Top left: Annonario Square;top centre: Rocca Roveresca Fortress;top right: night view of Piazzale della Libertà waterfront area;middle left: Chiostro delle Grazie;middle right: Rotonda a Mare;bottom left: view of the sunset in Spiaggia Velluto Beach;bottom centre: view of the town from Scapezzano Hill;bottom right: Portici Ercolani
Senigallia (orSinigaglia inOld Italian;Romagnol:S'nigaja) is acomune (municipality) and resort town onItaly'sAdriatic coast. It is situated in theprovince of Ancona, in the Italian region ofMarche, and lies approximately 30 kilometres north-west of the provincial capital cityAncona. Senigallia's small port is located at the mouth of theRiver Misa. It is one of the endpoints of theMassa–Senigallia Line, one of the most important dividing lines (isoglosses) in the classification of theRomance languages.
Senigallia was first settled in the 4th century BC by the GallicSenone tribe, who had settled the coastal area.[citation needed] In 284 BC, the area and the settlement were taken over byRomans, who established the colonySena Gallica there to control the region they called theAger Gallicus."Sena" is probably a corrupted form of "Senones" and"Gallica" (meaning "Gaulish") distinguished it fromSaena (Siena) inEtruria.
The diocese and the bishopric had long been established, and the city saw economic development, including the establishment of the so-called Magdalena Fair around the 13th century.[citation needed] The fair's popularity grew when Sergius, count of Senigallia, became engaged to the daughter of the count of Marseilles. On his engagement, the count of Marseilles presented Sergius with relics, said to be ofMary Magdalene. The fair was visited by merchants from both Europe and theLevant.[citation needed]
In the 15th century, Senigallia was captured and recaptured many times by opposing sides during theGuelph and Ghibelline war.Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta ofRiminifortified the town in the years 1450–1455.Pope Pius II made his nephew Antonio Piccolomini Lord of Senigallia in [?], but in 1464 the residents pledged loyalty toPope Paul II. In 1472,Giacomo Piccolomini tried, but failed, to seize the town.Pope Sixtus IV then assigned the lordship to his kinsmen on theDella Rovere family. In 1503Cesare Borgia, the brother of the famousLucrezia Borgia and illegitimate son of thePope Alexander VI, carried out a coup at Senigallia against some of his disloyal supporters. In 1516, this was temporarily revoked byPope Leo X, who transferred the Lordship to his nephewLorenzo II de' Medici, then again the Della Rovere family took over from 1624 when Senigallia eventually was annexed to thePapal States' legation (province) ofUrbino.
Senigallia is the birthplace of Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti,Pope Pius IX. He was born here in 1792, became pope in 1846, and was the last pope to rule the Papal States beforeItalian unification.
During the First World War, the town and its port were devastated by intensive shelling by units of theAustro-Hungarian Navy led by the battleship SMSZrínyi.[3] The town was also badly damaged by a strong earthquake in 1930 and during the Second World War.
Though traces of the city's history are still visible, much of today's city is modern. Visitor attractions include:
Palazzo Comunale, from the 17th century
Rocca Roveresca – castle ofGothic origins, restored byBaccio Pontelli in 1492. It has a square plan with four large round towers.
The Cathedral, erected after 1787
Santa Maria delle Grazie – one of the only two churches attributed to Baccio Pontelli (the other is at Orciano, near Mondavio, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the west by road). It contains a museum of themezzadria agrarian life typical of the area, with farm tools, dresses, photos, etc. It once housed the painting ofMadonna di Senigallia byPiero della Francesca.
GIORGI E., LEPORE G., 2010 (a cura di), Archeologia nella valle del Cesano tra Suasa e Santa Maria in Portuno (1996-2001), Atti delle giornate di studio in occasione dei Venti anni di ricerche archeologiche dell’Università di Bologna nella Valle del Cesano (Castelleone di Suasa, Corinaldo 18 dicembre 2008, San Lorenzo in Campo, 19 dicembre 2008), Bologna.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sinigaglia".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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