The Malatesta defended their Seignory by means of a series of fortresses close to one another keeping watch over the bordering lands of the hostile Duchy of Urbino.
Montegridolfo guards the ridge which separates the Conca valley, on the Romagna side, from the Foglia valley in Le Marche.
Montegridolfo is a fortified village entirely surrounded by stout walls, its entrance protected by a tower with a mediaeval gateway, carefully and completely restored. This is a place where the past lives again to the benefit of hospitality, tourism and culture.
Montegridolfo was one of the cornerstones of the Eastern Gothic Line.
Today it is part of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy”.
Castle gateway
This is the fortified entrance to the village: the fine gate dates from 1500 but has been altered over the years. The gateway is guarded by a tower, and there are traces showing the existence of a drawbridge.
Church of San Rocco
Once known as the church of Santa Maria, or as the Hospital church, because it stood next to the leper hospital, the Oratory of St. Roch stands just outside the walls and houses three works of art painted one on top of the other in different centuries on the same piece of wall. Restoration work has detached and separated the three paintings, giving us invaluable records of different styles and periods in the treatment of the same Virgin Mary subject.
Gothic Line Museum
The Museum is located outside the walls, in a bunker-like structure.
Excellent restaurants in the old town and the surrounding area, with traditional dishes served with Sangiovese based wines.
Olive oil is undoubtedly the prince among products in this region. There are many small-scale producers, but also larger companies selling excellent oil with an intense, very distinctive scent and flavour.
There is a natural trail about 5 kilometres long, from the Castle to Trebbio, ideal for country walks.
Via Crucis Procession. Good Friday
For the last twenty years, about a hundred participants in costume act out the Passion of Christ. The procession begins at the church of San Rocco and makes its way through the streets by torchlight, ending in the village square.
Montegridolfo Liberata (Historical Reenactment). August
In the Mediaeval castle, a historical reenactment of the battle to free Montegridolfo from German occupation is held.
New Oil on Your Table. 2nd Sunday in December
An important event for local producers and for all lovers of top-quality olive oil. A prize is awarded to the best oil of the year, and conferences and tasting sessions are held. Along the village streets many exhibitors sell olives and oil to suit every taste, and dishes are served that exalt this excellent ingredient.