Discover with us the city center of Servigliano: a hidden charming village of Marche region with an incredible perfect urban quadrilateral
In the beautiful landscape of the province of Fermo, between the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini mountains, Servigliano is a beautiful charming village of Marche region with a remarkable history: completely rebuilt in accordance with the rules of the Enlightenment during the XVIIIth century, it is considered an ideal city thanks to its perfect squared city center. With its monumental gateways, its quadrilateral walls, several remarkable palaces and two historical churches, Servigliano is a little gem to discover with a walking tour through its peaceful streets. Following our itinerary in this beautiful village, you will have the opportunity to explore an incredible city center, renowned because of its architecture and where time seems to have stopped. Let find out together the beauties of Servigliano with our walking tour.
Servigliano city center: inside its quadrilateral walls
Servigliano is one of the castles of Fermo's province famous because of the Corpus Domini Infiorata Festival, the Palio or Quintana (a knightly tournament) and its urban quadrilateral built in the XVIIIth century. The city center is easy to explore by walk, strolling through the streets of the eldest Castel Clementino - the name used for almost two centuries after its rebuilding by the State of the Church on the order of Pope Clement XIV. Almost all the main attractions of Servigliano are enclosed inside the urban quadrilateral, the walls of the city center which were projected in order to form an almost perfect square (137 x 144 meters). By walking in the streets, it is possible to admire the main attractions while enjoying the quietness of this corner of Marche region. Let's start this itinerary from one of the main gateways of Servigliano.
First stage: from Porta Navarra to Piazza Roma
Our walking tour of Servigliano city center starts at Porta Navarra, one of the three monumental gateways of the urban quadrilateral where it is also possible admire the perfect shape of these peculiar walls. After entering Porta Navarra and strolling few steps in the path in front of you, it begins the main street of Servigliano city center: Corso Navarra, a straight way built like a decumanus - the main road of the ancient Roman cities, which crosses the town until Piazza Roma, the main square of Servigliano city center.
Second stage: Saint Mark church and the palaces of Piazza Roma
Piazza Roma is the heart of Servigliano, where stand in all their elegance the main civil palaces and the most important church of Servigliano: the Collegiata of Saint Mark. Inside the church, which is a masterpiece of the XVIIIth century, are guarded the relics of Saint Servigliano and Saint Gualtiero in addition to a beautiful ancient organ. From the monumental bell tower of the Collegiata of Saint Mark, it is possible to admire the perfect shape of the urban quadrilateral in its entirety.
On the other side of Piazza Roma, it is located Palazzo Pubblico - one of the most famous palaces of Servigliano built with materials of the ancient town of Servigliano- along with Palazzo Vecchiotti, probably the most beautiful building of Servigliano city center, a three floors palace with a roof terrace and interiors completely painted with frescoes of the XVIIIth century.
Third stage: from Piazza Roma to Santa Maria del Piano
Leaving Piazza Roma on the left side, and continuing to walk Corso Navarra, you will arrive at the end of the urban quadrilatera. Going through Via XIV Maggio: just outside the perfect linear walls, you will find Santa Maria del Piano, the oldest building of Servigliano. The church has a different architecture compared with the buildings inside the urban quadrilateral: this is why it is the only church survived to the rebuilding made in the XVIIIth century. Santa Maria del Piano is an elegant example of the XVth century style, built on the ruins of a Roman villa, its interiors have one aisle with 7 altars and a splendid wooden crucifix the only one survived .
Next to Santa Maria del Piano, it lies the ex-convent of Minor Friars (Frati Minori Osservati) a mid-12th century building with two floors structure and a characteristic cloister, no longer in use as a convent since the XVIIIth century.
Last stage: the House of Remembrance and the Park of Peace
The last stage of our itinerary through the city center of Servigliano is the House of Remembrance along with the adjacent Park of Peace, both easily reachable from Santa Maria del Piano with a 10 minutes walking along the Provincial Road 239. Even though these two attractions are not located inside the historical city center, they deserve a visit since in the XXth century they hosted a prison camp for Austrian soldiers (First World War) and for Allies and Jews (Second World War). The House of Remembrance is located inside the old Servigliano train station and, together with the Park of Peace where the prison camp was settled, in 2021 has been declared an Italian national monument.
Our itinerary of Servigliano city center: tips and suggestions
The best way to visit the charming village of Servigliano and its city center is by walk, the distances between the attractions are so close that driving a car is useless. In addition, strolling through the streets of Servigliano gives the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of this quiet and beautiful village. If you want to stop for a rest, we suggest one of the typical taverna of Servigliano city center, in order to try some of the traditional plates of Servigliano cuisine such as the vincisgrassi, a fresh egg pasta made with ragù and bechamel sauce similar to lasagna, or to taste a plate of slices meat of ham, salame and different kinds of cheese served with toasted bread dressed with the local extra virgin olive oil. It is the best way to conclude an itinerary to the discovery of the most beautiful attractions of the ideal city of Servigliano.
