Gradara

Comune in Marche, Italy

Gradara
Comune
Comune di Gradara

Coat of arms of Gradara Coat of arms
Location of Gradara Map
Gradara is located in Italy Gradara Gradara Location of Gradara in Italy Show map of Italy Gradara is located in Marche Gradara Gradara Gradara (Marche) Show map of Marche
Coordinates: 43°56′N 12°46′E / 43.933°N 12.767°E / 43.933; 12.767
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province	Pesaro e Urbino (PU)
Frazioni	Santo Stefano, Fanano alta, Fanano Bassa, Granarola, pievecchia
Government
• Mayor	Filippo Gasperi
Area ^[1]
• Total	17 km² (7 sq mi)
Elevation	142 m (466 ft)
Population (December 31, 2004)^[2]
• Total	3,361
• Density	200/km² (510/sq mi)
Demonym	Gradaresi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	61012
Dialing code	0541
Patron saint	San Terenzio
Saint day	third sunday of September

Gradara is a town and comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino (PU), in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is 6 km from Gabicce Mare and Cattolica, 25 km from Rimini, 15 km from Pesaro and 33 km from Urbino. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").^[3]

The ancient town is characterized by a double line of medieval walls and by the massive castle, one of the best preserved in Italy. It is famous as being the location of the episode of Paolo and Francesca described by Dante Alighieri in the V Canto of his Inferno . With its castle as a major tourist attraction, the town is considered by some to be functionally an extension of the riviera romagnola.^[4]

History

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The construction of the castle was begun in the 12th century by Pietro and Ridolfo del Grifo. Later, Malatesta da Verucchio captured the Grifo tower, which became the mastio of the current castle, which was to be finished in the 15th century.

After the Malatesta seignory, the town was conquered by the Sforza in the September 1289. Here, in 1494, arrived Lucrezia Borgia, wife of Giovanni Sforza. After a short domination of Lucrezia's brother, Cesare, Gradara was handed over to the della Rovere. After the end of the latter's dynasty, the city was administered directly by the Popes.

In November 2019, the South Ossetian foreign minister Dmitry Medoyev paid a courtesy visit to Gradara, where he met with Mayor Filippo Gasperi and President of the Administration Frederico Marmarella. Both sides discussed issues of humanitarian and cultural cooperation. In the course of the visit an agreement was reached to hold an exhibition of paintings by Ossetian artists in Gradara as part of the Days of Ossetian Culture in Europe in July 2022.^[5]