Mercatello sul Metauro

Mercatello took shape in 1235, when the people of seven nearby castles were gathered around the old parish church in the upper Metauro valley, a few kilometres from the Apennine pass of Bocca Trabaria; its name recalls the many markets held here. Later it passed to the Dukes of Urbino. Farming and sheep still shape the life of this small fortified town, birthplace of Saint Veronica Giuliani.

Highlights

• San Francesco, with a crucifix signed by Giovanni da Rimini in 1309
• The Pieve Collegiata, keeping parts of its early Romanesque walls
• Sanctuary in the birthplace of Saint Veronica Giuliani
• The 15th-century Ducal Palace, attributed to Francesco di Giorgio Martini
• Santa Croce, rebuilt after 1781 and holding a Giorgio Picchi altarpiece

Summary based on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.