Interesting places to visit in Le Marche: Pietrarubbia
Pietrarubbia with its long history is a place full of vibrant energy.
The most ancient of all the villages in Montefeltro’s Dukedom, Nowadays Pietrarubbia consists of only few houses, all made of stones. However it’s history makes one of the many interesting places to visit in Le Marche!
Nice name, dark history
The name Pietrarubbia roughly translate as “red stone village”. You may think its poetic, but actually reflects a darker past. This place with its castle held an important strategy position, thus making it the epicenter of ferocious battles between the houses of Malatesta and Montefeltro. The stones where frequently stained with the blood of many warriors, hence the name Redstone village!
When Federico da Montefeltro managed to annihilate the power of Malatesta, Pietrarubbia became part of the Duchy of Urbino. And when it was time to organize the new territorial structure, the castle of Pietrarubbia was also reconsidered by Francesco di Giorgio Martini.
In more ancient times the castle was organized around an impenetrable fortress and was doubly fenced. As evidence of the ancient fortress is the ancient tower called Tower of the Hawk and there are still today, walled into the walls of the houses of the village, the stones used for the fireguns.
The end of Pietrarubbia’s glory
At the time of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro the fortress of Pietrarubbia was abandoned. The village slowly depopulated to favor the formation of villages downstream, closer to the most modern communication routes and places suitable for the exchange of goods.
Pietrarubbia Today
At the beginning of the 70s the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, born and raised not far from Pietrarubbia, felt the need to do something to save the village. In the ’90s he began to found the building of a school on the art of metals along with re-building the stone village.
Today Pietrarubbia is a beautiful tiny stone village with the above mentioned school and the museum dedicated to Pomodoro.
A place good for drones!
If you like to explore more, just behind the village there is a hidden path that brings you towards the top of the hill. Trust me when I tell you that the path is indeed hidden and with many uneven stairs that just look like rocks. It’s not hard, but surely this is not been touched by the hands of modern man.
Then at the top, you are welcomed by the silent lord. Of the once great castle, known for its excellent defenses, it only remain a lone construction, The Tower of the hawk.
The tower looks down at the beautiful valley, like an eternal predator reminding everyone of the once glorious past. Unfortunately you can’t go inside and explore the ruins. However you can climb a nearby rock to have an amazing view of the valley!.
Landscape photography and curious rock formations
The panorama is just gorgeous. All around you the green fields and the sweet hills of Northern Marche. It looks like a bucolic painting landscape that hardly changed in 1000 years!.
While you let your eyes wander, one can’t help but be curious of a weird rock formation that looks like a hand, with its index finger pointing towards the sky.
It’s called Pietrafagnana…but if you are a local you just call it the Finger.
Legend says that this was the place where Lucifer fell from the skies. When the angel sank into the ground he raised his left hand pointing to God as a last rebellious act.
Pietrarubbia is indeed a small little pearl for peoples who love digging deeper about the history of Montefeltro!
Timothy Dykes