The village and its history

Petritoli’s roots go back to the most ancient time. Traces of flint arrowheads and pottery fragments testify to the presence of settlements as early as the Neolithic period, while in the 1st millennium B.C. it was the Piceni who inhabited these hills.
With the Romans, the territory gained new importance: the Via Salaria – which connected Ascoli Piceno to Fermo – crossed the area, encouraging the foundation of small villages. Even today, plowing and excavations have brought to light tombs, columns and objects of daily life, signs of a living and industrious past. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Lombards arrived, followed by the Benedictines, who controlled the area through the monasteries of Farfa and San Pietro in Valle di Ferrentillo.

Around the year one thousand, monastic property was ceded to local feudal lords, who began to build castles and churches. Thus, were built the castle of Petritolo with the church of Santa Maria in Castello, the village of Liverano with the shrine of Liberata, that of Palma (now a cemetery) and the castle of Cecilia. In the 13th century, several fortresses united, originating a true community: Petritoli. The village’s coat of arms, rich in symbols, was also born from that era:

• Three hills and three stones recall the original castles (Cecilia, Petritoli and Palma) and the three feudal lords.
• The white band is the Aso River.
• The oval and the crown represent the new community and loyalty to the rulers.
• The blue background recalls the fighting spirit and loyalty of the people.

Sieges, fortresses and courage

Between the 14th and 15th centuries, Petritoli experienced turbulent times. Wars between the Guelphs and Ghibellines led to repeated assaults, prompting the community to build a new, imposing fortified gate: Porta Petrania, known today as the Tre Archi (Three Arches).
At the time, the fortification was equipped with round bastions, double battlements, spaces for archers and even a portcullis to defend access to the village.

In 1528, French troops on their way to Naples stopped here. Thanks to the sturdy walls and the courage – as the story goes – even of the women of Petritoli, the town resisted. The war brought with it devastation and plague, but the population survived the epidemic and, in gratitude to the Virgin Mary, commissioned a valuable altarpiece from the Fermo painter Giovan Battista Morale, now kept at the Sanctuary of Liberata.

From the Napoleonic Age to the Unification of Italy

During the Napoleonic period, Petritoli became the seat of Cantone (district) and one of the most active centers in the spread of revolutionary ideals. There were more than 120 members of Mazzini’s Young Italy here.
With 1861 and theUnification of Italy, the municipality of Petritoli incorporated the nearby village of Moregnano, which became a hamlet.

Today, walking through the medieval streets, under the centuries-old arches and crenellated towers, you can still breathe in that atmosphere suspended between history, legends and courage that made this village unique.

Fun facts from the past

Walking through the medieval alleys, you still encounter unique details, such as the “dead man’s door”: a small entrance near the main door, opened only to let the deceased out so that the spirit would not remain in the house. A rare tradition in the Marche region, inherited from the influence of the monks of Ferrentillo from Umbria.