Fabriano is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of Ancona province in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region of the Marche, at above sea level. It lies in the

Esino The Esino (, la, Aesis) is a river in the Marche region of central Italy. Geography The source of the river is east of Monte Penna in the province of Macerata near the border with the province of Ancona. The river flows east past Esanatoglia and ...

valley upstream and southwest of

Jesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic ...

; and east-northeast of Fossato di Vico and east of Gubbio (both in

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

). Its location on the main highway and rail line from Umbria to the Adriatic make it a mid-sized regional center in the Apennines. Fabriano is the headquarters of the giant appliance maker

Indesit Indesit Company (; ) was an Italian company based in Fabriano, Ancona. It was one of the leading European manufacturers and distributors of major domestic appliances (washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, cookers, hoods, ov ...

(partly owned by

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

). Fabriano, with Roma, Parma, Torino and Carrara, is an Italian creative city (UNESCO). The town is in the category ''Folk Arts'' (for the Fabriano's handmade paper production).

History

Fabriano appears to have been founded in the early Middle Ages by the inhabitants of a small Roman town south at Attiggio (Latin ''Attidium''), of which some slight remains and inscriptions are extant. Fabriano itself was one of the earliest places in Europe to make high-quality

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

on an industrial scale, starting in the 13th century, and the town even today has a reputation for fine

watermark A watermark is an identifying image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light (or when viewed by reflected light, atop a dark background), caused by thickness or density variations ...

ed paper. This led to Fabriano's prosperity in the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

and the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, and was also one of the factors that led to the establishment of nearby Foligno in Umbria as one of the earliest printing centers in Italy in the 15th century, from 1470 onwards.

Geography

The municipality borders with Cerreto d'Esi,

Costacciaro Costacciaro is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 40 km northeast of Perugia. It is a medieval burgh, which, after the rule of Perugia and Gubbio, became part of the Papal States ...

( PG), Esanatoglia ( MC),

Fiuminata Fiuminata is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona and about southwest of Macerata. The municipal seat is in the ''frazione'' of Massa. Fiuminata borders the foll ...

(MC), Fossato di Vico (PG), Genga,

Gualdo Tadino Gualdo Tadino (Latin: ''Tadinum'') is an ancient town of Italy, in the province of Perugia in northeastern Umbria, on the lower flanks of Monte Penna, a mountain of the Apennines. It is NE of Perugia. History Gualdo has a long history and was o ...

(PG), Matelica (MC), Nocera Umbra (PG), Poggio San Vicino (MC), Sassoferrato,

Serra San Quirico Serra San Quirico is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population ...

and Sigillo (PG).

''Frazioni''

The hamlets ('' frazioni'') of Fabriano are: Albacina, Argignano, Attiggio, Bassano, Bastia, Belvedere, Borgo Tufico, Cacciano, Ca' Maiano, Campodiegoli, Campodonico, Cancelli, Cantia, Castelletta, Ceresola, Ciaramella, Coccore, Collamato, Collegiglioni, Colle Paganello, Cupo, Fontanaldo, Grotte, Marena, Marenella, Marischio, Melano, Moscano, Nebbiano, Paterno, Poggio San Romualdo, Rufano beach, Precicchie, Rocchetta, Rucce, San Donato, San Giovanni, San Michele, San Pietro, Sant'Elia, Serradica, Valgiubbola, Vallemontagnana, Valleremita, Vallina, Varano, Viacce, Vigne.

Main sights

Fabriano's wealth and commitment to the fine arts in the late medieval period have left it with many monuments.

Churches

* Fabriano Cathedral, dedicated to San Venanzio ( Saint Venantius) (14th century, rebuilt in 1607–17). From the Baroque restoration are the stucco decoration of the interior and the canvasses by Gregorio Preti, Salvator Rosa, Giovanni Francesco Guerrieri,

Giuseppe Puglia Giuseppe Puglia (1600–1636) was an Italian painter, born in Rome. He was also known as ''Giuseppe del Bastaro''. According to Baglioni, flourished chiefly during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII, Urban VIII. There are several of his works ...

and

Orazio Gentileschi Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (1563–1639) was an Italian painter. Born in Tuscany, he began his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, much of his work consisting of painting the figures within the decorative schemes of other artists. After ...

. To the original Cathedral belong the polygonal apse, the cloister and the St Lawrence Chapel with frescoes by Allegretto di Nuzio (c. 1360). Also important are the frescoes with ''Stories of the True Cross'' by the Folignate painter

Giovanni di Corraduccio Giovanni di Corraduccio, also called Giovanni Mazaforte, (active circa 1404-1437) was an Italian painter of the Gothic style, active mainly in Umbria and Marche. He was born in Foligno. Based on documents, he is thought to have worked in Assisi ...

