Montappone

From ancient times it was dominated by the very powerful family of the Brunforte nobles and was nevertheless always in the sphere of influence of the city of Fermo. At the beginning of the 14th century the castle of Montappone was destroyed by Gentile da Mogliano and rebuilt by the Montapponesi in 1371.
In 1808, with the advent of the Kingdom of Italy, those of Massa Fermana and Monte Vidon Corrado were joined to the municipality of Montappone. When papal rule was restored, Montappone was the seat of the district governor, transferred first to Falerone, then to Montegiorgio. In 1827 it had a Podestà with jurisdiction over Massa Fermana as well.

Places of interest

A Museum opened in 1991 and reorganized in 2014 in its new location in Piazza Roma is dedicated to the hat: all the stages of straw processing are illustrated along the museum’s itinerary, from harvesting to selection, from weaving to stitching, and finally to the decoration and sale of the hat. Inside the museum there is also a special section “Marche, tanto di cappello,” an original project in which some of the excellences of the Marche region reinterpret the hat, giving rise to spectacular productions: glass, paper, leather, ceramics, stone, food, music, wood, metal and fabric are the raw materials reworked by the skilled hands of master craftsmen and the creativity of designers. Hat Museum open by appointment.

Absolutely not to be missed is the Exhibition of “The Mad Hatter.” The Mad Hatter is a character from the book “Alice in Wonderland” who has a strange relationship with time. The “Mad Hatter” is the symbolic character that represents the desire, hidden in each of us, to free ourselves from the constraints and strictures of time to express ourselves as the most extraordinary imagination wishes. Madness thus borders on genius, on the ability to surprise, exaggerating or transforming the function of an object such as the hat, which among clothing accessories best expresses the mark of each person ‘s personality, transformed into a unique, magical and exciting piece, a true object of art. Hats designed and elaborated with absolute and free creativity, specially made in the most diverse materials to show the imagination, flair and skills of the “master hatters” of Montappone come out from all times. It is like entering a “wonderland,” as out of time as any work of art; an original and unique space of the skills and flair of those who have always devoted their best energies to hats for everyone’s time. The Exhibition is open by reservation.

Monuments, churches

• Oratory Church of the Blessed Sacrament (currently closed), with a 14th-century brick portal surmounted by the coat of arms of the confraternity and a “Madonna and Child” fresco by Pagani; the Church of Santa Maria in Castello (currently closed), whose altar is embellished with another “Madonna and Child” by Pomarancio.
• Parish Church of St. Mary and St. George, patron saint of the town. The majestic structure stands in Piazza Roma on Montappone’s main street. Founded on the remains of a Romanesque villa, it was consolidated after the 2016 earthquake. The elegant red brick facade is embellished with tall pilasters, a beautiful ornate white stone portal, a frescoed lunette and a large rose window.
• Panoramic walk around the castle-like heart of the town to admire the view from the Conero to the Sibillini Mountains.