Montone: Towers, Churches and History

Montone brings together traces of a medieval fortification, two churches and a Gothic funerary artwork. Travelers looking to connect architectural history, art and local history will find several specific topics here. The surviving wall towers, the history of Santa Maria Assunta and the traditions surrounding Sant’Antonio Abate offer different ways to explore the town.

Wall Towers as Traces of the Medieval Town

Three towers from Montone’s medieval walls survive today. The walls were raised around 1390—a date that makes the town’s fortification history tangible. The largest surviving tower stands in the highest part of Montone, behind the church of Sant’Antonio Abate. This gives visitors two distinct points of reference in the town’s history: the remaining sections of the walls and the location of the town’s largest tower.

Santa Maria Assunta: Two Widely Separated Building Periods

The church of Santa Maria Assunta is first mentioned in a document in 1575, in a dispute over a chapel benefice. However, construction of the present-day church did not begin until 1914. At the time, the parish priest Don Gaetano Cardelli led the project based on a design by the artist Francesco Patella, who came from Mosciano. The church was consecrated in May 1934. Its early documentary mention and the construction of the present-day building are therefore two distinct stages in its history.

The architecture also offers specific details: Santa Maria Assunta is built entirely of brick masonry. On its distinctive façade, the pointed-arch portal is flanked on each side by two further pointed-arch arcades. Inside are old, finely executed paintings. Their subjects include the Annunciation, the Madonna del Carmine, the Last Supper and the Madonna del Rosario. The construction, façade design and painted subjects each offer a different way to appreciate the church—from its exterior form to its religious art.

Sant’Antonio Abate and the Sarcophagus

The church of Sant’Antonio Abate was restored in the Baroque style in the early 19th century. Its earlier history is linked to a monastic tradition: the church was probably initially attached to a monastery run by Benedictines or Antonine monks, and later by celibates. Its early affiliation remains uncertain.

The stone sarcophagus of Bucciarello di Jacopo di Bartolomeo is a Gothic artwork dating from 1390. It was transferred to the church of Sant’Antonio after San Jacopo fuori le Mura was deconsecrated and turned into a cemetery. This history of provenance connects a single artwork with another chapter in the town’s religious history, without conflating the building histories of the two churches.

Local History as a Travel Theme

Montone is also known for its belvedere. Together with the wall towers and the two churches, it adds to the picture of a town whose appealing features lie in the history of its buildings. When planning your trip, consider which of these aspects interests you most: the medieval fortification, the architecture and paintings of Santa Maria Assunta, or the sarcophagus and its history. This makes it possible to choose Montone as a destination based on your own interest in history and art.

For driving directions, the A14 and the Teramo, Giulianova and Mosciano Sant’Angelo exits are given as reference points. From there, the Strada Provinciale 262 DIR and Strada Provinciale 15A head towards Giulianova and Mosciano Sant’Angelo. Check the route and road conditions before setting out. The Festa dei Santi Giacomo e Anna was announced in Montone for July 25 and 26; check the event dates before your trip.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Bellante, Castagneto, Morro D’oro, Floriano, Cellino Attanasio, Canzano, Poggio Morello, Case Alte.

For the overview of the wider area: Teramo.