Urbisaglia
Urbisaglia, a town with ancient origins
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk about Urbisaglia, a charming town in the Marche region. Urbisaglia has about 2,463 inhabitants and is located in the province of Macerata. The town is situated on the San Biagio Hill, between the Entogge and Fiastra valleys, with a temperate climate that makes winters not too cold and summers not too hot.
The history of Urbisaglia
The name of the current municipality derives from that of the ancient Roman city of Parco Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia, through the local forms ''Urbisàlia'' or the more dialectal ''Urbisàiia''.
Urbs Salvia was founded as a Roman colony in the 2nd century BC and the city experienced a period of great splendor between the Augustan and Tiberian ages at the beginning of the 1st century AD.
Unfortunately, its decline began with the passage of Alaric I's troops in 408-409 AD and the city fell into ruin. The situation of decay was also witnessed by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy.
The inhabitants of Urbs Salvia gradually took refuge on the top of the hill, giving rise to the Castro de Orbesallia. In the 12th century, an important religious, economic and cultural center, the Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra, arose near Urbisaglia, which exerted a strong influence on the surrounding territories.
From the 12th to the beginning of the 14th century, Urbisaglia was dominated by the Abbracciamonte family, which ended up ceding to Tolentino the rights to the castle of Urbisaglia: Tolentino settled a military garrison in the castle to prevent the rebellion of the citizens intolerant of its power.
After the lordship of Francesco Sforza, Urbisaglia returned under the dominion of Tolentino, which asked the papacy for permission to build a fortress to discourage any rebellion. The permission to build the Rocca di Urbisaglia was granted to Tolentino in 1497 by Pope Alexander VI.
In 1569, the city was definitively placed under the direct dependence of the Papal State.
The territory of Urbisaglia
Urbisaglia is located on a hill bordered to the West by the Entogge stream valley and to the East by the Fiastra valley. The landscape is characterized by gentle hills and ancient Roman ruins. We are in the intermediate zone between the province of Macerata and the province of Fermo.
To visit in Urbisaglia
If you happen to be passing by Urbisaglia, you cannot miss a visit to the fortress, built in the 16th century, which offers a panoramic view of the city and the Fiastra valley. Urbisaglia is also known for its recently renovated Roman Theater, which has a capacity of about 500 spectators. The Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia, famous for its amphitheater, temple, and ancient Roman walls in the shape of a quadrilateral, is definitely a must-see destination.
Conclusions
In summary, Urbisaglia is a town with ancient origins, located in the province of Macerata with a temperate climate. The city, which was founded as a Roman colony, experienced a period of great splendor between the Augustan and Tiberian ages. However, with the passage of Alaric I's troops in 408-409 AD, the city fell into ruin. In Urbisaglia, you cannot miss the visit to the fortress, Roman Theater, and Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia, known for its amphitheater, temple, and ancient walls.
