Visit Servigliano: the ideal town with two names

Between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennines mountains, Servigliano is a small town of the beautiful Marche region, famous for its iconic quadrilateral walls, its story of rebuilding which for many decades had given another name to the town and for its role during the two world wars in the XXth century. Thanks to stunning landscapes, beautiful architectures and amazing events organized every year, Servigliano is a wonderful Italian village which deserves to be visited.

Servigliano is a little gem of Marche region with many interesting architectures, beautiful countryside and a peculiar history. Famous to be the ideal town of XVIIIth century, completely rebuilt in a neoclassic style, Servigliano has many sights to visit: quadrilateral walls with the gateways, churches and historical palaces, Servigliano is a beautiful village to explore enjoying its quiet and relaxing atmosphere during a holiday in Italy. Let find out together the beauties of Servigliano and discover with us why it is famous as the ideal town with two names.

Located in a flat territory surrounded by the evocative heights of the Apennines and crossed by the Tenna river which descends from the Sibillini mountains, Servigliano is a typical Italian borgo with high walls, access doors, the main church and some beautiful palaces. Part of the Fermo municipality, the territory out of Servigliano is composed of hills covered with woods and the countryside is the classic Italian landscape, with olives trees and vineyards which produce extra virgin olive oil and wine, two of the excellencies of the Italian cuisine.

Servigliano has a long history deriving from the Roman era and which arrives until the XXth century. The original town was built in the year 1000 in a place up to a height hosting a Roman villa, which gave the original name to the town Servigliano (from latin Servilius). This place is 4 kilometers far from the current location since in the XVIIIth century the town collapsed and was rebuilt by the State of the Church by will of Pope Clement XIV with a project of Virginio Bracci in a flat territory close to the original position. In honor of the Pope who gave a new life to Servigliano, for more the a century the new town was named Castel Clementino and only after Italy's unification it obtained back the ancient name of Servigliano.

Servigliano offers some unique and beautiful places to explore with a city center completely closed in an almost perfect square (137 x 144 meters). This geometric perfection dates back to the XVIIIth century when the town was rebuilt following the Enlightenment rules of the ideal city and taking as an example Pienza, the ideal city of the Tuscan Renaissance. 

Within the walls are the main religious and civic buildings of Servigliano, although some are located outside the town center, including the 19th-century Bridge over the Tenna River, a stone reconstruction of an ancient wooden bridge and the Ancient Fountain on the road to Servigliano, a trace of the village’s history. 

Closed in an almost perfect perimeter, the city center of Servigliano is approachable using one of the three monumental gateways built in the XVIII century: Porta Clementina or Porta Marina located to the north, Porta Pia or Porta Navarra to the south and Porta Santo Spirito or Porta Amandola located to the south-west. 

The quadrilateral walls, better known as Quadrilatero cittadino (urban quadrilateral), surrounds the perimeters of the city center and looking at it from above it is possible to admire the perfect shape as well as the lines of this square. Entering one of the three access doors, Servigliano town looks like an ancient Roman city with the main street - the decumanus – crossing the town until the main square Piazza Roma.

Here you will find the most important buildings of Servigliano, as well as the huge Monument to the Fallen of the First World War, created by Salvatore Saponaro and also known as the ‘Allegory of the Soldier as an Ancient Hero’ and the more recent Monument to the Fallen of Nassiriya, established in 2022, in the Park with the same name. 

Servigliano is rich of historical palaces and churches enclosed in its urban quadrilateral, many of which worth a visit. The collegiata church of Saint Mark is a masterpiece of XVIIIth century, which guards the relics of Saint Servigliano and Saint Gualtiero; the church has also a beautiful ancient organ inside and a monumental bell tower outside. 

Other churches in Servigliano worth mentioning are the very ancient Church of San Gualtiero, dedicated to the saint who lived and died here, and the Church of Santa Maria delle Piagge, located in the hamlet of Curetta, the old village of Servigliano, so named because it once hosted the town’s historic parish.

Near the Church of San Marco, you can admire the Palazzo Pubblico, built with a porticoed ground floor using materials from the ancient historic center of Servigliano, and Palazzo Filoni Vecchiotti, now Navvarra, the most beautiful palace in the historic center: a three-story building with a rooftop terrace, windows adorned with pediments and lunettes, and Neoclassical frescoed interiors featuring mythological figures, floral motifs, and geometric designs.

Those who love historic residences will also be fascinated by the two rural noble villas, located outside the urban area and viewable only from the outside: Villa Brancadoro and Villa Vecchiotti.

Just outside the urban quadrilateral lies Santa Maria del Piano, the oldest building of Servigliano. Built on the ruins of a Roman villa, the church is a beautiful and elegant example of 15th-century architecture, featuring a single nave with seven altars.

The church houses a 15th-century statue of the Assumption, an elm choir, and a splendid wooden crucifix. The church is the only building still standing before the Castel Clementino foundation.

Next to Santa Maria del Piano is located the ex-convent of Minor Friars (Frati Minori Osservati) a mid-12th century building with two floors and a characteristic cloister, no longer in use as a convent since the Castel Clementino foundation.

Located outside Servigliano city center it lies the House of Remembrance, a place that remembers the events in which this beautiful town of Marche region was involved during the First and the Second War World.

During both the conflicts, Servigliano hosted a prison camp for the Austrian soldiers in the First World War and for the Allies and Jews during the Second War World.

The House of Remembrance is located inside the old Servigliano train station and along with the Park of Peace - which is physically the place where the prison camp was settled - in 2021 has been declared an Italian national monument.

A direct testimony to the existence of the prison camp is the building of the former Infirmary, today the Digital Center on Judaism and a place of remembrance of a past not to be forgotten.

As every part of Italy, also Servigliano has its excellencies of the “Made in Italy” cuisine such as the local extra-virgin olive oil, made with olives which grow on the Servigliano landscapes, and wines - both white and red ones - that have the DOC and DOCG certification. Servigliano is also a place where it is possible to taste delicious traditional recipes of Marche region: the so called vincisgrassi, a traditional fresh egg pasta made with ragù and bechamel sauce similar to lasagna, or the chocolate serpe, a traditional snake-shaped Christmas cake.

Every year Servigliano offers many interesting events concurring to enjoy the cultural life of this small town. The most important appointment which involves locals and visitors is the Quintana of Servigliano, the historical reenactment of the transfer of the Piana di San Gualtiero which occurred in the XVth century. Every August, for nine days Servigliano streets and squares become the stage of medieval races, music, banquets and the spectacular historical procession.

In summertime, Servigliano also organises the No sound festival, a series of concerts which recall important national and international singers and artists at the park of peace, a place rich of history and culture.

On occasion of the annual religious festivity of the Corpus Domini, which falls in June, Servigliano hosts the Infiorata, which traditionally covers the streets with drawings made up with thousands of colorful flower petals.

The easiest way to reach Servigliano by car is the A14 highway; the connection by train is more complex but also affordable, you have to arrive to Porto San Giorgio Fermo and then to take a bus until Servigliano. If you plan to travel by plane, the closest international airport is Ancona Raffaello Sanzio whilst Rome Fiumicino International Airport is 250 kilometers far from Servigliano.