San Severino Marche
Encyclopedia
San Severino Marche is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Macerata
in the Italian
region Marche
, located about 50 km southwest of Ancona
and about 25 km southwest of Macerata
.
In the Serralta territory, 10 km north of San Severino, characteristic remains from the medium Palaeolithic and High Palaeolithic have been found whereas human presence in Pitino (located 4 km north-east of the town) goes back to the medium Musterianum Palaeolithic.
Metallic remains with a symbolic function were found in many areas of the communal territory, documenting the uninterrupted settlement and the existence of a complex social hierarchy of the whole prehistoric era.
The first significant civilization can be traced back to the Piceni
, concentrated in the vicinity of Pitino. Excavations since 1932 have brought to light a residential area on top of the hill and three necropolis in the vicinity, all dating back to a period between the 7th and 5th century BC. Remains of funerary sets, with presents from other areas, highlight the high social levels of the populations living in the area.
At the foot of the Monte Nero there was a sacred temple, a unique one in the region, devoted to the cult of the goddess Feronia, divinity of Sabine
origin to which the Liberti
were consecrated. This suggests that the town of Septempeda
(ancient name of uncertain origins of San Severino in the Roman age
) had a pre-Roman origin.
During the period of the persecutions of the Christians, the temple of Feronia was used as a catacomb and place for prayers.
From 3rd century BC, with the Roman conquest of the Piceno area in 268 BC, Septempeda became one of the first colonies of the roman empire, as proven by many tombstones with family names of Roman soldiers, such as the gentes Baebia, Calpurnia and Flavia. Between the 4rd and the 2nd centuries BC. the conciliabulum and the center of praefectura were built. Together with other inscriptions, this demonstrates that the town of Septempeda grew as a prefecture and was raised to the rank of Roman municipality with a strategic role in controlling the trade through an important way connecting the Adriatic Sea to Rome.
Of the walls of the city of Septempeda, located in locality “La Pieve”, eastern of the present-day town, are still to be seen the foundations, almost complete, the remains of the eastern and south-western doors and a thermal-like building, probably the city forum, together with other remains out of the town wall.
, a civil and military Lombard
jurisdiction, testifying that the town was still important at that time. This confutes the legend of the destruction inflicted by Totila
in 545 during the Gothic Wars.
Incursions of both Germanic and Byzantine
troops by the 6th century, forced the inhabitants to find shelter in near high grounds, and in particular on Monte Nero (the hill that overlooks the present day town) where existed perhaps since roman ages, a military organization called “Castrum reale”. The Roman city, or its remains, continued to be inhabited, especially during peaceful periods, due to its ease of communication through roman roads, keeping the name of Septempeda.
Accordin to tradition, St. Severinus, from whom the city takes its present name, was consecrated as a Bishop by Pope Vigilius
in 540. Severinus died in 545, the same year of the passage of the Goths towards Rome.
The remains of the saint were hidden in the Cathedral of St. Maria in Septempeda to protect them from looting; found in 590 during the restoration of the cathedral, they were carried to Monte Nero.
With Charlemagne
's conquest of northern Italy in 773, San Severino swore loyalty to Pope Adrian I
, following the entire region of Pentapolis
. The first reliable document concerning the existence of this new centre dates back to 944, year of foundation of a larger church to accommodate the faithful and the relics of Saint Severino that was placed in the hamlet of the "Castellum Severinum Sanctum". Documents from the 11th and 12th centuries show that the Castle of San Severino was part of the diocese and the Camerino
March before being transferred in 1119 to the Marquis Werner II of Spoleto, who had come from Germany to fight for the Pope against the Normans. The dynasty of Werner rule the Marche
and San Severino’s territories until about 1170, when the establishment of the Commune of San Severino can be traced back. The first consuls of the commune were Petrino and Offroduccio, appointed by Frederick Barbarossa
in 1177.
