Conca Valley, the other Riviera: medieval villages and views between sea and hills

Just a few kilometres from the coast, behind Cattolica, the Conca Valley offers an almost natural change of pace to slow the pace of your holiday. The valley is home to some of the most evocative and scenic mediaeval villages in the hinterland of Romagna on the border with the Marche region, and one of these is Mondaino: having passed through the ancient fortified gate, one immediately finds oneself in Piazza Maggiore, where every summer, from 20 to 23 August, the famous Palio del Daino takes place, one of the most important mediaeval pageants in Italy, transforming the entire village into an open-air theatre with hundreds of participants, historical workshops, games and shows. A visit to the Fortress, with its splendid panoramic terrace sweeping from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, takes us back to the centuries-long disputes between the Malatesta and Montefeltro families and to the Miocene era with its fossils perfectly preserved in the Palaeontological Museum housed inside. The Piazza, on the other hand, provides access to the Accordion Museum, the memory of a production that made Mondaino famous in the 1960s thanks to the exploits of the Galanti factory. A 5-minute drive is all it takes to reach Saludecio, a village that combines the mediaeval soul sealed by the Malatesta walls with the palaces embellished with murals dedicated to 19th-century inventions, scattered along the streets of the centre. Not far from Mondaino is Montegridolfo, already listed among the most beautiful villages in Italia thanks to its perfectly preserved walls. Skilful restoration work has transformed the village into a small workshop of widespread hospitality, amidst silent alleys, historic buildings and attractions such as the Museum of the Eastern Gothic Line (of which the village was one of the strongholds), dedicated to the events of the 1944 war.

https://riviera.rimini.it/it/ambiente-natura/monti-valli/valconca

https://emiliaromagnaturismo.it/it/localita/mondaino