Sant'Angelo in Pontano
Sant'Angelo in Pontano: The City
Hello! Today I will tell you about Sant'Angelo in Pontano, an Italian municipality located in the province of Macerata, Marche. With its 1,285 inhabitants, Sant'Angelo is a small town that has a lot to offer.
Physical Geography
The territory of Sant'Angelo in Pontano extends over several hills of the hinterland of Macerata and borders many other places, such as Fiastra, San Ginesio, Moelano, and Falerone. If you want to visit the city, the geographic coordinates can be useful: the coordinates of the center of Piazza N.A. Angeletti are . If you prefer the UTM system (Universal Transverse Mercator projection), the center of the square has coordinates 4773262.
The territory of the city also extends from parallel 43° 04' 20" North to parallel 43° 08' 13" North and from the meridian having East longitude 0° 54' 46" from Monte Mario to that having East longitude 0° 59' 20" also from Monte Mario. The maximum distance between two points of the municipal territory border is 7.575 km and it is diagonally in the NE-SO direction between the confluence of the Tifa coll'Ete morto, in Salti, and the border with Gualdo in Collezampone, towards Villa Morrone.
The landscape of the hills of the hinterland of Macerata is typical of the territory of Sant'Angelo, but there is also a flat area of Passo Sant'Angelo, on the Fiastra valley, which I recommend exploring.
History
Sant'Angelo in Pontano has a long history. During the Roman era, this territory was a "vicus" or "pagus". With the advent of Christianity, the cult of San Michele Arcangelo became widespread and still appears in the name and coat of arms of the municipality.
During the Lombard era, the village was part of the Duchy of Spoleto, in the Gastaldato di Ponte, from which "in Pontano" was added to the name of this locality to distinguish it from other homonymous ones. In the seventh century, the Santa Maria delle Rose convent was built by the Benedictines and shortly after the village came under the control of the Farfa Abbey. In the tenth century, the local nobles took power.
In December 1263, Sant'Angelo in Pontano became a medieval commune, but after a few years, it submitted to the city of Tolentino and subsequently to Fermo. In the mid-fourteenth century, following the attempt by Cardinal Egidio Albornoz to reduce the castles of the Marche under the domination of the Pope, Sant'Angelo was besieged and conquered by papal troops.
In 1413, the Da Varano family took possession of the city, but twenty years later it returned to Fermo thanks to the campaign of Francesco Sforza. It was again taken by the Pontiffs, sacked, and severely damaged, but soon the damages were repaired and it returned to being part of the territory of Fermo until the Napoleonic period when it was included in the Department of Tronto.
In 1860, at the time of the suppression of the Fermana province, it became part of the province of Macerata.
Conclusions
The history of Sant'Angelo in Pontano is rich and fascinating. This small Italian municipality has many things to offer thanks to its characteristic territory and its strategic position in the Marche region. If you are looking for a destination off the beaten tourist path, Sant'Angelo in Pontano could be the right choice for you.