The initial office of the consuls was later replaced with the podestà
, an official coming from a different city. San Severino remained Ghibellin
, swearing loyalty to Manfred of Hohenstaufen, supporting the rebellions of other cities against the Pope.
At the beginning of the 14th century San Severino managed to increase its domains with other castles, such as Pitino, Gagliole, Carpignano, Aliforni, Frontale and Isola, reaching the current territorial extension. After the death of Manfred (1266), the Guelphs
got the upper hand and San Severino came under the control of the Pope.
The 14th century is characterized by the rule of Smeducci, a local family of mercenary captains who maintained their hegemony on the city almost continuously, until they were banished in 1426 by the pope. By nature allied to the Guelphs, but more often as opportunists, the Smeducci lords were often hated by their subjects, who rebelled against them in more than one circumstance. However the Smeduccis were also patron of the arts during a period which witnessed the best artistic achievements in San Severino, with the Salimbeni brothers
and Lorenzo d'Alessandro
as the most creative exponents.
During the rule of the Smeducci lords, San Severino lived also its period of maximum commercial, industrial and social development. Many inhabitants had come down from Monte Nero increasing the population of the existing small village, setting up paper mills and silk, wool and clothes factories, goods exported all over the Marche. New public buildings, churches and bell towers were built.
Francesco Sforza, a condottiero owning several lands in the Marche
, settled down in San Severino between 1443 and 1445, welcomed by the inhabitants who saw in him enough power to resist both the absolutisms of the local lords, and the tyranny of the Papal vicars. After having reconquered twice the Marca territory, Sforza decided to abandon his possessions to concentrate his efforts on the fight against the Visconti
from Milan.
The descendants of the Smeducci – who were back in favour with the Church - took advantage of the Sforza’s absence to run the last attempt to re-conquer the state of San Severino. This ended up with the subjugation of San Severino by the army of Papal commander Giovanni Vitelleschi
, and the subsequent imprisonment of Smeduccio Smeducci in Castel Sant'Angelo
.
Sanseverino became part of the Papal States
by a treaty signed at Tolentino in 1445.
’s slaughter.
In 1523 a plague decimated the population of S. Severino and all its commercial and cultural activities. At that time the town was troubled by the conflicts between two nobles families Caccialupi and Gentili, which divided the people into two factions and required a direct intervention of Pope Paul III
that resulted ineffective. Only in 1564 the two parties came to a peace agreement, as signed in the cathedral of San Severino at Castle, in front of the governor of the March.
In those years the town centre progressively moved almost entirely from the hill to the valley, around the old market square; between the half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, also the town hall, the Bishop palace and the Cathedral, were abandoned to leave an almost isolated town district.
This long period of economic and cultural decline was marked by few important events. On 1604 Pope Clement VIII
assigned his brother Cardinal Giovanni Aldobrandini a governamental mandate for San Severino. In 1607 the administration of San Severino became independent from the Holy Court of Macerata.
In 1795 Pope Pius VI
granted the opening of a mint which during some years minted coins that are extremely rare today.
During the first short Napoleonic
campaign the general Berthier
imposed the Roman Republic and the establishment of a municipality which remained in charge until June 1799. After the second French invasion (1808-1813), the whole “Marca” was united to the Kingdom of Italy
, San Severino becoming the capital of the Canton Department of Musone. After the Napoleonic era San Severino returned under the Holy See
and in 1816 it was declared Governor District of San Ginesio
, Sarnano
and Tolentino
by Pope Pius VII
.
In 1831 and 1849 a lot of its inhabitants participated in the rebellions; this culminated with the arrival of Piedmontese troops in 1860, ceasing the Papal rule in San Severino forever. Like other Italian towns, San Severino chose the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy
, sharing the same fate and history of other Italian cities.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Macerata
Province of Macerata
The Province of Macerata is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Macerata.It has an area of 2,774 km², and a total population of 301,701 . There are 57 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Macerata.-External links:*...
in the Italian
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...
region 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...
