Fabriano is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of Ancona province in the Italian region of the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, at

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. It lies in the Esino valley upstream and southwest of Jesi; and east-northeast of

Fossato di Vico Fossato di Vico is a town and ''comune'' of Umbria in the province of Perugia in Italy, at 581 m above sea‑level on the middle slopes of Mount Mutali. It lies just off the SS 3 highway, the successor to the ancient Roman Via Flaminia, b ...

and east of

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. History The city's origins are very ancient. ...

(both in

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

). Its location on the main highway and rail line from Umbria to the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

make it a mid-sized regional center in the

Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...

. Fabriano is the headquarters of the giant appliance maker

Indesit Indesit Company (; ) was an Italian company based in Fabriano, Ancona. It was one of the leading European manufacturers and distributors of major domestic appliances (washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, cookers, hoods, ov ...

(partly owned by Whirlpool). Fabriano, with Roma, Parma, Torino and Carrara, is an Italian

creative city The creative city is a concept that argues creativity should be considered a strategic factor in urban development. In addition to cities being efficient and fair, a creative city provides places, experiences, and opportunities to foster creativi ...

(UNESCO). The town is in the category ''Folk Arts'' (for the Fabriano's handmade paper production).

History

Fabriano appears to have been founded in the early Middle Ages by the inhabitants of a small Roman town south at Attiggio (Latin ''Attidium''), of which some slight remains and inscriptions are extant. Fabriano itself was one of the earliest places in Europe to make high-quality

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

on an industrial scale, starting in the 13th century, and the town even today has a reputation for fine

watermark A watermark is an identifying image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light (or when viewed by reflected light, atop a dark background), caused by thickness or density variations ...

ed paper. This led to Fabriano's prosperity in the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Eur ...

and the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

, and was also one of the factors that led to the establishment of nearby

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...

in Umbria as one of the earliest printing centers in Italy in the 15th century, from 1470 onwards.

Geography

The municipality borders with

Cerreto d'Esi Cerreto d'Esi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona. Cerreto d'Esi borders the following municipalities: Fabriano, Matelica, Poggio San Vicino Poggio San Vicino i ...

, Costacciaro ( PG),

Esanatoglia Esanatoglia is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche, Italy. History According to the legend, Esus, the Celtic God of war, would be the origin of the name of the Esino river, on whose shores a town, ''Aesa'', is presumed to have been founded in Ro ...

( MC), Fiuminata (MC),

(PG), Genga, Gualdo Tadino (PG),

Matelica Matelica is a (municipality) of the Province of Macerata in the Italian region of Marche. Located about southwest of Ancona and west of Macerata, it extends over an area of . Geography Matelica lies in an ample valley where the Braccano cree ...

(MC),

Nocera Umbra Nocera Umbra is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Perugia, Italy, 15 kilometers north of Foligno, at an altitude of 520 m above sea-level. The ''comune'', covering an area of 157.19 km², is one of the largest in Umbria. History Ancie ...

(PG),

Poggio San Vicino Poggio San Vicino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona and about northwest of Macerata. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 299 and an area of .All d ...

(MC),

Sassoferrato Sassoferrato is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in the Marche region of central-eastern Italy. History To the south of the town lie the ruins of the ancient Sentinum, on the Via Flaminia. The castle above the town is mentione ...

, Serra San Quirico and

Sigillo Sigillo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 35 km northeast of Perugia. Sigillo borders the following municipalities: Costacciaro, Fabriano, Fossato di Vico, Gubbio. History B ...

(PG).

''Frazioni''

The hamlets (''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist era (1922–1943) as ...

'') of Fabriano are: Albacina, Argignano, Attiggio, Bassano, Bastia, Belvedere, Borgo Tufico, Cacciano, Ca' Maiano, Campodiegoli, Campodonico, Cancelli, Cantia, Castelletta, Ceresola, Ciaramella, Coccore, Collamato, Collegiglioni, Colle Paganello, Cupo, Fontanaldo, Grotte, Marena, Marenella, Marischio, Melano, Moscano, Nebbiano, Paterno, Poggio San Romualdo, Rufano beach, Precicchie, Rocchetta, Rucce, San Donato, San Giovanni, San Michele, San Pietro, Sant'Elia, Serradica, Valgiubbola, Vallemontagnana, Valleremita, Vallina, Varano, Viacce, Vigne.

Main sights

Fabriano's wealth and commitment to the fine arts in the late medieval period have left it with many monuments.

Churches

Fabriano Cathedral Fabriano Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Fabriano, Cattedrale di San Venanzio) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fabriano, Italy, dedicated to San Venanzio (Saint Venantius of Camerino). It is the seat of the Bishop of Fabriano-Matelica. History and d ...

, dedicated to San Venanzio ( Saint Venantius) (14th century, rebuilt in 1607–17). From the Baroque restoration are the stucco decoration of the interior and the canvasses by

Gregorio Preti Selfportrait Gregorio Preti (Taverna 1603 - Rome 1672) was a Baroque painter. He was the brother of famous Calabrian painter Mattia Preti. There is a fresco by him in the church of San Carlo ai Catinari at Rome , established_title = Foun ...

