5 +1 things to visit in San Severino Marche

San Severino Marche, a city of towers and bell towers, nestled in the rolling hills of Macerata in the Potenza valley, is our travel destination for this article.

It is considered one of the most interesting cities from a historical, cultural, naturalistic point of view, and its municipality covers an area of 60 kilometers, with 58 hamlets; an ideal business card for a weekend in the Marche region in a camper.

Follow us then that we list the 5 +1 things not to be missed while visiting San Severino Marche.

Two notes on the history of the city

The origins of San Severino Marche are very ancient; there are already documents from the prehistoric and Piceno period.

It developed under the name of Septempeda in the Roman period and became an important municipality on the ancient Via Flaminia, which connected the capital of the Empire to the Adriatic coast. Remains of the prehistoric and Roman period can still be seen in the archaeological area of ​​Piede and in the Archaeological Museum of San Severino Marche.

But its development dates back to the 1300s, when it grew both from the building point of view with considerable urban development, and with the flourishing of art shops.

The proposals for visiting the city are developed on 2 historical-cultural itineraries:

• the first develops in the lower part of the center that goes from Piazza del Popolo to Porta Romana also known as Porta del Peso because from here you took the road to Rome and because it was the seat of the tax collector
• and the second instead develops in the upper part on the top of the Black Hill called Castle and enclosed in the ancient walls.

Camera in hand and comfortable shoes, together we begin to discover San Severino Marche

The 5 things to visit

1- Piazza del Popolo

In our opinion, the visit must start from this elliptical square and entirely arcaded, which make it one of the most beautiful squares in the Marche. Walking under the arcades, it is immediately clear that for the Sanseverinati or Settempedani people this square is the place for strolling and Sunday meeting. In the square there are palaces from the 15th and 19th centuries such as the Town Hall, the church of San Giuseppe, the Fonte della Misericordia with the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, the Feronia Theater.

2-Feronia Theater

This theater, built in 1823 on a previous eighteenth-century theater that was destroyed, should be visited for the beauty of the interior workmanship and for the important curtain. It develops on a horseshoe plan with three orders of boxes and galleries all enriched by splendid ornaments and paintings.

We leave the square on via Garibaldi and continue on via Salimbeni to stop at the next visit we recommend

3- Palazzo Manuzzini – Civic Art Gallery

Set up inside this 15th century building, the Pietro Tacchi-Venturi Civic Art Gallery offers you masterpieces on a visit that at the price of only € 5.00 (very few in our opinion) will accompany you in the historical and cultural events of the city.

We point out some works that particularly struck us during the visit: the Madonna della Pace painted by Pinturicchio, the works of Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni, artists born here and who were protagonists with their works from the pre-Renaissance period. Numerous finds of sacred art follow in the exhibition, on the other hand we are in the territory of papal dominion, and the banners of the city and the twelve castles of the municipal area; remember that we have already told you that the municipality has an extension of 60 km.

4 – Church of San Lorenzo in Doliolo

This is also a stage of the visit not to be missed because this church is among the oldest and most evocative of the city, as well as an ancient Benedictine abbey. In the crypt and in the sacristy there are exceptional frescoes by the Salimbeni brothers, which we were able to admire in the sacred silence of these walls.

San Severino Marche the list goes on …

5- the Ancient Village

But the skyline of San Severino Marche is dominated by the castle and Monte Nero. So we just have to proceed with itinerary two and climb right to the top.

From Porta Romana along a steep road, flanked by the ancient walls, you arrive at the 7 Cannelle gate. Entering, right in front, under a portico of a 1300s building, an ancient Fonte delle Sette Cannelle was the headquarters for the district’s water supply.

The whole itinerary deserves the walk which at times panoramic, opens onto truly wonderful glimpses of the Marche landscape. Going up from Via San Francesco you get to the top where you will find in order:

• The municipal tower of 1200 which had the function of the main tower of the Castle
• The Old Cathedral from the 1300s which was internally remodeled in the 1700s and early 1900s. Here the remains of San Severino the local patron and a wooden choir from around 1500 are preserved.
• The “Giuseppe Moretti” Archaeological Museum named after the archaeologist of Settempedane origin, where numerous artifacts are collected that testify to the importance of the city in ancient times

The link between the city and the Papal State was strong over the centuries. It can be seen from up here with the presence of two monasteries: the Monastery of Santa Caterina and the Monastery of Santa Chiara.

Our walk continues and we descend along Via della Pitturetta to return to the lower part of the city and the camper area.

But the +1 point will you say what it is? In this city of towers and bell towers there is not only culture and certainly we have also thought about local food and wine.

+1 – Local food and wine

Being in an area of excellent wines, we had lunch with a Rosso Classico di San Severino and tasted some excellent local cured meats, such as ham, smaller than our Parma ham and tastier thanks to its size and leaner meat.

The ciauscolo was a real discovery for us, do you already know it?

This salami, which we had already heard about, is typical of the provinces of Ascoli Piceno Macerata and Ancona.

It is worked with pork in the cuts of bacon and shoulder to which are added trimmings of ham, fat, spices and wine.

The very fine grinding makes it particularly creamy and soft, and if eaten fresh it is excellent spread on a slice of toasted bread. Believe us it is a real delicacy!

But if the palate is still not satisfied, here is a first course of pasta filled with bacon and ricotta, topped with wild asparagus and local pecorino cheese will surely win you over.

The delicacy of the ricotta with the body of the bacon in a knot of egg pasta, well they are also excellent simply raw, let alone with a good dressing.

The roundup of dishes to be tasted can continue ranging from excellent local meats, such as rabbit in a pan with olives accompanied by seasonal vegetables or suckling pig with roasted crust.

Curiosity

But a curiosity that they had never tasted before we reveal it to you now: have you ever tasted chips made with pork rinds?

We know perfectly well that it is not a dish that can attract all tastes, but to us, who do not throw away anything from the pig on the plains, and who cook pork rinds with beans for the famous pork rinds and beans, this proposal seemed to us if nothing else. somewhat particular.

Do you want to know what we think?

Too easy, you’ll have to go on a visit to San Severino stop in a gastronomy like us and experiment with this dish.

Our conclusions.

With its extension and the views we have photographed, San Severino Marche is certainly worth a visit. Even more than one.

In addition to the city and the historic village, we have counted 8 castles and numerous churches in the surroundings as evidence of how important this territory was in history.

And if you too are planning a weekend in these parts, in this period of reopening we advise you to consult the website of the Municipality in the tourism portal here.

We certainly plan to return to visit at least the village of Elcito, known as “The Tibet of the Marches” and the caves of Sant’Eustachio in the Valle dei Grilli.

You may already know them and can give us some advice on the matter.

Where to stop in San Severino Marche:

Despite the work in progress in many areas of the city due to the earthquake, two parking possibilities for campers are reported.

Entering from Via Monte Conero you can stop and load and unload in the old camper parking area of ​​the sports facilities in Via Mazzini. It is the closest to the historic center.

In the hospital parking lot, you can park in the parking area towards via Glorioso, which is signposted.