The best traffic-free bike rides around Filottrano

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria is an important Catholic place of worship located in the municipality of Monsano (AN). It is famous for the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, which, according to legend, occurred in February-March 1471 to three different people. At the time, there was an elm tree on this site from which the Virgin descended; in the snow, she traced the plan of a small chapel she wanted built in her honor. After initial mistrust from the Monsano farmers and the parish priest himself, on March 12, 1471, the feast of St. Gregory, the local population began laying the cornerstone, a small chapel measuring 6 by 4 meters. The fame of the apparitions and miracles spread rapidly, so much so that the following year it was given an arched portico. The decoration of the building was entrusted to the Jesi painter Andrea di Bartolo. In 1472, he painted the fresco of the Virgin inside, according to the descriptions of the three "seers," as well as the detailed inscriptions of the apparitions. On the exterior, he created the frescoes in the four lunettes of the portico with depictions of the Apparitions. Of these, only a reproduction survives, made on four parchments commissioned by the Massari of Monsano in 1623 and now housed in the Diocesan Museum of Jesi. The small church was enlarged again in the early 18th century, when the quadrangular hall was added at the front, resulting in the destruction of the portico and its frescoes. Between 1729 and 1734, the bell tower was erected, followed by the interior decoration. The pavilion vault is frescoed with decorative floral and cherub motifs; at the center is the Assumption of the Virgin. In 1736, the Jesi painter Domenico Luigi Valeri created the eight oval canvases depicting Stories of the Virgin Mary, placed in the Baroque cornices of the hall: the Nativity of Mary, the Annunciation, the Marriage of the Virgin, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ, and the Immaculate Conception. Between 1746 and 1764, the altarpieces of the two side altars, painted by Matteo Pannaria, depict the Deposition of Jesus from the Cross and the Madonna and Child between Saint Dominic and Saint John Nepomuk. The main altar was rebuilt in the late 18th century, and the simple neoclassical façade was added in the second half of the 19th century. In 1871, to commemorate the fourth centenary, a 25-pipe organ was added. https://www.santuariosantamaria.it/

The stretch of road that runs parallel to the road is very entertaining.

Square overlooked by the legendary Pergolesi theatre

Wide view of the Sibillini Mountains, the Laga Mountains and the Gransasso

In the square there is the Pergolesi theatre, a historic Marche theater named after Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, composer, organist and violinist born in Jesi.

Loreto, a beautiful place, perfect streets, lots of traffic

Historic center of Jesi, intricate narrow streets, many stairways and a lot of history. Jesi was a royal city of the Holy Roman Empire.

At Capocavallo there was initially a small church where, towards the end of the 19th century, a miracle took place. In fact, it seems that a painting depicting the Madonna began to sweat tears and moved her eyes, after these events the church was considerably enlarged and embellished.