Marche · Ancona
Genga
A small Sentino-valley commune whose territory holds the Frasassi caves, the largest karst show cave in Italy.
Known for
FRASASSI CAVES
The largest karst show-cave system in Italy, with the Abisso Ancona chamber large enough to hold the Milan cathedral inside it.
VALADIER TEMPLE
Octagonal neoclassical chapel cut into the cliff face above the gorge, commissioned by Pope Leo XII from Valadier in 1828.
POPE LEO XII
Annibale della Genga, born at the family castello in 1760 and elected pope in 1823, took his title from this Marche commune.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: papa Clemente I, 23 November
Why come
Genga sits on the Sentino river in the Apennine foothills of the Marche, seven kilometers downstream from Sassoferrato and twelve north of Fabriano. The commune is the ancestral seat of the della Genga, the noble family that gave the Catholic Church Pope Leo XII, born at the Castello della Genga in 1760. The territory is best known for the Grotte di Frasassi, a thirteen-kilometer karst system whose entrance was found in 1971 and opened to visitors in 1974.
The Abisso Ancona, a single chamber roughly 180 by 120 meters and nearly 200 tall, is large enough to hold the Milan cathedral. Above the cave entrance, the Tempio del Valadier, an octagonal neoclassical chapel set into a cliff wall, was commissioned by Leo XII from Giuseppe Valadier in 1828. The Abbazia di San Vittore alle Chiuse, a Romanesque Benedictine church on a Greek-cross plan, stands at the gorge mouth and dates to before 1080.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Genga’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.
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What to see
Grotte di Frasassi
Thirteen kilometers of karst passageways found in 1971 and opened in 1974, with the Abisso Ancona chamber 180 by 120 meters wide and 200 meters tall.
Tempio del Valadier
Octagonal neoclassical chapel commissioned by Pope Leo XII from Giuseppe Valadier in 1828, built of travertine and set into the cliff above the gorge.
Abbazia di San Vittore alle Chiuse
Romanesque Benedictine church on a Greek-cross plan with four columns, built of local limestone, attested before 1080 at the mouth of the Frasassi gorge.
Parco Naturale Regionale della Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi
Regional natural park of 9,167 hectares covering the limestone ridges and gorges that hold the cave system and the abbey.
Castello della Genga
Hilltop family seat of the della Genga, where Annibale della Genga, the future Pope Leo XII, was born in 1760.
The slow-trip planner
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Living here
- Population 1,682
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 50 min drive
- Regional capital Ancona, 1 h 2 min drive
Thermal baths in town: Hotel Terme San Vittore.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 322 m
- Population: 1,682
- Surface area: 73.16 km²
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
More towns near Genga
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