, located about 50 km southwest of 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 about 25 km southwest of Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
.
From prehistory to Roman age
The oldest remains of human presence in San Severino date back to the Palaeolithic and their provenance is from the area of Stigliano. But there are other remains, found in many localities of the communal territory, documenting several settlements in the area in different ages.In the Serralta territory, 10 km north of San Severino, characteristic remains from the medium Palaeolithic and High Palaeolithic have been found whereas human presence in Pitino (located 4 km north-east of the town) goes back to the medium Musterianum Palaeolithic.
Metallic remains with a symbolic function were found in many areas of the communal territory, documenting the uninterrupted settlement and the existence of a complex social hierarchy of the whole prehistoric era.
The first significant civilization can be traced back to the Piceni
Picenum
Picenum was a region of ancient Italy. The name is an exonym assigned by the Romans, who conquered and incorporated it into the Roman Republic. Picenum was the birthplace of such notables as Pompey the Great and his father Pompeius Strabo. It was situated in what is now Marche...
, concentrated in the vicinity of Pitino. Excavations since 1932 have brought to light a residential area on top of the hill and three necropolis in the vicinity, all dating back to a period between the 7th and 5th century BC. Remains of funerary sets, with presents from other areas, highlight the high social levels of the populations living in the area.
At the foot of the Monte Nero there was a sacred temple, a unique one in the region, devoted to the cult of the goddess Feronia, divinity of Sabine
Sabine
The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Appennines of ancient Italy, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome...
origin to which the Liberti
Freedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
were consecrated. This suggests that the town of Septempeda
Septempeda
Septempeda was one of the first colonies of the Roman empire, in Picenum, now in the Italian region Marche. It became the today's San Severino Marche, after the fall of Roman Empire.-History:...
(ancient name of uncertain origins of San Severino in the Roman age
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
) had a pre-Roman origin.
During the period of the persecutions of the Christians, the temple of Feronia was used as a catacomb and place for prayers.
From 3rd century BC, with the Roman conquest of the Piceno area in 268 BC, Septempeda became one of the first colonies of the roman empire, as proven by many tombstones with family names of Roman soldiers, such as the gentes Baebia, Calpurnia and Flavia. Between the 4rd and the 2nd centuries BC. the conciliabulum and the center of praefectura were built. Together with other inscriptions, this demonstrates that the town of Septempeda grew as a prefecture and was raised to the rank of Roman municipality with a strategic role in controlling the trade through an important way connecting the Adriatic Sea to Rome.
Of the walls of the city of Septempeda, located in locality “La Pieve”, eastern of the present-day town, are still to be seen the foundations, almost complete, the remains of the eastern and south-western doors and a thermal-like building, probably the city forum, together with other remains out of the town wall.
Middle Ages
The Roman municipality of Septempeda gradually fell into ruin in early Middle Ages, surviving until the late Middle Ages. Its territory was elevated to GastaldatoGastald
A gastald was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne with civil, martial, and judicial powers. By the Edictum Rothari of 643, the gastalds were given the civil authority in the cities and the reeves the like authority in the countryside...
, a civil and military Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
jurisdiction, testifying that the town was still important at that time. This confutes the legend of the destruction inflicted by Totila
Totila
Totila, original name Baduila was King of the Ostrogoths from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the territories in Italy that the Eastern Roman Empire had captured from his Kingdom in 540.A relative of...
in 545 during the Gothic Wars.
Incursions of both Germanic and Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
troops by the 6th century, forced the inhabitants to find shelter in near high grounds, and in particular on Monte Nero (the hill that overlooks the present day town) where existed perhaps since roman ages, a military organization called “Castrum reale”. The Roman city, or its remains, continued to be inhabited, especially during peaceful periods, due to its ease of communication through roman roads, keeping the name of Septempeda.
