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GROTTAMMARE
In antiquity the Grottammare's
territory was under the infuence of Piceni,
and known by Roman with the name of Cuprae Fanum
for the presence of a Piceno temple dedicated to the goddess
Cupra, patron of the fecundity.
The recent history begins in the VII and
VIII century with the presence of Benedictines
monks of the powerful Abbey of Farfa who settled
in the zone known today as San Martino.
The first fortified structures were the result of the continuous
attacks of Saracens from the sea. Managed
by the city of Fermo, it
passed for a decade to Svevian (1239-1248) and then to the
bishops of Fermo (1248).
Having a flourishing port the city was for long time quarreled
between Fermo and Ascoli.
Surrounded by town-walls still visible today Grottammare was
able to reject the Turks' attack but it had to give up in
1525 to the pirats of Dulcigno,
which temporaryly occupied it and subsequently caused a greater
fortification of the village.
In 1520 it saw the birth of Felice Peretti, who became Pope
in 1585 with the name of Sisto V.
At the end of the eighteenth century begins
the recent history of Grottammare with the reduction to sea
of its inhabitants and the construction of the new Grottammare
with a great tourist vocation.
In October 12th 1860 Grottammare was protagonist
of an important event in the birth of the Reign of Italy with
the meeting between Vittorio Emanuele II and a delegation
of notables from Naples who formally offered him the Reign
of the two Sicilies.
In the twentieth century were built along the promenade som
villas in Liberty style.
The village is reachabel through Porta Marina and Porta Castello
(doors) that opens the town-walls. Crucial point of the visit
of the medieval village is Piazza Perretti where are located
the architectonic jewels of Grottammare: Palazzo Priorale,
the Teatro dell'Arancio, the Altana dell'Orologio
(Clock terrace), the splendid panoramic sight and the loggia.
Other places of sure interest are the Church of San
Martino (1300) little outside from
the village, that it rises on the ruins of Piceno temple deidcated
to the Goddess Cupra, and the Church of Sant'Agostino ('500).
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