Anywhere Italy
00 Sassoferrato
Stemma di Sassoferrato

Marche · Ancona

Sassoferrato

A two-level Apennine town above Roman Sentinum, where the consuls Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus defeated four allied tribes in 295 BC.

Best time
Apr–Oct
By car
1 h 11 min from Perugia
Population
6,841

Known for

  • BATTLE OF SENTINUM

    Decisive 295 BC battle of the Third Samnite War, where Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus defeated the Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Senone Gauls.

  • SENTINUM

    Roman city a kilometer south of town, with the cardo, decumanus, urban baths and extramural baths visible in the archaeological park.

  • IL SASSOFERRATO

    Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Il Sassoferrato, was born here in 1609; Palazzo Oliva holds his Raphaelesque devotional paintings.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

  • J8°
  • F11°
  • M12°
  • A15°
  • M20°
  • J27°
  • J30°
  • A29°
  • S24°
  • O19°
  • N13°
  • D10°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

Sassoferrato sits on the eastern slope of the Apennines on two levels: the Borgo at around 310 meters and the Castello, dominated by the Rocca built in 1365 by order of Cardinal Albornoz. A kilometer south of the modern town lies Sentinum, the Roman city next to which the consuls Publius Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus Rullianus defeated a coalition of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Senone Gauls in 295 BC, in the decisive battle of the Third Samnite War that allowed Rome to unify central Italy. The archaeological park preserves the cardo and decumanus, the urban baths, a second extramural bath complex and the ruins of a metalworking shop.

The Civic Archaeological Museum inside the Palazzo dei Priori, built 1355, holds the finds from Sentinum, including a Byzantine Saint Demetrius mosaic icon on wooden support. Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Il Sassoferrato, was born here in 1609; Palazzo Oliva holds a collection of his Raphaelesque devotional paintings. The town gives its name to the Battle of the Nations historical reenactment, held each August.

The Sunday letter

Sassoferrato is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Sassoferrato comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Sassoferrato in our articles

How to get there

From Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 1 hour by car.

Rimini (RMI) is about 2 hours away.

By car from the centre of Perugia 1h 11m or Ancona 1h 16m.

Coming by train into Perugia? Sassoferrato is about 1h 10m away by road.

Every town within reach of Ancona / Pescara airport.

Sassoferrato, photo 1
Sassoferrato, photo 2

What to see

  • Rocca Albornoz

    Fourteenth-century fortress built 1365 by order of Cardinal Albornoz, dominating the upper Castello district at 400 meters.

  • Parco Archeologico di Sentinum

    Roman city a kilometer south of town, with the cardo and decumanus, the urban baths and the extramural bath complex still visible.

  • Museo Civico Archeologico

    Inside the 1355 Palazzo dei Priori, holding the finds from Sentinum and the Byzantine Saint Demetrius mosaic icon on wooden support.

  • Palazzo Oliva

    Renaissance palace in the Borgo district, holding a collection of Raphaelesque devotional paintings by Giovanni Battista Salvi, born here in 1609.

  • Borgo Castello

    Two-level centro storico with the Borgo at 310 meters along the Sentino river and the Castello at 400 meters around the Rocca.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Sassoferrato fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

  • Palio della Miniera di Zolfohistorical re-enactment

    usually held in August. lemarche.it

Living here

  • Population 6,841
  • Remotei
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 1 h 5 min drive
  • Regional capital Ancona, 1 h 16 min drive

Common questions

What is Sassoferrato known for?
Sassoferrato is a two-level Apennine town above Roman Sentinum, where the consuls Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus defeated four allied tribes in 295 BC.
Where is Sassoferrato?
Sassoferrato is a comune in the province of Ancona, in Marche, at 386 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Sassoferrato?
Ancona / Pescara (AOI), about 1 hour by car.
How long is the drive from Perugia to Sassoferrato?
About 1h 11m by car.
When is the best time to visit Sassoferrato?
Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Sassoferrato?
Yes. Palio della Miniera di Zolfo. August is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Sassoferrato?
Urbania, Matelica and Pergola.
How many people live in Sassoferrato?
6,841 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 386 m
  • Population: 6,841
  • Surface area: 137.23 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

Similar

Towns like Sassoferrato

🎨 Borghi più belli d'Italia

More Borghi più belli d'Italia towns in Marche