Accordin to tradition, St. Severinus, from whom the city takes its present name, was consecrated as a Bishop by Pope Vigilius
Pope Vigilius
Pope Vigilius reigned as pope from 537 to 555, is considered the first pope of the Byzantine Papacy.-Early life:He belonged to a aristocratic Roman family; his father Johannes is identified as a consul in the Liber pontificalis, having received that title from the emperor...
in 540. Severinus died in 545, the same year of the passage of the Goths towards Rome.
The remains of the saint were hidden in the Cathedral of St. Maria in Septempeda to protect them from looting; found in 590 during the restoration of the cathedral, they were carried to Monte Nero.
With Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
's conquest of northern Italy in 773, San Severino swore loyalty to Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian was pope from February 1, 772 to December 25, 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.Shortly after Adrian's accession the territory ruled by the papacy was invaded by Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and Adrian was compelled to seek the assistance of the Frankish king...
, following the entire region of Pentapolis
Pentapolis
A pentapolis, from the Greek words , "five" and , "city" is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities...
. The first reliable document concerning the existence of this new centre dates back to 944, year of foundation of a larger church to accommodate the faithful and the relics of Saint Severino that was placed in the hamlet of the "Castellum Severinum Sanctum". Documents from the 11th and 12th centuries show that the Castle of San Severino was part of the diocese and the Camerino
Camerino
Camerino is a small town of 7.135 inhabitants in the Marches , in the province of Macerata, Italy. It is located in the Apennines bordering Umbria, between the valleys of the rivers Potenza and Chienti, about 40 miles from Ancona....
March before being transferred in 1119 to the Marquis Werner II of Spoleto, who had come from Germany to fight for the Pope against the Normans. The dynasty of Werner rule 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...
and San Severino’s territories until about 1170, when the establishment of the Commune of San Severino can be traced back. The first consuls of the commune were Petrino and Offroduccio, appointed by Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
in 1177.
The initial office of the consuls was later replaced with the podestà
Podestà
Podestà 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...
, an official coming from a different city. San Severino remained Ghibellin
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
, swearing loyalty to Manfred of Hohenstaufen, supporting the rebellions of other cities against the Pope.
At the beginning of the 14th century San Severino managed to increase its domains with other castles, such as Pitino, Gagliole, Carpignano, Aliforni, Frontale and Isola, reaching the current territorial extension. After the death of Manfred (1266), the Guelphs
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
got the upper hand and San Severino came under the control of the Pope.
The 14th century is characterized by the rule of Smeducci, a local family of mercenary captains who maintained their hegemony on the city almost continuously, until they were banished in 1426 by the pope. By nature allied to the Guelphs, but more often as opportunists, the Smeducci lords were often hated by their subjects, who rebelled against them in more than one circumstance. However the Smeduccis were also patron of the arts during a period which witnessed the best artistic achievements in San Severino, with the Salimbeni brothers
Salimbeni
Brothers Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni, medieval painters representative of International Gothic style.-Biography:...
and Lorenzo d'Alessandro
Lorenzo d'Alessandro
Lorenzo d’Alessandro , painter interpreter of late gothic style.-Biography:The artistic heritage of the school salimbenian inherited his style from Salimbeni brothers and influenced another important local painter, Niccolò Di Liberatore, also known as “L'Alunno” Lorenzo d’Alessandro (San Severino...
as the most creative exponents.
During the rule of the Smeducci lords, San Severino lived also its period of maximum commercial, industrial and social development. Many inhabitants had come down from Monte Nero increasing the population of the existing small village, setting up paper mills and silk, wool and clothes factories, goods exported all over the Marche. New public buildings, churches and bell towers were built.
Francesco Sforza, a condottiero owning several lands 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...
, settled down in San Severino between 1443 and 1445, welcomed by the inhabitants who saw in him enough power to resist both the absolutisms of the local lords, and the tyranny of the Papal vicars. After having reconquered twice the Marca territory, Sforza decided to abandon his possessions to concentrate his efforts on the fight against the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
from Milan.
