, whose historic core has a distinctive and unique layout: the streets are arranged in a herringbone pattern, running along the main road (once known as the ‘via di mezzo’) which descends within the walls and continues towards Piazza Garibaldi, formerly Piazza del Mercato, overlooked by Palazzo del Popolo, a 14th-century building distinguished by its distinctive Clock Tower, on which is affixed a sundial commissioned in the 17th century and restored on several occasions.
On the façade of the Palazzo, two coats of arms of the Rusticucci family stand out; one is carved from sandstone and features two keys and a sword arranged in a cross on a blue field, with laurel and oak branches, surmounted by a crown symbolising a castle.
Beneath the palace’s archway, enshrined in a niche, stands a small statue of the Black Madonna of Loreto. Finally, in Piazza Garibaldi, the distinctive fountain, which has welcomed visitors to this square since 1941, also takes pride of place.