Salvator Rosa Salvator Rosa (1615 –1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticized landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th ...

Giovanni Francesco Guerrieri Giovanni Francesco Guerrieri (1589–1655) was an Italian painter and Caravaggisto. Guerrieri was born in Fossombrone. In 1606 he travelled to Rome where he studied under some notable artists including Orazio Gentileschi. Returning home in 1614 ...

, Giuseppe Puglia and

Orazio Gentileschi Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (1563–1639) was an Italian painter. Born in Tuscany, he began his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, much of his work consisting of painting the figures within the decorative schemes of other artists. After ...

. To the original Cathedral belong the polygonal apse, the cloister and the St Lawrence Chapel with frescoes by

Allegretto di Nuzio Allegretto Nuzi or ''Allegretto di Nuzio'' (1315–1373) was an Italian painter, active in a Gothic style mainly around Fabriano, in the Province of Ancona. Biography Nuzi was probably trained in Fabriano Fabriano is a town and ''comune'' of An ...

(c. 1360). Also important are the frescoes with ''Stories of the True Cross'' by the Folignate painter

Giovanni di Corraduccio Giovanni di Corraduccio, also called Giovanni Mazaforte, (active circa 1404-1437) was an Italian painter of the Gothic style, active mainly in Umbria and Marche. He was born in Foligno. Based on documents, he is thought to have worked in Assisi ...

(1415). * San Filippo Neri - Church in 14th century attached to hospital, converted to oratory of the Philippines in 1628 *San Domenico * Santi Biagio e Romualdo * Sant'Onofrio - Church rebuilt in 1727 *The Benedictine Abbey *St Augustine * Santa Caterina da Siena - Present church erected 1508 *Collegiata of St. Nicholas *Santa Maria del Piangato *St Benedict *Oratory of the GonfaloneGuida, page 154.

Other buildings

*''Palazzo del Podestà'' (1255) built in white stone from Vallemontagnana and subsequently modified several times. It has a distinctive bridge structure, a memory of the stream which once flowed under it. The central arcade has frescoes from the 13th-14th centuries portraying warriors, and an enigmatic

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...

moved by a feminine figure. *Sturinalto Fountain (1285), designed by

Jacopo di Grondolo Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo. * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iacopo Barsotti (1921–1987), ...

, who was inspired by the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia. *Communal Palace (c. 1350, rebuilt in 1690). It was the residence of the Chiavelli family, lords of the city until 1435. In the courtyard is a ''lapidarium'' with fragments of buildings of the ancient Roman cities of ''Attidium'' ( Attiggio), ''Tuficum'' (

Borgo Tufico Borgo may refer to the following places: Finland * Borgå France * Borgo, Haute-Corse Italy * Borgo (rione of Rome), a ''rione'' in the City of Rome. *Borgo a Mozzano, in the province of Lucca *Borgo d'Ale, in the province of Vercelli *Borgo di ...

) and '' Sentinum'' (

). * Pinacoteca Civica Bruno Malajoli displayed in the former Hospital (Spedale di Santa Maria del Buon Gesù) - The hospital was first built in 1456. The art collection of the Pinacoteca were moved here in 1994. The collection contains works by Rainaldetto di Ranuccio of Spoleto,

Master of San Agostino Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

Master of San Emiliano Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

, Master of the Magi (

Fra Giovanni di Bartolomeo A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...

Maestro dei Beati Becchetti Maestro (; from the Italian ''maestro'' , meaning "master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiqui ...

Puccio di Simone Puccio di Simone ( fl. 1346–1358) was an Italian Gothic painter, active in Florence. Biography Puccio di Simone is also known as the Master of the Fabriano Altarpiece. He was a student of Bernardo Daddi in Florence. He is mentioned between 1348 ...

, Allegretto Nuzi,

Francescuccio di Cecco Ghissi Francescuccio Ghissi, also called Francesco di Cecco Ghissi, ( fl. 1359 – 1395) was an Italian painter. His exact date of birth and death are not known. Ghissi was an exponent of the Gothic style, active especially in the Marche region of cen ...

Master of Fossato The Master of Fossato (active end of 14th and early 15th centuries) was an anonymous late Gothic style painter active in the towns of in the region of Umbria. Attributed to this painter are paintings in the Oratory of Santa Maria della Piaggiola ...

Master of San Verecondo The Master of San Verecondo (active first half of 15th century) was an anonymous painter active in the towns of Fabriano and Gualdo Tadino in the Marche. He painted in the church of San Francesco in Gualdo Tadino and a fragment of a crucifixion ...

Ottaviano Nelli Ottaviano Nelli (1375–1444?) was an Italian painter of the early Quattrocento. Nelli primarily painted frescoes, but also panel paintings. He had several pupils and two painters were influenced by him. Biography He was born in Gubbio in Umbr ...

