Novafeltria

Located at the centre of the middle valley of the Marecchia, in a mainly flat area, Novafeltria is the trade and industrial centre of the valley. Its origins are remote and undefined: the first residential nucleus dates back to the year 1000, the construction period of the Pieve di San Pietro in Culto, built during the process of the evangelization of Montefeltro.

The elegant Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, with the seventeenth-century Palazzo dei Conti Segni, now the Town Hall, holds a Romanesque jewel: the Oratory of Santa Marina.

Another place of interest is the Teatro Sociale, the largest in the Valley with a hall in a combined Liberty and Art Deco style, it is a leading figure in the activities of the Valmarecchia Theatre Network. In this municipal area, there are a few villages worthy of a visit: first of all, Perticara, immersed in the pine forests on a slope of Mount Aquilone, where the largest mine in Europe is located, which is among the largest in the world for its underground extension and the huge amount of material present.

Sulphur was mined here in ancient times, but the main vein was exploited from 1917 onwards–1600 men were employed in what became a real underground city with 100 kilometres of tunnels on 9 levels. Activity in the mine ceased in 1964 due to competition from large American deposits where sulphur was extracted with a new technique that allowed for lower costs.

Today a modern and evocative Sulphur museum, keeps alive the memory of this past, which left its mark on life in the village and on its community. Mount Aquilone and its surroundings are a destination frequented by hang gliders and sport climbers.

Offering excellent walks through pine and chestnut groves, you can also visit the “Green Zoo“, a poetic installation signed by Tonino Guerra, and have fun among trees at Sky Park, an adventure park for children and adults.