Santarcangelo di Romagna

Santarcangelo is an attractive and important little town which has kept its own particolar features and has maintained strong links with its past and its traditions. The old town centre is a lively place of well-kept houses and mansions, excellent restaurants and wine bars, narrow streets leading to little squares where there is always something going on. The atmosphere is that of a large village where life has kept its rhythm and its identity; visitors at once sense a “town” atmosphere which can only be Romagna.

The heart of the historic town is set on a gentle hill named Colle Giove, the Hill of Jupiter; here you can still see the distintive layout of a mediaeval fortified village. The old town of Santarcangelo is built over a network of beautiful, mysterious caves; the hollow spaces inside them are of notable architectural merit. The entire Hill of Jupiter is criss-crossed by over a hundred tunnels. Experts are still undecided about the various uses and purposes of these artificial caverns which make up a complete subterranean town – wine celars, storage space, places of worship? Today, some of these caves are open to visitors, who are invariably fascinated. The Middle Ages left an indelible mark on the upper part of the town, dominated by the usual fortress, a strategic defence bastion rising from the surrounding plain. In the twelfth century the village was already fortified; the Malatesta lords who governed here from the thirteenth century onwards enlarged and enriched the castle.

Santarcangelo’s role as a town of the first importance, acquired in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, was consolidated still further in later times; during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the original town developed and grew, while still keeping its enviable urban harmony. In 1828, Pope Leo XII conferred on Santarcangelo the title of City; and in 1984, the town received the title of Art Heritage City.

In Santarcangelo, beside history and culture, you can enjoy exploring the nearby river Marecchia full of little lakes and paths deep in the countryside, ideal for hiking, mountain bike and excursions on horseback. You can also relax yourself playng GOLF and in the evening.after the visit to one of the typical restaurants of Santarcangelo, having a walk in the centre lights.