Master of Staffolo The Master of Staffolo (active 1420–1460) was an anonymous late-Gothic style painter active in the region of Marche and Umbria. He appears to have been influenced by Gentile da Fabriano, the brothers Salimbeni of San Severino Marche, and Barto ...

Antonio da Fabriano Antonio da Fabriano (active in mid 15th century) was an Italian painter, active in the Region of Marche. The dates of his birth and death are uncertain. A ''Coronation of the Virgin'' in the Casa Morichi is attributed to him; and also a ''St Je ...

, Bicci di Lorenzo, Neri di Bicci;

Bernardino di Mariotto Bernardino Di Mariotto dello Stagno (Perugia, circa 1478 - Perugia, 1566) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Biography He trained first under either Lodovico di Angelo Mattioli of Perugia or Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, and later worked ...

Filippo da Verona Filippo da Verona (16th century) was an Italian painter of the early-Renaissance period. He painted in a style recalling Giambattista Cima, and is the author of a ''Virgin and Child'' in the Academy of Arts in Turin, a replica of which is in the ...

Venanzio da Camerino Venanzio da Camerino (active first half 16th century) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born apparently in Camerino. Little is known of his biography. He was influenced or trained with Luca Signorelli. Some of his works we ...

and

Piergentile da Matelica Piergentile da Matelica (active first half 16th century) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Biography He was born apparently in Matelica. Little is known of his biography. He was influenced or trained with Luca Signorelli. Some o ...

Simone de Magistris Simone de Magistris (known from 1555–1613) was an Italian painter and sculptor. Born at Caldarola, Marche, he was the son of Giovanni Andrea de Magistris and Camilla di Ambrogio, and brother to Palmino and to Giovanni Francesco, both painters. ...

Domiziano Domiziani Domiziano Domiziani (circa 1530 – circa 1610) was an Italian painter, active in his native Fabriano in a Renaissance style. The work of an ''Aerial View of Fabriano between the Blessed Dominican Nuns Bianca and Rufina'' was once in the chu ...

, Girolamo or

Giacomo Nardini Giacomo is an Italian name. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob. People * Giacomo (name), including a list of people with the name Other uses * Giacomo (horse), a race horse, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby * ''Giácomo'' (film) ...

Andrea Boscoli Andrea Boscoli (c. 1560 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He was born in Florence, where he trained under Santi di Tito. He painted a ''Sermon of St John the Baptist'' for the church of San Giovanni Battista belonging to th ...

Ambrogio Monaco Ambrogio is a given name, and may refer to: *Saint Ambrogio (Ambrose), patron saint of Milan *Ambrogio Lorenzetti ( – 1348), painter * Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, the birth name of Pope Pius XI *Ambrogio Bergognone, Renaissance painter *Amb ...

Francesco Podesti Francesco Podesti (21 March 1800 – 10 February 1895) was an Italian painter, active in a Romantic style. Together with Francesco Hayez and Giuseppe Bezzuoli, he is considered one of the greatest Italian painters of the first half of the 19th c ...

, and Gentile da Fabriano. *Loggiato of St. Francis (c. 1450) *Vasari Portico (1316) *

Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano The Paper and Watermark Museum is a museum of Fabriano, Italy. Based on the paper-making tradition of Fabriano, which is documented since the 12th Century, the museum focusses on handmade paper and watermark techniques in Medieval Italy. Descri ...

Villa Marchese del Grillo The Villa Marchese del Grillo, also known as the "100 Windows Villa," is a four-story palace located about east of Fabriano in the Province of Ancona, Marche, Italy. Built in 1771 by the Marchese Onofrio del Grillo, the villa is considered ...

Personalities

* Totila, penultimate king of the Ostrogoths, suffered his defeat at Taginae near Fabriano on 1 July 552 AD. * Gentile da Fabriano, 15th-century painter, whose most famous work, an oil painting of the Epiphany, is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. * Saint John dal Bastone 12th-century Silvestrine monk, born in Paterno. *

Francesco Stelluti Francesco Stelluti (12 January 1577, in Fabriano – November 1652, in Rome) was an Italian polymath who worked in the fields of mathematics, microscopy, literature, and astronomy. Along with Federico Cesi, Anastasio de Filiis and Johannes van H ...

, co-founder of the

Accademia dei Lincei The Accademia dei Lincei (; literally the "Academy of the Lynx-Eyed", but anglicised as the Lincean Academy) is one of the oldest and most prestigious European scientific institutions, located at the Palazzo Corsini on the Via della Lungara in Rom ...

, born in Fabriano in 1577 *

Jessica Rizzo Jessica Rizzo is an Italian pornographic actress, stage actress, and entrepreneur. Life and career Rizzo began her career as a singer, often performing with her husband Marco Toto on guitar. In 1989, the couple starred in the pornographic film ...

(born 1964), an actress and businesswoman.

References

*''(Incorporates text from Bill Thayer's Gazetteer of Italy, by permission.)''

External links

Fabriano official websiteFabriano Storica - history, art, culture, legend, curiosityMade in Fabriano Academy