The descendants of the Smeducci – who were back in favour with the Church - took advantage of the Sforza’s absence to run the last attempt to re-conquer the state of San Severino. This ended up with the subjugation of San Severino by the army of Papal commander Giovanni Vitelleschi
Giovanni Vitelleschi
Giovanni Maria Vitelleschi was an Italian cardinal and condottiere.-Biography:Vitelleschi was born in Corneto , some kilometers north to Rome. He received a military education, which he refined as apostolic protonotary under Pope Martin V...
, and the subsequent imprisonment of Smeduccio Smeducci in Castel Sant'Angelo
Castel Sant'Angelo
The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family...
.
Sanseverino became part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
by a treaty signed at Tolentino in 1445.
Renaissance and contemporary age
In 1502 the town had to fight to defend itself from the invasion and devastation operated by Giovanni Maria Varano, escaped from Cesare BorgiaCesare 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...
’s slaughter.
In 1523 a plague decimated the population of S. Severino and all its commercial and cultural activities. At that time the town was troubled by the conflicts between two nobles families Caccialupi and Gentili, which divided the people into two factions and required a direct intervention of Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
that resulted ineffective. Only in 1564 the two parties came to a peace agreement, as signed in the cathedral of San Severino at Castle, in front of the governor of the March.
In those years the town centre progressively moved almost entirely from the hill to the valley, around the old market square; between the half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, also the town hall, the Bishop palace and the Cathedral, were abandoned to leave an almost isolated town district.
This long period of economic and cultural decline was marked by few important events. On 1604 Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
assigned his brother Cardinal Giovanni Aldobrandini a governamental mandate for San Severino. In 1607 the administration of San Severino became independent from the Holy Court of Macerata.
In 1795 Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
granted the opening of a mint which during some years minted coins that are extremely rare today.
During the first short Napoleonic
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
campaign the general Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
imposed the Roman Republic and the establishment of a municipality which remained in charge until June 1799. After the second French invasion (1808-1813), the whole “Marca” was united to the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
, San Severino becoming the capital of the Canton Department of Musone. After the Napoleonic era San Severino returned under the Holy See
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...
and in 1816 it was declared Governor District of San Ginesio
San Ginesio
San Ginesio is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 60 km southwest of Ancona and about 25 km southwest of Macerata...
, Sarnano
Sarnano
Sarnano is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 70 km southwest of Ancona and about 30 km southwest of Macerata...
and Tolentino
Tolentino
Tolentino is a town and comune of about 20,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.-History:...
by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
.
In 1831 and 1849 a lot of its inhabitants participated in the rebellions; this culminated with the arrival of Piedmontese troops in 1860, ceasing the Papal rule in San Severino forever. Like other Italian towns, San Severino chose the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, sharing the same fate and history of other Italian cities.
Main sights
- Fortified square (13th century) of Piazza del Popolo
- Remains of the medieval city, with the communal tower, two gates and the ancient cathedral (10th century) bell tower
- Archaeological remains of Septempeda (baths, remains of gates and walls)
- Church of Santa Maria del Glorioso, on the road for CingoliCingoliCingoli is a town and comune of the Marches, Italy, in the province of Macerata, about 27 km by road from the town of Macerata. It is the birthplace of Pope Pius VIII.-History:...
, housing numerous paintings - Basilica of San Lorenzo in Doliolo (13th century), which, according to tradition, was originally built in the 2nd centory over a temple of FeroniaFeroniaFeronia may mean:* Feronia , a goddess of fertility in Roman and Etruscan mythology* Feronia , a genus of plants* Feronia Inc., a plantations company operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. The crypt dates to the 6th century and has numerous fragments of frescoes - New Cathedral of Sant'Agostino.
- Church of San Giuseppe
- Church of San Domenico (13th century), with a 17th century interior. The bell tower has a 14th century fresco cycle of Stories of St. Catherine.
- Archaeological Museum Giuseppe Moretti.