Montefalcone Appennino

Montefalcone, an ancient town perched on the edge of a high fossiliferous sandstone cliff, lies at an altitude of 758 meters above sea level in the southern part of the mountain of the same name. The town was included since the 10th century A.D. in the territories of the Farfense garrison, and from 1214, the year in which it obtained Communal Freedom, for more than 100 years it was the scene of wars and occupations by Fermano itself and the City of Ascoli Piceno. Montefalcone offers visitors an extraordinary panorama: from the Sibillini Mountains to the Maiella, from the Gran Sasso to Mount Conero and the Adriatic Sea. Surrounded by greenery, it is the ideal place for those seeking a relaxing vacation in contact with nature, history and culture. The forest that covers much of Mount Falcone, because of the variety of plant species, is a Protected Floristic Area and Site of Community Importance. Worthy of interest are the fossiliferous areas rich in finds dating back to the Lower Pliocene.

In the historic center, at Palazzo Felici, an aristocratic residence dating back to the 17th century, it is possible to visit the Museum Complex, with sections devoted to local fossils, fossils from around the world and from all eras, and minerals. Pertinent to the Museum is the “Tronelli Garden,” which descends with snake paths born along the cliff of the mountain. Also on display at the Fenici Palace is the polyptych “Madonna and Child” (1475/1480) by Painter Pietro Alamanno.

The museum facility is also home to an Environmental Education Center, equipped to provide educational services to school groups and organized groups. In the highest part of the town stands the ancient Farfense castle and its unique tower, recently restored and particularly impressive. Not far from the town center stands the Franciscan monastery, purchased by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223, just a few steps from the miraculous spring made by the saint, from which clear, fresh water flows.

Monuments, churches

• Local Pliocene fossiliferous areas
• Bastion with tower and viewpoint, surrounding wall
• Mount Falcone forest
• Environmental Education Center
• Church of Our Lady of the Ladders
• Church of San Pietro in Penne
• Church of St. Michael the Archangel
• Church of St. Anthony of Padua
• Franciscan Convent and Church of St. G. Baptist
• Pit of “Magical Adventure”
• Sixteenth-century loggia
• Museum of Fossils and Natural History
• Alamanno Museum
• Felici Palace
• Rooftop terrace
• Scalelle Pass Tunnel

Local traditions:

Typical activities: truffle and pink apple cultivation.