Fermo: Holiday Apartment between Culture and Coast

Fermo is located on Colle Sabulo at around 320 metres above sea level and approximately 6 kilometres from the sea. The city combines historic religious buildings, museums, theatres and unique collections with a coastline where golden sand and smooth white pebbles shape the landscape.

Culture and History

The centre is Piazza del Popolo, the heart of the city. Brick arcades from the 16th century frame the square, which is also home to Fermo’s oldest public buildings. The cathedral has a Romanesque-Gothic façade and predominantly Neoclassical interiors. Inside, visitors can see the foundations of an early Christian basilica and an 18th-century crypt.

Next to the cathedral is the Museo Diocesano, housed in the former premises of the dissolved Confraternita del Suffragio. Its pieces include a chasuble in Arab style that had belonged to Saint Thomas Becket, as well as the Messale de Firmonibus, a codex illuminated in 1436 by Giovanni di Ugolino da Milano. The museum’s picture gallery extends over two floors: downstairs, there are panels from the 15th and 16th centuries, while upstairs there are canvas paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Further historic interiors can be found in the Palazzo dei Priori. The Sala del Mappamondo contains a wooden globe drawn in 1713 by Abbot Amanzio Moroncelli. The Roman Cisterns of Fermo are a hydraulic engineering monument from the Augustan period; their entrance is on Via degli Aceti. Palazzo Paccaroni houses the Museo Polare “Silvio Zavatti” and the Museo di Scienze Naturali “Tommaso Salvadori”.

The churches, too, tell the story of different eras. The Chiesa di San Filippo Neri, also known as Chiesa del Santo Spirito, was built from 1594 onwards and consecrated in 1607. The Chiesa di San Francesco is a Gothic church from the 15th century; it contains the tomb monument for Euffreducci, created by Andrea Sansovino in 1527. The Oratorio di Santa Monica is entirely decorated with 15th-century frescoes depicting stories of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist.

The Biblioteca Civica Romolo Spezioli has three centuries of history and preserves 3,000 manuscripts, 127 codices and 300,000 documents. The Gabinetto delle stampe e dei disegni contains around 6,500 prints and 4,500 drawings.

Landscape and Coast

Parco del Girfalco offers panoramic views over Fermo. Another historic green space is Villa Vitali, a 19th-century villa that houses one of Fermo’s public parks. The location on Colle Sabulo and the distance of around 6 kilometres from the sea are directly juxtaposed: the hill rises above the city, while the coastal area offers beaches with golden sand and sections covered with smooth white pebbles.

Along the coast of Fermo, sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing are possible on beaches such as Lido di Fermo, Casabianca and Marina Palmense. FUM also adds an open-air museum of urban art. It includes a tour of the city’s murals as well as workshops and labs in a multidisciplinary space.

Events and Lively Places

Teatro dell’Aquila was inaugurated in 1791 and subsequently restored several times. Every year, it offers a programme of events including opera, music, theatre and activities for younger visitors. The open-air arena at Villa Vitali can be reserved through a municipal service. The Cavalcata dell’Assunta is a historical reenactment in Fermo that passes through the city streets on the evening of 14 August and the afternoon of 15 August.

The Terminal Mario Dondero is also part of Fermo’s contemporary cultural scene. The cultural venue is located in a modern arrival and departure station and hosts exhibitions and events. Traditional cuisine in the Fermo area includes Ciauscolo and strongly flavoured local cheeses.

Getting There and Other Places

Fermo can be reached via State Road 16 towards Fermo from Porto San Giorgio, as well as via the A14 Bologna–Canosa motorway, Porto San Giorgio–Fermo exit.

Other place pages in this selection: Servigliano, Montegiorgio, Grottazzolina, Marina Palmense, Lapedona, Montegranaro, Porto San Giorgio, Monte Urano.

Sant'elpidio A Mare, Monte San Pietrangeli, Monte Rinaldo, Falerone, Belmonte Piceno, Porto Sant'elpidio, Ortezzano, Casone.

Monte Vidon Combatte, Santa Vittoria In Matenano, Montefortino, Altidona, Smerillo, Petritoli, Campofilone, Monterubbiano.

Rapagnano, Massa Fermana, Casette D'ete, Fermo, Montottone, Montefalcone Appennino, Monteleone di Fermo, Montappone.

Moresco, Magliano di Tenna, Francavilla d'Ete, Monte Giberto, Capodarco, Sant'Elpidio Morico.

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To the main travel overview: Marche.