SANT’ELPIDIO A MARE, AN ANCIENT SOUL SPEAKING TO THE PRESENT

Sant’Elpidio a Mare rises on a hill between the valleys of the Tenna River and the Ete Morto stream, just a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea — a place where time has left deep traces in art, architecture, and collective memory.

Its origins are wrapped in myth and history: it is believed that the town developed on the site once occupied by the Roman city of Cluana, destroyed during the barbarian invasions of the 5th century.

In the year 887, in this very territory, the Imperial Abbey of Santa Croce al Chienti was founded, thanks also to the support of Emperor Charles III the Fat. This Benedictine monastery remained for centuries a spiritual and economic hub, a cultural beacon in the Piceno area.

Over the centuries, next to the abbey, the medieval nucleus grew that would give life to the “Castle of Sant’Elpidio.” As early as the 12th–13th centuries, the town was equipped with walls, gates, towers, and defensive structures, symbols of the community’s autonomy and strategic importance.

Its period of greatest splendor was followed by times of conflict, plundering, and rebuilding: Sant’Elpidio a Mare was devastated in 1328, destroyed in 1377 by Rinaldo da Monteverde, and once again destroyed and rebuilt in 1380 by its own inhabitants.

In the centuries that followed, the town consolidated its religious and civic identity through the construction of new churches and convents, the creation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, and the growth of craftsmanship, which would become — together with culture and devotion — one of the pillars of local life.

Today, Sant’Elpidio a Mare is a vibrant town that carries with it this ancient legacy: the medieval walls, towers, historic churches, artisan traditions, and historical re-enactments are all elements that allow the past to be read without distance. A place where past and present engage in dialogue, inviting visitors to explore, discover, and feel.

TRADITIONS, CULTURE AND FLAVORS

In Sant’Elpidio a Mare, history is not preserved only in the stones of medieval walls or in the halls of museums: here, time is renewed through popular traditions, the energy of city life, and the flavors that tell the story of the Marche region.

Every year, the squares come alive with historical re-enactments that bring the town back to its medieval splendor. The Contesa del Secchio, the first historical re-enactment in the Marche, revives chivalric atmospheres among districts, costumed figures, and traditional games. During the Città Medioevo festival, more than a thousand participants transform the historic center into a stage of scenes, markets, and performances, offering visitors an immersive journey into the past. At Christmas time, the town dresses up with poetry through the Città Presepe, an itinerary winding through alleys and squares illuminated by scenography and living nativity scenes.

Alongside traditions, culture can be felt everywhere: in the Civic Art Gallery “Vittore Crivelli”, which preserves works by one of the masters of the Venetian Renaissance, and in the Footwear Museum, a treasure chest of creativity and a testimony to the entrepreneurial spirit of a territory renowned worldwide for its manufacturing excellence. Concerts, theater performances, and exhibitions enrich the cultural calendar, making the town a lively and surprising meeting point.

And then there are the flavors, narrating the authenticity of Marche’s farming and seafaring traditions: from extra virgin olive oil to local DOC wines, to typical specialties such as vincisgrasso, olive all’ascolana, maccheroncini di Campofilone, and dishes based on fresh fish from the nearby coast. At the table, just like in the squares and museums, Sant’Elpidio a Mare reveals its soul: a town that proudly preserves its past and offers it to visitors with authenticity, warmth, and hospitality.