Enrolled among “the most beautiful villages in Italy“, it obtained the first place in the “ranking” in 2007. This is the year in which Corinaldo, a village in the Marche region in the province of Ancona, earns precious praise. A location that offers a variety of experiences. A mix of history, religion, nature and rural characters.
Corinaldo: a village of 1000 faces
It seems designed specifically for the most insatiable tourist. One of the first things that stands out is undoubtedly the walls. Perfectly preserved, it closes around the medieval historic center. Strolling inside means rediscovering buildings, squares, towers. But also grasping the relationship between history and surrounding space. From the highest point of the medieval town, a panoramic perspective opens onto the surrounding countryside. An excellent “window” to observe and reflect on the peasant development of the area.
A testimony of the bucolic connotation is given by the ancient Patregnani mill. Located just outside the ancient village, it houses the oil, wine and flour room. Typical products from the countryside that have favored the local economy. But also the story of the rural activities of the place. Returning to the inside of the walls, the picture gallery and the costume room where reproductions of sixteenth-century clothes should not be forgotten. But Corinaldo certainly does not end here. To complete it there are large green areas. Suitable for picnics and nature walks that can also be traveled by bicycle. To all this are added other historical itineraries. These are the Roman origins of which traces remain in the archaeological site of Suasa. Located a few kilometers from Corinaldo, it offers mosaic floors and the early Christian basilica of Santa Maria in Portuno.
And that’s not all
The possibilities offered by Corinaldo are truly manifold! Maybe not everyone knows it but this lively town was the land of Santa Maria Goretti. Here the birthplace of the Saint can be visited. A modest peasant house with simple and Spartan spaces. The bedroom with some furniture belonged to the Goretti family stands out and acquires a significant symbolic meaning. But Corinaldo also reserves other surprises. Popular events are added to the aforementioned agricultural activities that design the environment with slopes, hills and rows. Fruit of the intense rural past, they intertwine with legends and traditions. Like that of the “polenta well” which is found along the internal staircase in the medieval center. Here you can hear the fanciful story of the tired farmer.
Sitting on the edge of the well to rest, he inadvertently fell into it dragging the sack of flour with him. How does this story end? The desperate man asked for help by capturing the attention of several passersby. And here’s a twist. The real protagonist of the legend is not the farmer but the sack of flour! Facing the well, the local people noticed how the flour was mixing with the water from the well. This is how polenta was born, still celebrated today through curious anniversaries. Like the eloquent “polenta pit contest”. The historical re-enactment of Corinaldo’s victory over the Urbino army that occupied the city in 1517. Corinaldo is all of this. A place where infinite paths of human history are hidden. Tenacious constructions and regenerating landscapes contaminated by agricultural industriousness. A destination to satisfy knowledge desires.
