What is Camerino known for?

Family that ruled Camerino from 1259 to 1539, one of the longest signorie in central Italy, with a Renaissance palazzo by Baccio Pontelli. Founded 1336, papally recognized 1727, one of Italy's oldest universities still in operation, with around 7,000 students. The 30 October shock destroyed the central square buildings; the university kept operating from temporary quarters while restoration runs.

When is the best time to visit Camerino?

May–Oct. May through October is the working window for Camerino. The ridge holds long views to the Sibillini in spring and clears the surrounding hardwood forests into the high summer evenings. July and August stay cool at 661 meters; the university breaks and the festival weeks of the Corsa alla Spada and the Festa di San Venanzio fill the centro storico. November through April is cold and quiet, with snow on the surrounding ridges, reconstruction sites visible across the city, and the university running its winter term from temporary buildings on the outskirts. The Diocesan Museum and the Palazzo Ducale rooms are open year-round during restoration.

Camerino is a comune in the province of Macerata, Marche region of Italy, about 80 kilometers from Perugia.

How do I get to Camerino?

From Perugia, Camerino is roughly 80 km by road.

Marche · Macerata

Camerino

A university city at 661 meters on the ridge between the Chienti and Potenza, Da Varano capital from 1259 to 1539, rebuilding after 2016.

Known for

DA VARANO
Family that ruled Camerino from 1259 to 1539, one of the longest signorie in central Italy, with a Renaissance palazzo by Baccio Pontelli.
UNIVERSITY 1336
Founded 1336, papally recognized 1727, one of Italy's oldest universities still in operation, with around 7,000 students.
2016 EARTHQUAKE
The 30 October shock destroyed the central square buildings; the university kept operating from temporary quarters while restoration runs.

When to visit

Best · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: Venanzio di Camerino, 18 May

Why come

Camerino sits at 661 meters on a long ridge between the Chienti and Potenza valleys in the Marche Apennines, sixty-four kilometers from Ancona. The Da Varano family ruled here from the second half of the thirteenth century until 1539 and turned the town into one of the Marche's smaller Renaissance courts, with a Palazzo Ducale completed by Baccio Pontelli on the model of Federico da Montefeltro's palace in Urbino. The University, founded in 1336 and recognized by the Pope in 1727, is among Italy's oldest still in operation.

In 1503 Alessandro VI Borgia ordered the Rocca Borgesca, designed by Lodovico Clodio, connected underground to the Palazzo Ducale and armed with forty-two cannon. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata stands on the Piazza Cavour with the Palazzo Comunale. The 30 October 2016 earthquake damaged most of the centro storico, the cathedral and the Da Varano palazzi; the university kept operating from temporary quarters, the central square is still partly closed.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Camerino’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

By subscribing you agree to Substack’s Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy and our Information collection notice.

What to see

Palazzo Ducale Da Varano
Completed in 1499 by Baccio Pontelli for Giulio Cesare Da Varano, on the model of Federico da Montefeltro's palace in Urbino, now part of the University.
Rocca Borgesca
Built 1503 by Lodovico Clodio for Alessandro VI Borgia, connected underground to the Palazzo Ducale, armed with forty-two cannon when complete.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata
Cathedral on Piazza Cavour, damaged by the 2016 earthquake, still in partial restoration; the Diocesan Museum holds artworks displaced from the nave.
Università di Camerino
Founded 1336, recognized by the Pope 1727, one of the oldest continuous universities in Italy, with seats across the Da Varano palazzi.
Piazza Cavour
Main square of the centro storico, with the Palazzo Comunale, the cathedral and the Da Varano statue at the center.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Camerino fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Living here

Population 6,150
In-betweeni
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 1 h 17 min drive
Regional capital Ancona, 1 h 25 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 661 m
Population: 6,150
Surface area: 129.88 km²

On the map

Google Maps Apple Maps Directions from Perugia

These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

Close by