Montedinove is located betwenn the Valleys of the rivers Aso and Tesino at 561 m. above sea level, on the highest hill in the area on the slopes of Monte Ascensione. The view is breathtaking, from the Adriatic coast to the Sibillini Mountains, from Monte Conero to Gran Sasso d’Italia. Its origins date back to the 6th century A.D.; It was probably built by refugees from Ascoli, during the Lombard invasion in 578. In the area there were Piceni settlements. Archaelogical excavations have discovered 20 Piceni tombs dating 7th century B.C. At the beginning of 12th century the Abbot of Farfa Berardo III fortified the town, that fortification proved to be very important about a century later when it resisted the siege of Rainaldo d’Acquaviva in 1239. It remained loyal to the pope and to the abbey of Farfa till 1585 when Pope Sisto V incorporated what was left of Farfa’s properties to the Church founding Montalto; Montedinove was part of it. It belonged to the papal state until Italy’s unification in 1861. There are three likely hypotheses on the origin of the name Montedinove: The first should draw on the mount with nine hills or districts as it shows on its coat of arms; the second is linked to the habit of transmitting light signals from the heights to announce novelties ”nuove”, in the middle ages. Also its name may be linked to the disappearance of the Roman town of “Novana” which Plino il Vecchio placed in the internal Piceno area and whose location has not been found. In the pretty old town center there still are remains of the medieval walls and it is characterized by a peculiar urban plan whose centre is the elegant Piazza Novana. In the square there are the Town hall with a clock tower, the Church of St.Maria de’Cellis, built by the benedectine monks of Farfa in 12th century, the Church of St.Lorenzo, by the swiss architect Pietro Maggi, who lived in Montedinove with his family. He also designed the balcony and the facede of the town hall. A little outside the town is the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury, built along the Cuprense way, in the place of a chapel dedicated to St.Thomas belonging to the monks of St.Maria de’Cellis. Important local personalities are: the 18th century poet Ignazio Erei, the architects Pietro and Carlo Maggi, the Pasqualini family who were bell founders and the editors Cino, Domenico and Alceo Del Duca. Since 2013 Montedinove was awarded as one of the “Authentic Italian Villages”. It is famous for the production of the Pink Apple of the Sibillini Mountains; every year in november a special event takes place to show the apple’s peculiarities.
