Carpegna, the ancient heart of the Montefeltro, is located on several floors at the base of Mount Carpegna and surrounded by woods and forests of great beauty. The story of Carpegna revolves entirely around one of the most important Italian noble family, the Counts of Carpegna, from which the noble family of Montefeltro descends. Although Carpegna was always at the center of clashes between the Malatesta and Montefeltro Family, it managed to maintain a certain autonomy in the game of medieval alliances, and his lords often played important diplomatic functions among the precarious balance between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and the impervious nature of the land helped to preserve the country from the violent clashes. Of its illustrious past we still find nowadays in the center of town, overlooking Piazza dei Conti, the great Carpegna Palace, built between 1674 and 1696, upon project of one of the best architects of the time, Giovanni Antonio de ‘Rossi of Rome. The fortress palace is inspired by the Florentine fortified villas; the façade of Carpegna Palace is austere and elegant, with a double stone staircase. Inside, where it is still possible to see the library, period furnishings and paintings depicting important figures in the history of the country, there are five rows of arcades and a magnificent garden; going up to the first floor you can visit the small private chapel and a beautiful room called “Summer apartment”; still going up, you can reach the beautiful Great Hall. Downstairs next to the large hall, are the stables, which are also accessible from the Square, where in addition to the old stables you can visit the great kitchens with wood-burning ovens, stone sinks and even running water. The well overflow is still feeding the public fountain to the right of the building. The basin of this Fountain is made from a still undated ancient tomb carved from a limestone monolith, which contained the body of a mysterious warrior with helmet and sword. Not far from the town lies the beautiful Parco Sassi Simone and Simoncelli with nature trails to be discovered, either on foot or by mountain bike; for lovers of racing bike, however, obligatory is a transit to Cippus Carpegna, where are also an aerodynamic memorial to Pantani and a monument to the fallen of the two world wars, on a terrace overlooking the entire valley. From the summit of Cippus Carpegna, 1415 meters high, a magnificent view spreads between the basins of the rivers Foglia, Marecchia and Conca. Also to visit is the Church of San Giovanni Battista of the twelfth century, located two kilometers from the town and the Museum of the Villages.
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