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Cingoli
is a small, enchanting hilltop city in Italy's Marches
region, situated
in the heart of the Marchigiano hills, at 631 meters
(2,070 feet) above sea level.
From
the castle walls that have surrounded Cingoli since
the Middle Ages, one can enjoy a panorama of the entire
Marchigiano territory, all the way to the Adriatic
Sea. For this reason Cingoli is called the "Balcony
of the Marches". Cingoli's origins can be
traced back to earliest antiquity. On the hill where
the city now rises, there were human settlements in
the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Then, in
the 9th century B.C., Cingoli's lands were inhabited
by the ancient Picene people. In 60 B.C. Cingoli was
fortified as an official Roman town by Titus Labienus,
a native son of the city and lieutenant to Julius
Caesar in his Gallic wars. It became a free city-state
(a "comune", the word still used to denote
a self-governed Italian city or town) in the 12th
century A.C., then became part of the Papal States,
as a seat of government, until the Unification of
Italy, in 1860.
The
city stands rich in history: the monuments,
the many churches, the noble palaces of various eras
make for an interesting visit. In addition, Cingoli
is surrounded by some 4.500 hectares (more than 12.000acres)
of forest and woods that offer endless possibilities
for observing nature. Also of interest to visitors
is Cingoli's Lake, the largest man-made body
of water in Central Italy.
The
location of Cingoli, on the edge of the provinces
of Macerata and Ancona, allows those who stay here
to make excursions to the most beautiful spots in
the Marches and also in the neighboring region of
Umbria - see the accommodation pages for information
on farmhouses,
apartments and Villas.
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