Arcevia is surrounded by splendid fifteenth-century style centers, which have preserved their typological peculiarities until today. A real backward path can be made over time starting from Acervia, the ancient Rocca Contrada in the province of Ancona, and continuing into the territory up to the fortress of Nidastore, on the border with the area of Pesaro. Starting from Acervia, the Castle of Avacelli is the second stage of the journey. Rocca Contrada founded it on a hill on the border with the territory of Serra S. Quirico. The visit continues at the Castle of Castiglioni, which stands on the edge with the area of Serra de’Conti. The Castle was probably founded after the abandonment of the castle of Fossaceca which was nearby. It is worth visiting the Castle of Piticchio, one of the most evocative and best preserved in the territory of Arcevia, which stands on a hill about seven kilometers from Arcevia. In the Castle of Montale, on the other hand, it is still possible to admire the watchtower of the ancient fortification reused and re-proposed as the bell tower of the church of S. Silvestro, rebuilt after 1830. A visit to the Castle of Loretello, which rises on a hill 300 meters high about 15 km from Arcevia; among the remaining castles of the territory is the oldest one. We have news of the Castle of Loretello starting from 1072, built together with the church of S. Andrea by the monks of Fonte Avellana; it became the possession of Rocca Contrada in the second half of the 200s. A short distance from Loretello is the small Castle of S. Pietro, almost unchanged in its fifteenth-century urban plan, which however preserves few traces of the original wall structures. The Castle of Palazzo is instead one of the most characteristics of the whole territory: it is an urban structure with powerful stone and terracotta walls and a beautiful fifteenth-century entrance door. The Castle is on the slopes of Monte Caudino. Finally, the one geographically to the west is the Castle of Caudino, near which there was the famous battle between the Guelfe and Ghibelline forces for the possession of the territory.
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