Costacciaro

A mosaic of lawns alternating with century-old beech woods. A landscape carved from high altitude springs making caves and deep gorges on vertical walls. The ancient castle of Costacciaro develops on the massif of Monte Cucco, along the consular Via Flaminia, immersed in a protected natural area, scattered by a dense network of hiking trails.

Its origins date back to the Romans, as evidenced by the bridge over the River Sirca. Castrum Costacciari became part of the Municipality of Gubbio, At this time, the fortification continued, commissioned by Federico da Montefeltro, who in turn commissioned Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The Sienese architect's work is the majestic tower called Rivellino, from the singular shape of  a ship's bow, and a complex and functional water supply system. The massive system of towers and doors, constructed with defensive function around the thirteenth century, is still preserved in part today: the civic tower, with the gateway to the village, is the business card of the village, while in via della Roccacia there is another tower that was an integral part of the defence system.

The heritage of the historic centre is preserved in the buildings which are rich in art and history. The Romanesque church of St. Francis, erected in the first half of the 13th century and was enlarged at the beginning of the 1700s, features a limestone façade.  It has carved altars from the 1600’s, a fresco of the Martyrdom of St Sebastian and paintings attributed to Matteo da Gualdo. Under the high altar the remains of the patron saint Thomas are preserved.

In Via Massarelli, in the heart of the village, the ancient mill from the XVII century, which is now a communal property, has been perfectly preserved. With its lever system and wooden beam for squeezing and pressing the olives, it produced oils until 1960, in the past a donkey was used to turn the stone mill.

In the small hamlet immersed in the regional park of Monte Cucco, the rhythms of man still follow nature. Here it is not uncommon to come across wolves, hares or wild boars, to glimpse golden eagles or hawks among the tops of the mountains. Amongst the most unusual but beautiful scenes one can experience is the excitement of the Grand Canyon of Monte Cucco.

To investigate this miracle of nature, from the source of the springs to the formation of the mountains and to the permeability of the terrain, the historical-naturalistic museum was founded. Today defined  as a museum-laboratory, it contains an exhibition of fossil finds and interactive multimedia stations to make a virtual journey through the caves. There is also an environmental education centre for schools.

The barrel race by teams of "pushers" who race along cobbled streets celebrates the harvest. The taverns prepare traditional dishes such as bigoli, a type of pasta, seasoned with basil and ricotta.