A Touring Club Orange Badge location, Monterubbiano is home to a number of sites of particular historical and artistic interest, including the Sforza walls, erected by Francesco Sforza, Lord of Fermo, between 1433 and 1446, to the works of Monterubbiano’s very own Vincenzo Pagani, still on display above the altars for which they were originally commissioned (Santa Maria dei Letterati). Equally noteworthy is the Vincenzo Pagani theatre, inaugurated in 1875, an architectural masterpiece by local architect Luca Galli.
The beauty of the architecture reflects the beauty of the landscape: the panoramic viewpoint in the 19th-century San Rocco Park offers sweeping vistas of the manicured rural setting, mostly olive groves, in which the hamlet of Monterubbiano is situated.
The territory of Monterubbiano has built a reputation on the production of olive oil thanks to the many farms and olive mills using traditional milling methods, in some cases still using grindstones.
Oil is the theme of the second edition of OlioFest, an event celebrating the goodness and aromas of Piceno oil which after Ripatransone will move to Monterubbiano on 25 and 26 October 2014!
Also a centre for ancient culinary traditions, Monterubbiano is home to the famous fried tagliatella, a special dish for Sundays which marries the wholesomeness of home cooking with the punchy flavours of frying. Every August, Monterubbiano’s Pro Loco culture and tourism association organizes a festival to celebrate this exquisitely local dish.
Piceno recipes
Monterubbiano fried tagliatelle recipe
Serves 4
500g of tagliatelle; 250g of béchamel sauce; 125g of cream; 300g of mince; meat ragout; mozzarella; flour, eggs, breadcrumbs for coating; Parmigiano Reggiano.
Preparation
Cook the mince in a frying pan, add mozzarella and béchamel. Boil the tagliatelle until they are half cooked. Add the previously cooked mixture and spread on a wooden board; leave to cool. Shape small balls and coat with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Fry the balls in hot oil and serve with the ragout and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Travel tips
Accommodation
La Quercia (B&B)
Via Posenzano, 11; 0734932154; laradelgatto@libero.it; www.laquercia-agriturismo.com
Eating out
Agriturismo Montesicuro
Contrada Montesicuro, 9; 0734658338; info@agriturismomontesicuro.it; www.agriturismomontesicuro.it
What to see
Polo culturale San Francesco, Via Pagani, 25
October – May 10 am–12 pm; 3 pm–5 pm (Fri–Sun)
June – September 10 am–12 pm; 5 pm–7 pm (Tues–Sun)
Entrance fee €2.50 (full); €2.00 (reduced); €3.50 (municipal museum complex); €10.00 (museum network ticket)
Centro di Educazione Ambientale “Giano”, Via Pagani, 25
www.museipiceni.it; www.ambiente.regione.marche.it
What to buy
Frantoio Il Biancospino – Oil
Via Lago, 5; 0734.59100; mpsilvio@tin.it, www.eusebiolio.com
Pasta all’uovo di Conti Francesco – Fried tagliatelle
Corso Italia, 1; 073459805
Events
25-26 October 2014
