Marotta

I t is much debated whether the Carthaginian troops of Hasdrubal, brother of Hannibal, were defeated precisely on this site by the Roman army in the famous Battle of Metauro (207 BC)—some crucial phases of which were perhaps fought in Marotta.

However, there’s no doubt that the town was frequented in Roman times, as revealed by a cistern discovered here dating from that period. However, it was only after the construction of a coaching inn along the coastal road connecting Fano to Senigallia that Marotta began to develop, as widely attested from the 16th-century onwards. The Vecchia Osteria (‘Old Tavern’), as the coaching inn was called, was a solid building with a hipped roof and three arches on the facade that opened onto the remise. The latter could contain up to six coaches and had an adjacent stable for keeping up to thirty horses. It was also used as a shelter for soldiers coming from the walled town of Mondolfo.

Nonetheless, it was the construction of the Ancona-Bologna railway along the Papal State’s coastline—willed by Pope Pius IX in 1846—and, subsequently, of the railway station, that would eventually transform Marotta into a popular modern seaside resort. In 1884, Mondolfo’s municipal authorities decided to fund the construction of the railway station, now an industrial architecture monument. Within the space of a few years, the station developed into an important trading centre and transit point for travellers coming from the inland territories: as a result, the fishermen’s village soon discovered its vocation for beach tourism and developed into a popular holiday destination, thanks to its pleasant beaches, warm hospitality of the inhabitants and exquisite cuisine based on oily fish and garagoj, a rare seafood delicacy available only in this area, making Marotta its worldwide capital. A well-equipped beach resort, Marotta has been frequently awarded the European FEE Blue Flag recognition.