Monteprandone - Monteprandone

Monteprandone is a city of Piceno in Marche.

To know

The village is located five minutes from the golden Adriatic beaches of San Benedetto del Tronto and enjoys an enchanting panorama that embraces the Adriatic sea, the Sibillini mountains and the Gran Sasso. Sometimes towards the south you can see the profile of the Majella above the hills of the Tronto valley that descend towards the sea. It is the native town of the Franciscan San Giacomo della Marca (1393 - 1476), of the painter Carlo Allegretti (1555 - 1622) and of the Bishop Monsignor Eugenio Massi (1875 - 1944). Monteprandone is very visited because it houses the Sanctuary of San Giacomo della Marca.

Legend has it that the castle was built in the 9th century by a Frankish knight following Charlemagne. Its name would have been Brandone or Prandone, hence the name of the castle and the town.

Geographical notes

Center of the Marche sub-Apennines, located in the immediate hinterland of San Benedetto del Tronto, just 5 km from the Adriatic Sea, on the crest of a short ridge that divides the valley of the Ragnola stream (to the north) from that of the Tronto river (to the south) .

Background

The first historical document concerning Monteprandone dates back to 1039 when a certain Longinus together with a certain Guido Massaro donated the village and the church of San Nicola di Bari to the Monastery of Santa Maria di Farfa in Sabina, which kept it until 1292 when, spontaneously , the population for security reasons decided to pass under the protection of Ascoli. The bond with Ascoli became even stronger thanks to Pope John XXII who, with the bull of May 13, 1323, granted in perpetual fief to Ascoli "for loyalty and services rendered and in retaliation to the rebel Stop".

Between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries three other hills were annexed: Montetinello, Monterone and Monticelli, thus arriving at the five hills that we see today represented in the municipal coat of arms.

In 1935 a royal decree annexed, after many attempts in previous years, the hamlet Porto D'Ascoli, detaching it from the municipality of Monteprandone, for reasons of territorial convenience as San Benedetto del Tronto it is booming and needs space, and at the request of the citizens themselves.

How to orient yourself

How to get

By plane

The closest airports are those of Pescara, Ancona is Rome.

On the train

The town is served by the "Monteprandone" railway stop, located along the railway Ascoli Piceno-San Benedetto del Tronto.

By bus

From San Benedetto del Tronto there are buses that lead to Monteprandone.

How to get around

By public transport

The suburban public transport in Monteprandone is managed with self-rides carried out by the START company.

What see

• Walls. Dating back to the 14th-15th centuries and still intact. 
• Church of San Nicola di Bari (Church of San Niccolò). Of very ancient origin, as in the current territory of Monteprandone the parish church of San Donato already existed in the early centuries of the Christian era, evidence of the living presence of an original Christian community, connected with nearby Truentum (today Martinsicuro). In the early Middle Ages, this territory with its castles of Sculcula and Monte Cretaccio and its churches was subjected to the bishop of Fermo and the abbey of Farfa. The current parish church, born "ab immemorabili" from the ancient Farfa monastery of San Leonardo, was elevated to the status of Collegiate Church in 1507. Renovated between 1639 and 1658, it was completely rebuilt in the early nineteenth century in a neoclassical style based on a design by architect Pietro Maggi and was re-consecrated by Monsignor Bufarini in 1858. Inside there is a fourteenth-century wooden crucifix and a pipe organ designed by Angelo Morettini from Perugia in 1839. It is one of the first modern organs enclosed in a wooden case. wooden resonance to one compartment. The Morettinis were a family of organ builders whose activity then spanned the whole of the nineteenth century. 
• Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (It is located 1.5 km from the town). It is part of the Franciscan convent complex which was built in 1449 thanks to San Giacomo della Marca, the most illustrious son of this land, whose remains are preserved in this church. There is a 14th century triptych and then works by Vincenzo Pagani and Cola d'Amatrice. Also noteworthy is the sixteenth-century cloister of the convent (also known as the convent of San Giacomo). Inside, the chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses a precious and venerated image of the Madonna in terracotta from the 15th century, donated to San Giacomo by Cardinal Francesco della Rovere. Do not miss a visit to the beautiful 16th century cloister, decorated with frescoes depicting the life of the saint. In a room of the cloister there is the Museum of San Giacomo. By ancient tradition, San Giacomo della Marca is invoked as the protector of children. The Sanctuary is a destination for pilgrimages fromItaly and fromEurope. The Sanctuary of San Giacomo della Marca, visited every year by over many pilgrims. It is located in the center of a sacred square that contains four of the most famous sanctuaries in Europe: Loreto, Monteprandone, San Gabriele, San Giovanni Rotondo. 
• Codex Museum. Of the library established by San Giacomo della Marca, enriched even after his death to reach more than 700 pieces, today only a small part remains. But the presence of a 9th-10th century codex and 54 14th-15th century codices is enough to speak of an authentic treasure of inestimable artistic and cultural value, returned to its splendor after the restoration carried out until 2012 by the Opificio delle Hard stones of Florence. The manuscripts are kept in showcases designed to protect them from the effects of changes in lighting and temperature. They are part of the so-called Library of San Giacomo, collected in the 15th century by the Saint to encourage the education of confreres and scholars. Sermons, Laudi, works of history and literature, manuscripts dating back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and in one case even the ninth century. It consists of 60 volumes and it is also possible to view a letter from St. James to San Giovanni da Capestrano, dated Rome 14 December 1455. On some codes we can still read the declaration with which St. James made known the person who had given or sold them to him. the cost and the place of destination, which at the time was the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Monteprandone. 

Events and parties

• Festival of fried olives all'ascolana and mouflon stew. It is held in early August. 
• St. James (Patronal feast). It is celebrated on November 28th. 

What to do

Shopping

How to have fun

Where to eat

Average prices

• Hostaria del Cavaliere. 
• Dimora di Bacco restaurant. 
• Osteria 1887. 
• Restaurant - Pizzeria Piazza dell'Aquila, ☎ 39 339 5031923. 

High prices

• ^{[link not working]}Enotecaué wine shop, Via Borgo da Mare 83, ☎ 39 0735 62153. Tue-Fri 18: 00-00: 00 Sat-Sun 18: 00-01: 00. 

Where stay

Average prices

• Farmhouse Il Sapore della Luna Monteprandone, ☎ 39 0735 62141. 
• ^{[link not working]}Belvedere Hotel. 
• San Giacomo Hotel Restaurant. 
• Residence Borgo da mare Monteprandone. 

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

• San Benedetto del Tronto
• Ascoli Piceno
• Stop
• Loreto

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Monteprandone
• Commons contains images or other files on Monteprandone

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