Gradara – The Most Romantic Village in Italy

An Italian municipality in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the Marche region, Gradara is a village renowned for its beauty, its history, and its reputation as the most romantic village in Italy.

Are you ready to discover it with us?

The History of Gradara

Located near the San Bartolo promontory, Gradara, currently home to 4,876 inhabitants, is best known for the events surrounding its castle, which over the centuries was ruled by various families and is believed to be the setting of the tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, lovers described by Dante in the Divine Comedy.

For more information about the story of Paolo and Francesca, click here.

The village, situated between the first and second walls of the castle built around the 12th century by Pietro and Ridolfo De Grifo, soon came under the rule of the Malatesta family, thanks to Malatesta da Verucchio who seized the De Grifo tower and turned it into the keep of the current fortress. It later passed into the hands of the Sforza, the Borgia, the della Rovere, and the Mosca families, before becoming municipal property and eventually purchased for three million lire by Umberto Zanvettori of Belluno, who began its restoration.

The Main Point of Interest

The main attraction is the Castle of Gradara, one of the best-preserved medieval structures in Italy, perched on a hill 142 meters above sea level. It features a tower rising about 30 meters and two concentric walls protecting the fortress, the outermost of which stretches nearly 800 meters.

The castle is open to visitors, with or without guided tours, from Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, at the following rates:

• €10.00 – full price
• €2.00 – reduced (for all EU citizens aged 18 to 24)
• Free – for all minors, employees of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, and students and teachers of Architecture, Humanities, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Fine Arts Academies, etc.

For more information about castle visits, click here.

Other Monuments and Places of Interest

In addition to the castle, Gradara is rich in fascinating monuments worth visiting, such as:

• Clock Tower
• Ramparts Walkways
• Teatro dell’Aria
• Gradara War Cemetery, which holds the remains of 1,191 soldiers from the Commonwealth forces and one Belgian, who died during World War II
• Historical Museum and Medieval Caves
• La Rocchetta
• Olive Tree Garden
• Church of San Giovanni Battista, dating back to 1290, featuring a single nave, Corinthian columns, pilasters ending in capitals, a gabled façade, and an external bell tower. Inside are several valuable artworks, including a painting of the Crucifixion, a canvas depicting the Assumption from the Spanish school, and a 17th-century Crucifix made by Innocenzo da Petralia.

Directions and Other Information

You can reach Gradara in several ways:

By Car

• A14 Motorway Exit Cattolica: SS 16 towards Pesaro – follow signs for Gradara (Gradara Centro, Gradara Castello or Piazza Mancini)
• A14 Motorway Exit Pesaro: SS 16 towards Rimini – at Colombarone follow signs for Gradara (Gradara Centro, Gradara Castello or Piazza Mancini)

By Bus From Pesaro – Gabicce – Cattolica

• Line 130 Pesaro-Gabicce-Cattolica-Gradara
• Line 131 Gradara-Cattolica-Gabicce-Pesaro

From Rimini, Riccione, and Misano Adriatico

• Line 125 or 134, get off at Cattolica FFSS Station

By Train

• Cattolica, S. Giovanni, Gabicce Station From Cattolica FFSS take Adriabus line 130 to Gradara (Pesaro-Gabicce-Cattolica-Gradara line)
• Pesaro Station Adriabus connection line 130 to Gradara (Pesaro-Gabicce-Cattolica-Gradara line)

By Plane

• Air Riminum “F. Fellini” Airport – Rimini Miramare
• “Raffaello Sanzio” Airport – Ancona Falconara
• “G. Marconi” Airport – Bologna

There are also several free and paid parking options available locally.

Are you ready to discover the wonders of this village and lose yourself in the romance of its streets?