Serra San Quirico

Serra San Quirico sits on the left bank of the Esino river, at the foot of Monte Murano and the entrance to the Gola della Rossa, forty-five kilometers from Ancona. Etruscan, Picene and Roman remains have been found in the area; the Romans established a military garrison that grew into the original village. The medieval town is built almost entirely in stone and rock, ringed by walls dating to around 1300.

Above those walls run the Copertelle, covered passageways that line the outer circuit, the true visual signature of the borgo. The Santa Lucia complex, the former monastery in the centro storico, houses the headquarters of the Parco Naturale Regionale della Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi, the 9,167-hectare regional park that runs from Serra south to the Frasassi caves. The Chiesa di Santa Lucia, baroque inside with marble decoration and gold-leaf stucco, sits next door. The Festa del Centro Storico in late July fills the stone lanes with theatrical reenactments.