What do I remember of Fano, a pleasant town in the Marche region nestled on the Adriatic Sea?
The first thing that comes to mind is … the Moretta. It is not a monument or even a beach, but a hot drink that the fishermen consumed after returning from their fishing trip.
Prosaically, we could define it as a kind of three-layered correct coffee. In reality it is a well-calibrated mix of brandy, rum and aniseed liqueur (preferably Varnelli, the legendary mistrà from the Marche region). Enriched by coffee and its cream, as well as the ever-present lemon zest.
After the Moretta, we visit the centre
Drunk after a good meal of Fano brodetto (the one from the Felix restaurant La Taverna dei Pescatori is delicious), it is an excellent viaticum before getting lost in the historic center of Fano. Its hub is located in Piazza XX Settembre.
Embellished by a seventeenth-century fountain adorned with an elegant bronze statue of the goddess Fortuna. True symbol of the city, which would have developed around a temple dedicated to this goddess.
The Teatro della Fortuna opens onto the same square, with a beautiful performance hall in neoclassical style, very close to the Corte Malatestiana, home to an interesting Civic Museum.
A church under the stars
Of particular charm is the former church of San Francesco which has a lawn as its floor and the sky as its ceiling. Its entrance is dominated by the tombs of the Malatesta family, lords of Fano from the mid-14th century to the end of the 15th century.
Their presence is also responsible for the imposing Rocca with a large and airy green space, located at the northern corner of the walls dating back to the period of Emperor Augustus.
The remains of the Roman city
Originally built for just under two kilometers, the ancient Roman walls survive for about a third of their perimeter. From the walls winds a beautiful walk that leads to the monumental entrance to the historic center marked by the Arch of Augustus.
From here started the decumanus maximus, in fact the continuation of the ancient Via Flaminia, which right in Fano reached the Adriatic Sea.
Brodetto is celebrated at the table
But in Fano there are not only jewels of art and a millenary history. There are many events that make it a non-negligible destination. If its Carnival is not to be missed in winter, other events are no less.
In particular, in June, the International Brodetto and Fish Soup Festival, which is actually celebrated every day of the year in the various fish restaurants!
© Brugam
