Sant’Angelo in Vado

A collection of mosaics and classic myths, the capital of white truffle with a long history woven and intertwined with the bell tower of its old town and the secular woods that precede the enchanting profile.

Here every stone, every church, every perfectly ploughed field and each of its many archaeological treasures found in the splendid "Domus del Mito" offers the visitor a piece of its ancient origins.

The capital of Massa Trabaria, the mountainous and impervious internal region of the State of the Church, Sant'Angelo in Vado was born on the ashes of the ancient Roman city Tifernum Mataurense (1st century AD), completely destroyed in the bitter war between the Byzantines and Ostrogots. History saw the Longobards rebuild the city and dedicate the new settlement to the Archangel Michael, from which the name Sant’Angelo comes from. The second part of the name "in Vado" probably refers to the ford, an area used to dye the tissues. With the marriage between Gentile Brancaleoni, daughter of the lords of the city, and Federico da Montefeltro the village was incorporated into the Duchy of Urbino.

The historic centre is a harmonious curve that embraces the brick buildings of the Roman period and the monumental complexes of the Middle Ages, enclosing Renaissance art and the mannerist prints of the Friars Federico and Taddeo Zuccari.

Numerous churches worth visiting are found in the urban medieval area. The Duomo with the chapel dedicated to the Madonna del Pianto, the church of Santa Caterina called "delle Bastarde” due to the work done with abandoned orphans, the seventeenth-century church of San Filippo has tan original octagonal format. The Church of Santa Chiara has a beautiful eighteenth-century portal made of wood, there are also the churches of San Francesco, San Bernardino and San Filippo.

Not far away, near the bridge over the river Metauro, there is the 14th century church and the monastic complex of Santa Maria with its finely decorated baroque altars. A favourite place for visitors is the Domus of Campo della Pieve with its mosaics, one of the most important archaeological finds of the last 50 years.

But Sant'Angelo in Vado is also home to the ancient crafts of the rural economy. The Mulino Matteucci and the anthropological museum testify to the long tradition that is rooted in work and the labours of its people.

Homely and hospitable the land binds a great part of its economy to truffle production, sausages and meats. In honour of the king of the typical products from the Marche region, an important experimental centre in Italy was created to study and improve truffle cultivation techniques and there is national exhibition that has been running for more than half a century.