Bourgeois palaces and aristocratic residences of the provincial nobility— with their gracious painted or brick facades, sculpted portals and large balconies overlooking the town walls—reveal the wealth accumulated by the ancient merchant class and rural landowners. The facades and courtyards preserve remnants of a bygone era, with occasional memorial slabs lining the roads or window architraves. Sober, austere details blend with other more affected and sophisticated particulars, yet the overall impression is one of extraordinary harmony. The various elements are united by the colour of the terracotta building materials: one such example is the Oratory of St John Beheaded, formerly the headquarters of confraternities and an artistic treasure chest, which is entirely constructed with this material. Splashes of pastel colours enliven the architectural elements, often making it difficult to distinguish whether we’re standing amid prestigious medieval ruins or a carefully-designed stage set. This impression emerges in the town square, the former and current seat of two authorities: the religious power, embodied by the Collegiate and Parish Church, and the civil power, represented by the turreted Town Hall. The latter—reconstructed in the neo-Gothic style popular during the 1930s (Mondolfo suffered a serious earthquake in 1930)—has an undeniable evocative charm, heightened by the perspective of the square and the use of bricks, the preferred building material for the town. Rigorously hand-worked terracotta also features in the most popular recreation venue for Mondolfo’s townsfolk: the ‘Antonio Agostinelli’ sphaeristerium. It is still used today for playing pallone col bracciale, the classic sport of Italian Renaissance courts, cherished by popes (the future Pope Pius IX played it in Mondolfo in his youth), praised by poets and played right until the early 20th century: in essence, the quintessential ball sport prior to the onset of football. The sphaeristerium is the ideal spot for starting a tour of Mondolfo; after venturing beyond Porta Santa Maria gateway, walk down the ancient Via Grande (or Strata Magna, nowadays Via XX Settembre) to rapidly reach the centre of the walled town.Porta Nuova gateway The various alleys opening up to
the left and right along the route reveal the technique used in constructing the blocks of buildings, which all face south and follow the contours of the underlying terrain. The town square—formerly Piazza del Comune and currently dedicated to Mario Del Monaco, the beloved tenor who debuted in Mondolfo—constitutes the heart of the ancient settlement. Virtually all the roads fan out from here: Corso della Libertà leads to Porta Fano gateway; Via Garibaldi penetrates into the inner ring of walls; Via Torre ends at the panoramic viewpoint (Belvedere), while Piazza Don Minzoni flanks the inner ring of walls; Via Genga allows for accessing the western patrol paths; Piazza Bartolini lies near Porta Nuova gateway and the Balcony over the Mountains, while the monastery court allows for accessing the superb Martiniano Gardens, with the lemon house inside Bastione S. Anna.
