The town of Serra de' Conti lies on the heights of the Misa River Valley, in the Marche region, amidst soft and sinuous hills, marked by the skilful patterns of orderly and colourful cultivations.
Approaching visitors will enjoy a characteristic and evocative urban view that only the ancient medieval villages can offer. Serra de' Conti has about 3,650 inhabitants. Its historic centre is one of the best preserved urban layouts in the province of Ancona.
The characteristic brick walls with ten polygonal towers, which are typical of the 14th-15th century military architecture, surround the medieval town and its churches.
The interweaving of streets and alleyways suggests evocative routes, while the civic tower stands at the centre as a symbol of 19th-century unity.
Among the numerous convents that have been built in Serra de’ Conti over the centuries, the Monastery of S. Maria Maddalena is worth a visit. Rebuilt in the 16th century, it is characterised by a large tower and embellished by a church with Baroque interiors.
Museum of Monastic Arts
Take a journey in time and in the daily lives of the nuns who lived for centuries in the Monastery of Santa Maria Maddalena.
You will not be a mere visitor, but an active spectator, ready to step into the shoes of the various characters that are the protagonists of an audio-guided theatrical visit. Through the narration of small daily events, the main stages of the history of the monastery are retraced, in the years between the 16th and the 20th century.
The recorded voices of the actresses will accompany the visitor, for a deep insight of the mysterious life of the enclosed nuns along an imaginary and engaging journey into the rooms of suspended time.
Listening to Canto della Pasquella in the middle of the alleys of Serra de’ Conti accompanied by the hand organ.
Canto della Pasquella, which was found in the documents of the monastery of S. Maria Maddalena in Serra de’ Conti, is an original text composed by Sister Maria Virginia Donzelli, a nun who lived in that same monastery. The song is performed on 5 January in the streets of the village by a group of itinerant singers accompanied by the hand organ. At the end of the carol singing, there will be a plate of hot polenta and a glass of wine for everyone in Piazza Matteotti.
Walking along the poetic route in the historic centre of Serra de’ Conti. The famous poet Gio Evan has designed a poetic itinerary for sharp-eyed visitors which consists of ten poems hidden in the alleys of the old town centre. Ask for a map at the tourist office, sharpen your eyes and your heart and plunge yourself in this unique experience to discover the smallest poems in the world and the most evocative corners of Serra de’ Conti.
