Cingoli is a comune in the province of Macerata, Marche region of Italy, about 51 kilometers from Ancona.

Marche · Macerata

Cingoli

The Balcone delle Marche at 631 meters, a hilltop borgo where on clear days the view runs from the Sibillini to the Croatian coast.

631m

Elevation

51 km / 32 mi

Nearest hub (Ancona)

9,584

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Cingoli sits at 631 meters on a hill above the Macerata province, thirty-five kilometers from Ancona and twenty-seven from Macerata. The town is known as the Balcone delle Marche for the belvedere that on a clear day takes in the Sibillini, the entire region, and the Croatian coast across the Adriatic. The site is older than its medieval walls: ancient Cingulum was founded and fortified in 63 BC by Titus Labienus, Julius Caesar's lieutenant, at his own expense, on the bones of an earlier Picene settlement. The town held municipium status under Rome and became important again during the civil wars. Cingoli is the birthplace of Pope Pius VIII, Francesco Saverio Castiglione, born here in 1761. Lorenzo Lotto painted the Madonna del Rosario altarpiece for the Dominican church here between 1537 and 1539, the work that still anchors the town's art holdings.

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Gallery

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Known for

Belvedere di Cingoli
The viewpoint that gives the town its Balcone delle Marche nickname, with views over the Macerata hills, the Sibillini and on clear days the Croatian coast.
Madonna del Rosario di Lorenzo Lotto
Altarpiece painted by Lorenzo Lotto between 1537 and 1539 for the Dominican church of San Domenico, the town's defining work of art.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Eighteenth-century cathedral rebuilt for Pope Pius VIII, the local-born pope whose pontificate ran 1829 to 1830.
Centro storico
Medieval walled hilltop with surviving stone gates, narrow streets and the noble palaces of the Cingoli families.
Lago di Castreccioni
Reservoir lake of around 200 hectares below the town, used for fishing, sailing and walking trails along the shore.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months for Cingoli. The hilltop catches the Adriatic breeze, the clear days for the belvedere fall most often in spring and early autumn, and the olive harvest below town runs through October. July and August are warm at 631 meters but cooler than the coastal towns, and Lago di Castreccioni below the village fills with weekend visitors from Ancona and Macerata. November through March is quiet and often cloudy, with the famous view obscured for days at a time, but the town stays open, the Lotto altarpiece is more accessible, and the medieval streets empty.