Cingoli, Italy, beautiful village in the Italian Marches region

Visit Cingoli

The town of Cingoli is centrally placed in the rolling countryside of the Marche region of eastern Italy, and is classified as one of the 'most beautiful villages in Italy'.

Boasting an artistic heritage of great interest, and set on a hill at a height of 600 meters while also only a short distance from the Adriatic Sea, Cingoli offers history, charming landscapes and easy access to coastal resorts, making it a popular summer destination.

Explore Cingoli

Your visit to Cingoli can start from the central square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, which includes several historic buildings including the Town Hall, dating from the second half of the 13th century, and a clock also from the end of the 13th century.

The ground floor of the Town Hall now houses the Archaeological Museum, which holds some prehistoric artefacts found in the region around Cingoli, dating from the Palaeolithic to Neolithic periods, and there are also medieval inscriptions and other newer finds to be seen in the museum.

Originally there were several coats of arms of the cardinals on the facade but these were removed for safety reasons in the second half of the 17th century, because some of them were damaged and endangering passers-by.

Cingoli Cathedral

Near the palace, Cingoli Cathedral dates back to the 18th century and was constructed for Pope Pius VIII (1761-1830). The interior has a nave with three polygonal apses and is best known for the artworks it contains:

On the first altar there is a painting by an unknown artist depicting “San Albertino healing a child” and on the second is “The Death of St. Gaetano”, by Pier Simone Fanelli (1641-1703). On the altar apse to the right, "The Sermon on the Mount" is by Donatello Stefanucci (1896-1987), a famous local painter, who also decorated the altar.

In the cathedral sacristy you can see "The Virgin and Child Enthroned," attributed to Giovanni Antonio Bellinzoni da Pesaro [1462-1511] and works by Zanino di Pietro Simone Fanelli (1620-1703), and various works in gold, such as the “Gold Rose”. This is on public display at the Feast of “Santa Maria Assunta”, to whom the church is dedicated.

Cingoli churches and palaces

Heading along Via Foltrani you reach the 14th century Church of Saint Dominic built soon after the death of the Saint. The church has a painting by Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1556), "Our Lady of the Rosary and Saints".

Continuing on, you arrive at Piazza Capranica and the Church of St. Benedict which houses some remarkable works, such as "San Severo", attributed to the school of Andrea Sacchi (1599-1661), and a "Pieta", presumably by Annibale Carracci (1560-1609).

In the Piazza dello Spineto stands the 16th century Puccetti Palace, which once belonged to Bartolomeo Puccetti. The door has two telamons*, while on top of the doors are several coats of arms of local noble families.

* A 'telamon' is a male sculpture, sometimes in relief, used as structural support or for decorative purposes

Another religious building of importance in Cingoli is the Church of the Philippines, which has Roman and Renaissance motifs, while the interior houses works by Giacinto Calandrucci (1646-1707), and Charles Cignali (1628-1694).

Among the many other buildings in the city, a special mention goes to the 14th century Conti Palace which was owned and built by the Noble Family of Conti, with it's Gothic portal once engraved with coats of arms, later erased.

Cingoli art gallery

Along the Via Garibaldi youe can visit the Cingoli Art Gallery, which houses medieval paintings by Lorenzo Lotto, “Madonna of the Rosary and Saints” (1539); by Lorenzo Salimbeni (1374-c.1420); Bellinzoni Giovanni Antonio da Pesaro (1462-1511); Girolamo Nardini (16th century) and Gianandrea Lazzarini (1710-1801).

Contemporary painters represented in the gallery include Donatello Stefanucci (1896-1987), Virgilio Guidi (1891-1984), Cesare Peruzzi (1894-1995), Danilo Bergamo (born in 1938), R. Licata (born in 1929), and E. Parisi (born in 1938).

At Porta Pia in Borgo Danti there is the old Church of San Esuperanzio (1139), which is located about two hundred meters from the walls and was once owned by the Monastery of Fonte Avellana. The church has a dual style combining romanesque and gothic elements, and it is rightly considered one of the most important religious buildings in Cingoli.

The church façade, of gray stone, is decorated with a canopy and a romanesque portal, engraved (as you can see on an inscription) by “Mastro Giacomo" in 1295. The interior has a nave divided into seven spans, with the apse particularly remarkable - it was built in the late 16th century and is supported by two romanesque style columns.

Also here you can admire a work attributed to Giovanni Antonio Bellinzoni da Pesaro (1415 ca.-1478 ca.) and the “Flagellation” by Sebastiano del Piombo (1485-1547).

Towards the end of your tour of historic Cingoli, on reaching the Piana Gate, you can visit the 13th century Church of Santa Sperandia, dediacetd to the patron saint of the city. The baroque style church contains works by Pier Simone Fanelli (the “Miracle of Cherries”) and by Antonio Faenza ("Madonna and Child with Saints") from the 16th century.

Local cuisine

As well as art and landscape, the town of Cingoli offers some tempting local dishes, among which the so-called "Carciù" with "black truffle", the "noodles" with wild boar sauce and gnocchi with duck, ideal to pair with wines such as the Verdicchio and Rosso Piceno.