(1415). * San Filippo Neri - Church in 14th century attached to hospital, converted to oratory of the Philippines in 1628 *San Domenico * Santi Biagio e Romualdo * Sant'Onofrio - Church rebuilt in 1727 *The Benedictine Abbey *St Augustine * Santa Caterina da Siena - Present church erected 1508 *Collegiata of St. Nicholas *Santa Maria del Piangato *St Benedict *Oratory of the GonfaloneGuida, page 154.

Other buildings

*''Palazzo del Podestà'' (1255) built in white stone from Vallemontagnana and subsequently modified several times. It has a distinctive bridge structure, a memory of the stream which once flowed under it. The central arcade has frescoes from the 13th-14th centuries portraying warriors, and an enigmatic Wheel of Fortune moved by a feminine figure. *Sturinalto Fountain (1285), designed by

Jacopo di Grondolo Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo. * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iacopo Barsotti (1921–1987), ...

, who was inspired by the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia. *Communal Palace (c. 1350, rebuilt in 1690). It was the residence of the Chiavelli family, lords of the city until 1435. In the courtyard is a ''lapidarium'' with fragments of buildings of the ancient Roman cities of ''Attidium'' ( Attiggio), ''Tuficum'' ( Borgo Tufico) and ''

Sentinum Sentinum was an ancient town located in the Marche region of Italy. It was situated at low elevation about a kilometre south of the present-day town of Sassoferrato. The ruins of Sentinum were partially excavated in 1890 and the results of the arc ...

'' ( Sassoferrato). * Pinacoteca Civica Bruno Malajoli displayed in the former Hospital (Spedale di Santa Maria del Buon Gesù) - The hospital was first built in 1456. The art collection of the Pinacoteca were moved here in 1994. The collection contains works by Rainaldetto di Ranuccio of Spoleto, Master of San Agostino, Master of San Emiliano, Master of the Magi ( Fra Giovanni di Bartolomeo), Maestro dei Beati Becchetti,

Puccio di Simone Puccio di Simone (fl. 1346–1358) was an Italian Gothic painter, active in Florence. Biography Puccio di Simone is also known as the Master of the Fabriano Altarpiece. He was a student of Bernardo Daddi in Florence. He is mentioned between 1348 ...

Allegretto Nuzi Allegretto Nuzi or ''Allegretto di Nuzio'' (1315–1373) was an Italian painter, active in a Gothic style mainly around Fabriano, in the Province of Ancona. Biography Nuzi was probably trained in Fabriano Fabriano is a town and '' comune'' of A ...

, Francescuccio di Cecco Ghissi, Master of Fossato, Master of San Verecondo, Ottaviano Nelli, Master of Staffolo, Antonio da Fabriano,

Bicci di Lorenzo Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452) was an Italian painter and sculptor, active in Florence. He was born in Florence in 1373, the son of the painter, Lorenzo di Bicci, whose workshop he joined. He married in 1418, and in 1424 was registered in the G ...

Neri di Bicci Neri di Bicci (1419–1491) was an Italian painter active in his native Florence. A prolific painter of mainly religious themes, he studied under his father, Bicci di Lorenzo, who had in turn studied under his father, Lorenzo di Bicci. The thr ...

; Bernardino di Mariotto, Filippo da Verona, Venanzio da Camerino and Piergentile da Matelica, Simone de Magistris, Domiziano Domiziani, Girolamo or

Giacomo Nardini Giacomo is an Italian name. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob. People * Giacomo (name), including a list of people with the name Other uses * Giacomo (horse), a race horse, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby * ''Giácomo'' (film) ...

, Andrea Boscoli,

, Ambrogio Monaco, Francesco Podesti, and

Gentile da Fabriano Gentile da Fabriano ( – 1427) was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic painter style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best-known works are his ''Adoration of the Magi ...

. *Loggiato of St. Francis (c. 1450) *Vasari Portico (1316) * Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano * Villa Marchese del Grillo

Personalities

Totila Totila, original name Baduila (died 1 July 552), was the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, reigning from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of the Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the t ...

, penultimate king of the Ostrogoths, suffered his defeat at Taginae near Fabriano on 1 July 552 AD. *

, 15th-century painter, whose most famous work, an oil painting of the Epiphany, is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. * Saint John dal Bastone 12th-century Silvestrine monk, born in Paterno. * Francesco Stelluti, co-founder of the Accademia dei Lincei, born in Fabriano in 1577 * Jessica Rizzo (born 1964), an actress and businesswoman.

References

*''(Incorporates text from Bill Thayer's Gazetteer of Italy, by permission.)''

External links

Fabriano official websiteFabriano Storica - history, art, culture, legend, curiosityMade in Fabriano Academy