Pesaro

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Pesaro
Comune
Città di Pesaro
Piazza del Popolo

Coat of arms
Pesaro
Location of Pesaro in Italy
Coordinates: 43°55′N 12°54′E / 43.917°N 12.900°E / 43.917; 12.900Coordinates: 43°55′N 12°54′E / 43.917°N 12.900°E / 43.917; 12.900
Country Italy
Region Marche
Province Pesaro e Urbino (PU)
Frazioni Santa Veneranda
Government
 • Mayor Luca Ceriscioli
Area
 • Total 126 km2 (49 sq mi)
Elevation 11 m (36 ft)
Population (21 October 2011)
 • Total 95,011
 • Density 750/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Demonym Pesaresi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 61100
Dialing code 0721
Patron saint St. Terence
Saint day September 24
Website Official website

Pesaro (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpeːzaro] ( listen), [ˈpeːsaro]) 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 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, after Ancona.

Fishery, furniture industry and tourism are the main strengths of the local economy.

History

The city was founded as Pisaurum by the Romans in 184 BC as colony in the territory of the Picentes, the people who lived on the northeast coast during the Iron Age. A settlement of the latter tribe has been found at Novilara. The northern Picentes were invaded in the 4th century BC by the Gallic Senones, earlier by the Etruscans, and when the Romans reached the area the population was an ethnic mixture. Within it the Gauls at least were still distinct, as the Romans separated them out and expelled them from the country.

Under the Roman administration Pesaro, a hub across the Via Flaminia, became an important center of trading and craftmanship. After the fall of the Western Empire, Pesaro was occupied by the Ostrogoths, and destroyed by Vitigis (539) in the course of the Gothic War. Hastily rebuilt five years later after the Byzantine reconquets, it formed the so-called Pentapolis, part of the Exarchate of Ravenna. After the Lombard and Frank conquests of that city, Pesaro became part of the Papal States.

During Renaissance it was ruled by the Malatesta (1285–1445), Sforza (1445–1512) and Della Rovere (1513–1631). Under the latter family, who elected it as capital of their duchy, Pesaro lived its most flourishing age, with the construction of numerous public and private palaces, while a new line of walls (the Mura Roveresche) was erected. In 1475, a legendary wedding took place in Pesaro: Costanzo Sforza and Camilla D'Aragona married.[1]

On September 11, 1860 Piedmontese troops entered the city, and Pesaro was subsequently annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy (see also Battle of Castelfidardo).

Main sights

  • The Ducal Palace, constructed by Alessandro Sforza in the second half of the 15th century. The façade has a portico with six arcades supported by six heavy pilasters and an upper floor with five windows crowned by coats of arms, festoons and puttoes.
  • The Romanesque Cathedral Basilica, built in the 5th century over remains of a late Roman edifice and dedicated to St. Terence during the Middle Ages. The façade, in Romanesque-Gothic style, is unfinished: it has a simple ogival portal surmounted by a band of small arches. A recent restoration has brought to light a precious set of floor mosaics.
  • The Baroque Sanctuary of Beata Vergine del Carmelo (18th century).
  • Church of St. Augustine, with a splendid Gothic portal.
  • The massive Rocca Costanza (Castle), built in the 15th century by Costanzo I Sforza, later for a time used as prison. It has a square plan with four cylindrical corner towers and a wide dry moat.
  • The birthplace of Gioacchino Rossini, located at 34 Via Rossini. It has a museum dedicated to the composer, with manifestoes, prints, portraits and his spinet.
  • The Villa Imperiale designed by Girolamo Genga for Duke Francesco Maria Della Rovere and his duchess Eleanora[2] and built from c. 1530 onwards, stands atop the San Bartolo hill. Its sunken court is the direct precedent for the more famous one at Villa Giulia, Rome,[3] and its rooms are decorated by renowned artists, including Bronzino, Francesco Menzocchi, Girolamo Genga, and Raffaellino del Colle.
  • Of the 17th century Mura Roveresche ("Della Rovere Walls", demolished in the early 20th century), only two gates, Porta del Ponte, Porta Rimini and a short section remain.
  • The Town Museum houses the noteworthy Pesaro Altarpiece by Giambellino. The Oliveriani Museum is home to several interesting archaeological findings.
  • The Adriatic Arena: third biggest Italian indoor arena behind Mediolanum Forum in Milan and PalaLottomatica in Rome.
  • It is home to the World Championship winning motocross and enduro brand of TM Racing, a small manufacturer of race-ready motorbikes based in the coastal town since 1978.

Gallery

Culture

Notable Pesaresi

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Twin towns – Sister cities

Pesaro is twinned with:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pesaro.

References

  1. ↑ A Renaissance Wedding: The Celebrations at Pesaro for the Marriage of Costanzo Sforza & Camilla Marzano D'Aragona (26 - 30 May 1475): (Studies in Medieval and Early Renaissance Art History). Harvey Miller Publ., 2013, ISBN 978-1905375936
  2. ↑ Andrew Hopkins, 2002. Italian Architecture from Michelangelo to Borromini, p.23f.
  3. ↑ Hopkins 2002 p 24.
  4. ↑ "Pesaro film festival site". 
  5. ↑ "Medmestno in mednarodno sodelovanje". Mestna občina Ljubljana (Ljubljana City) (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2013-07-27. 

External links

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