Fano
Encyclopedia
Fano is a town and comune
of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche
region of Italy
. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro
, located where the Via Flaminia
reaches the Adriatic Sea
. It is the third city in the region by population after Ancona
and Pesaro.
, it was known as Fanum Fortunae after a temple of Fortuna
located there. Its first mention in history only dates from 49 BC, when Julius Caesar
held it, along with Pisaurum and Ancona. Caesar Augustus established a colonia
, and built a wall, some parts of which remain. In the AD 2 Augustus also built an arch (which is still standing) at the entrance to the town.
In January 271, the Roman Army
defeated the Alamanni
in the Battle of Fano
that took place on the banks of the Metauro
river just inland of Fano.
Fano was destroyed by Vitiges' Ostrogoths in AD 538. It was rebuilt by the Byzantines
, becoming the capital of the maritime Pentapolis
("Five Cities") that included also Rimini
, Pesaro, Senigallia
and Ancona. In 754 it was donated to the Popes
by the Frank kings.
The Malatesta
became lords of the city in 1356 with Galeotto I Malatesta
, who was nominally only a vicar of the Popes. Among the others, Pandolfo III
resided in the city. Under his son, the famous condottiero Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Fano was besieged by Papal troops under Federico III da Montefeltro, and returned to the Papal administration. It was later part of the short-lived state of Cesare Borgia
, and then part of the duchy
of the della Rovere
s in the Marche.
During the Napoleonic Wars
it suffered heavy spoliations; the city had an active role in the Risorgimento. In World War I
Fano was several times bombed by the Austro-Hungarian Navy
. During World War II
it was massively bombed by Allied airplanes due to hit the strategic railway and street bridges crossing the Metauro river, suffering also the destruction of all its bell towers by the Nazi occupation troops when they withdrew.
Outside the city, in the place called Bellocchi, is the church of St. Sebastian (16th century), for the construction of which parts of the ancient cathedral were used.
with: Rastatt
, Germany Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
, France St. Albans, United Kingdom
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
, located where the Via Flaminia
Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Ariminum on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley...
reaches the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. It is the third city in the region by population after Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
and Pesaro.
History
An ancient town of MarcheMarche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, it was known as Fanum Fortunae after a temple of Fortuna
Fortuna (mythology)
Fortuna was the goddess of fortune and personification of luck in Roman religion. She might bring good luck or bad: she could be represented as veiled and blind, as in modern depictions of Justice, and came to represent life's capriciousness...
located there. Its first mention in history only dates from 49 BC, when Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
held it, along with Pisaurum and Ancona. Caesar Augustus established a colonia
Colonia (Roman)
A Roman colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city.-History:...
, and built a wall, some parts of which remain. In the AD 2 Augustus also built an arch (which is still standing) at the entrance to the town.
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
defeated the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
in the Battle of Fano
Battle of Fano
The Battle of Fano - also known as the Battle of Fanum Fortunae - was fought in January 271 between the Roman Empire and the Alamanni. The Romans were led by Emperor Aurelian, and they were victorious....
that took place on the banks of the Metauro
Metauro
The Metauro is a river of the Marche, central Italy. It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110 km ....
river just inland of Fano.
Fano was destroyed by Vitiges' Ostrogoths in AD 538. It was rebuilt by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, becoming the capital of the maritime Pentapolis
Pentapolis
A pentapolis, from the Greek words , "five" and , "city" is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities...
("Five Cities") that included also Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, Pesaro, Senigallia
Senigallia
Senigallia is a comune and port town on Italy's Adriatic coast, 25 km by rail north of Ancona, in the Marche region, province of Ancona....
and Ancona. In 754 it was donated to the Popes
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
by the Frank kings.
The Malatesta
Malatesta
Malatesta may refer to:*The House of Malatesta, an Italian family which ruled over Rimini from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century*Errico Malatesta , an Italian anarchist*Malatesta , a 1970 German film...
became lords of the city in 1356 with Galeotto I Malatesta
Galeotto I Malatesta
Galeotto I Malatesta was an Italian condottiero, who was lord of Rimini, Fano, Ascoli Piceno, Cesena and Fossombrone.-Biography:Born in Rimini, he the son of Pandolfo I Malatesta and the brother of Malatesta II Malatesta. In 1333 he was captured while besieging Ferrara, but was soon freed and...
, who was nominally only a vicar of the Popes. Among the others, Pandolfo III
Pandolfo III Malatesta
Pandolfo III Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Fano, a member of the famous House of Malatesta.-Biography:...
resided in the city. Under his son, the famous condottiero Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Fano was besieged by Papal troops under Federico III da Montefeltro, and returned to the Papal administration. It was later part of the short-lived state of Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
, and then part of the duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
of the della Rovere
Della Rovere
Della Rovere is a noble family of Italy. Coming from modest beginnings in Savona, Liguria, the family rose to prominence through nepotism and ambitious marriages arranged by two Della Rovere popes, Francesco della Rovere, who ruled as Pope Sixtus IV and his nephew Giuliano...
s in the Marche.
During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
it suffered heavy spoliations; the city had an active role in the Risorgimento. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Fano was several times bombed by the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was massively bombed by Allied airplanes due to hit the strategic railway and street bridges crossing the Metauro river, suffering also the destruction of all its bell towers by the Nazi occupation troops when they withdrew.
