San Leo – Fortress, Art and Landscape in Montefeltro
Accommodation in San Leo
San Leo combines a striking limestone rock with the Fortezza, sacred buildings, the Museo dell'Arte Sacra and trails around the rock. The imposing limestone rock of San Leo has steep, almost vertical cliff faces and forms a natural fortress. The steep cliff faces give the fortress a clear focal point in the landscape.
Fortress and historic rooms
The Fortezza di San Leo was converted into a prison from 1631 onward. The medieval keep was extensively redesigned in 1479 by Francesco di Giorgio Martini on behalf of Federico da Montefeltro. The visitor route in the Fortezza di San Leo includes an area dedicated to Cagliostro and leads to Cagliostro's cell. The years 1479 and from 1631 onward mark two construction phases of the complex.
Churches, Palazzo and religious art
The sacred architecture includes the Cathedral of San Leone and the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta. The Cathedral of San Leone is an important monument of Romanesque-Lombard architecture in Montefeltro. The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta is considered the oldest religious monument in Montefeltro. While the cathedral is classified as Romanesque-Lombard, the Pieve is regarded as the oldest religious monument in Montefeltro.
The Palazzo Mediceo was built between 1517 and 1523 to house the governor of San Leo and Montefeltro on behalf of the Republic of Florence. The Museo dell'Arte Sacra was established in the Palazzo Mediceo in 1996. The museum presents religious art in chronological order from the 8th to the 18th century. The same building brings together the construction period of the governor's residence and the chronologically arranged religious art.
Trails through the landscape and valley
In addition to the buildings, cycling routes and trails also shape the character of San Leo. San Leo offers several cycling routes that extend across slopes and through landscapes with scenic views to characteristic sites of history, art and culture. Near San Leo, trails run through the valley and around the Fortezza di San Leo. The cycling routes lead to characteristic sites of history, art and culture; the trail around the rock reaches the Fonte di San Leone. For planning your day, this distinguishes the slopes of the cycling routes from the trails in the valley and around the rock.
Another aspect of the landscape is the Fonte di San Leone. It can be reached via the path around the rock, known as the “Giro di San Leone”, and lies in a forest overlooking the valley of the Marecchia River. At the spring, the forest setting and the view of the valley belong to the same landscape location.
Plan your visit to San Leo according to your interests
When planning your trip, you can consider the Fortezza, the Cathedral of San Leone, the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta and the Palazzo Mediceo separately from the trails around the rock and through the valley in San Leo.
More destinations for your trip to Italy
Find more destinations for planning your trip with Riccione, Bruciato, Ca' Baldo, Perticara, Gemmano, Passano, Casteldelci and Albereto.
For the main travel overview: Rimini.
