Experience Italy
Mercatello
Nestled in an idyllic valley of sunflower fields at the foot of the Apennine mountains, Mercatello seems a place where time has stood still. A walled medieval village in the Italian Marche, Mercatello’s landscape is reminiscent of the neighboring Tuscan and Umbrian regions with farms and historic stone dwellings tucked into the hills and valleys. Situated at 1600 ft and surrounded by mountains, Mercatello enjoys sunny blue skies with cooling mountain breezes in the mornings and evenings.
At night the lighted bell towers of the Collegiate Parish Church and the Palazzo Gasparini can be seen from afar and guide you to the heart of Mercatello – the Piazza Garibaldi – where the Italian life of years ago is still vibrant and welcoming today.
Musica e Musica, a presenting arts organization in Mercatello, is a collaborative partner with Perform Opera in Italy, offering administrative support and concert publicity.
Pesaro, the symbol of Music in Le Marche, has been designated the Italian Capital of Culture for 2024. Additional concerts and events are scheduled throughout the province in 2024. The Rossini Orchestra of Pesaro will perform in Mercatello’s San Francesco on July 28 and Perform Opera in Italy will present its opera program August 2. Mercatello will receive additional publicity and recognition for their artistic offerings as a part of this collaboration.
Excursions to Nearby Villages
The picturesque countryside with its lightly traveled roads and pathways offer hikes and mountain biking through the woods and fields of grain, past stone farmhouses and picnic spots by slow moving streams. All of this only a few minutes from the piazza!
The Marche’s well-known city of Urbino and its notable cultural and artistic influences can be seen in the invaluable collection of objects, furniture, frescoes and works of art in Mercatello’s museums, palazzi and churches dating back to the 12th century.
Urbino, a renaissance city with an impressive Ducal palace and museum, and Urbania and St. Angelo in Vado, with their museums and ancient buildings and monuments, are within easy reach by bus. Pesaro, home of the Rossini Opera Festival and the Accademia Rossiniana, is located on the Adriatic and a popular Saturday excursion for students. Within two hours by car, you can explore a plethora of historical towns, such as Arezzo, Gubbio, Assisi, San Sepulchro and Perugia. A bit farther, you will find Siena, Montepulciano, Todi, Spoleto…the list goes on!
For information about the cultural events and programs in the Marche:
More information of tourist attractions and photos of Mercatello:
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Palio del Somaro (Donkey Race)
The most exciting and fun summer event in Mercatello is the two-week festivities of the Palio del Somaro based on the famous Palio of Siena – a horse race within the grand piazza of Siena. Somari (donkeys) are beribboned with the colors of their respective neighborhood cantons and the townspeople follow suit wearing colored shirts and draping colored flags from their windows.
The Palio begins with a Mass in the piazza and each bedecked and beribboned donkey receives a blessing, no matter how incalcitrant! The featured events fall on the final weekend with timed competitions of log sawing, pole climbing and so forth. The most coveted competition is the Taglietelle contest where each contestant, rolling pin in hand, is given eggs and flour to make the pasta dough. The winner is the one who can roll out the largest diameter of pasta dough without any holes – it is a very tense contest!
The Palio Race ends with the donkeys and their festooned riders racing to the finish line. Sometimes the donkeys refuse to race or go in the opposite direction! The weekend culminates with a joyous celebration dance in the piazza.
Rolling out the dough for the tagliatelle pasta
Agriturismo Dinners
Agriturismi beckon you to spend an evening sampling their typical hearty Italian cuisine in an unforgettable romantic atmosphere. Mercatello’s authentic, small-town friendly spirit encourages impromptu get-togethers in its central piazza where you will be welcomed by the locals to practice your Italian language skills!
Agriturismo Grotto dei Folleti