Main sights
Fano's main attractions include:- The Roman gate called Arco d'Augusto. The upper story was destroyed in a siege conducted on the order of Pope Pius IIPope Pius IIPope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
in 1463, although a bas-relief of it was made by Bernardino di Pietro da Carona in 1513 on an adjacent wall of the annexed church and the loggiaLoggiaLoggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
of St. Michael, the former having a noteworthy Renaissance portal. - The Corte Malatestiana, built after 1357 by Galeotto I Malatesta. The 14th century section includes a great vaulted hall (probably part of the first residence of the Malatesta in the city) and a small turret. The modern part was built under Pandolfo III in 1413-1423. The current edifice was heavily restored in the 20th century, but original are the mullioned windows in GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style as well as the staircase and the loggia from a 16th century restoration. Also noteworthy is the Borgia-Cybo Arch (late 15th century). The palace is connected to the Palazzo del Podestà by a modern bridge, probably present also in the original structure. - The Rocca Malatestiana (Malatesta Castle), partially destroyed in 1944. The most ancient part dates probably from pre-existing Roman and medieval fortifications; the castle in its current form was begun in 1433 or 1438 by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. The now missing mastio was erected in 1452. Here Sigismondo's son, RobertoRoberto MalatestaRoberto Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Rimini, a member of the House of Malatesta.-Biography:...
, was besieged by Papal Troops in 1463 and signed the peace treaty that ended the Malatesta domination of Fano. - The Museo Civico (Archeological Museum and Art Gallery), located inside the Palazzo Malatestiano, contains paintings by Guercino, Michele GiambonoMichele GiambonoMichele Giambono was an Italian painter and mosaicist of the Early Renaissance in Venice. Giambono's style, in general, remains archaic and iconic, and seems generally unaffected by Florentine experimentation with perspective and dimensionality of figures...
, and Giovanni SantiGiovanni SantiGiovanni Santi was an Italian painter and decorator, father of Raphael. He was born at Colbordolo in the Duchy of Urbino. He was a petty merchant for a time; he then studied under Piero della Francesca. He was influenced by Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, and seems to have been an assistant and friend of...
. - The Cathedral (12th century), which was erected over a pre-existing cathedral destroyed by a fire in 1111. The current façade is from the 1920s restoration, but is similar to the original. The interior has a nave and two aisles. No remnants of the town's namesake temple have been uncovered, nor of the basilica we are told that VitruviusVitruviusMarcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer, active in the 1st century BC. He is best known as the author of the multi-volume work De Architectura ....
built there. - Palazzo del PodestàPodestàPodestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
or della Ragione (built from 1229 in Romanesque-Gothic style). The interiors are in Neoclassicist style, and it houses a museum with archaeological findings, coins, medals, and an art gallery with works by Guido ReniGuido ReniGuido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
, Domenichino and others. - The church of St. Francis, housing the tombs of Pandolfo III Malatesta (designed by Leon Battista Alberti) and his first wife Paola Bianca Malatesta.
- The church of Santa Maria Nuova (1521). It has an ancient portal and two works by PeruginoPietro PeruginoPietro Perugino , born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance...
(Annunciation of FanoAnnunciation of FanoAnnunciation of Fano is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, executed around 1488-1490, and housed in the church of Santa Maria Nuova, Fano, central Italy....
and Fano AltarpieceFano AltarpieceFano Altarpiece is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, executed in 1497, and housed in the church of Santa Maria Nuova, Fano, central Italy. It also includes a lunette with a Pietà and several predella panels....
, the latter including perhaps an intervention by RaphaelRaphaelRaffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
). - The church of San Paterniano (16th century) with a Renaissance cloister.
- The Fontana della Fortuna (Fountain of Fortune) (17th century).
Outside the city, in the place called Bellocchi, is the church of St. Sebastian (16th century), for the construction of which parts of the ancient cathedral were used.
Culture
- Fano dei Cesari is held annually in July for a week. During the week there are a variety of cultural events ending with a parade in Roman costumes and chariot races.
- The Fano Jazz by the Sea festival is held annually for one week.
People from Fano
- Martino Del Cassero da Fano (the end of sec. XII ca.- 1272 ca.), jurisconsult
- Clemente VIII, Ippolito Aldobrandini (1536–1605), pope
- Giacomo Torelli (1608–1678), set designer
- Laura Martinozzi duchess (1639–1687), grandmother of Maria Stuart queen of England
- Sebastiano Ceccarini (1703–1783), painter.
- Carlo Magini (1720–1806), painter.
- Antonio Giuglini (1825–1865), operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. - Fabio Tombari (1899–1989), author
- Bruno Radicioni (1933–1997), painter, sculptor and ceramist.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Fano is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Rastatt
Rastatt
Rastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...
, Germany Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise, created in the 1960s.-Transport:...
, France St. Albans, United Kingdom
External links
- Fano homepage
- The Fano Club at Baylor University
- Fano dei Cesari
- Fano Moonlight Festival - New Wave - Dark - Electro
- Fano Jazz by the Sea