Amandola is a city of 3,600 people (2017) in Marche. Amandola is located at 550 m above sea level within the National Park of the Sibillini Mountains. It has a historic centre with different architectural styles.

Understand

• Tourist Office, ☏ +39 0736 848841.

History

The town was founded in 1248 from the union of the three castles of Agello, Leone and Marrubbione. It was named after "almond" (in local dialect "mannola"), which indicates both the fruit and the tree. The tree was admired locally and it seems it was also a symbol of the dominating hill top location overlooking the beautiful scenery of the Sibillini Mountains to the west.

In 568-570 Amandola was invaded by the Goths, then by the Lombards. In 700 it was attached to the Duchy of Spoleto, and subsequently divided into the districts of Camerino and Fermo. The repeated interventions of the Franks and the donation of much land to the Church by King Pepin led to the division of the Duchy of Spoleto. In 1249, from the union of the feuds Agello, Castel Leone and Marrubbione, the Comune of Amandola was formed and enclosed within a wall of 2,230 m with 5 gates: Agello, San Giacomo (the only one still existing), Marrubbione, Sant' Antonio and Putei. There were three public squares: the Platea Animalium, used for livestock fairs, the Platea Magna, used for meetings and popular festivals, the Platea Vallelonga, a market square. Statutes were made in 1265 and during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period it had a flourishing weaving industry.

At the end of the 16th century, important agreements were drawn-up between Amandola and the surrounding communities for defining the boundaries. One of its most important lords was the leader Mostarda da Forlì (14th - 15th century). In 1798 Amandola suffered the impact of the Napoleonic forces and because of a resistance attempt, it was ransacked and the tomb of Saint Beato Antonio was desecrated. The French occupation ended only in 1800 and the papal government was re-established.

During World War II Angelo Biondi was shot in the main square. In March 1944 the German troops engaged in a brief battle with the partisans which ended with the execution of 10 men. Still in the Nazi-Fascist period, in September 1943, two families of Yugoslavs Jewish refugees came to Amandola (eight in all) fleeing to the South. Despite the danger, the whole town, led by the stationmaster Giuseppe Brutti, tried to help them. The inhabitants formed a commission in order to give free accommodation, food and blankets and anything else they needed to the refugees, who had nothing. When a spy revealed the presence of Jews in the town, they were moved to the hamlet of San Cristoforo, where they remained until the Liberation. For their action, Giuseppe Brutti and his wife Elvira Lucci Brutti have been granted the title of "Righteous among the Nations" by the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem.

Over the postwar years Amandola experienced a significantly increased population, which reached over 6,000 people, as well as commercial development. Over the following decades there was a decline in the population growth and in 2012 the town had only about 3,700 inhabitants.

Geography

Amandola is located at 550m above sea level within the National Park of the Sibillini Mountains, and it used to be called the East gate of the Park. Surrounded by the mountain range, it stands as a leader of the other neighboring municipalities: Sarnano (in the province of Macerata), Comunanza (in the province of Ascoli Piceno) and Montefortino (in the province of Fermo). It is surrounded by countless hamlets, once entirely inhabited and each one provided with a school, but today they are mostly uninhabited or visited by tourists in the summer or winter.

The Sibillini Mountains are a mountain range that form part of the Apennines in central Italy. Many of the peaks are over 2,000 m and the highest is Mount Vettore at 2,476 m. They provide stunning natural scenery. Some rivers, such as Tenna, Aso, Nera and Ambro, start from these beautiful mountains and flow to the Adriatic coast, running through lovely valleys. In the park there are also two lakes: Lake Fiastra which is man-made and Lake Pilate an amazing natural lake at 1,940m above sea level.

Flora and fauna

There are 1,800 flower species. The most famous and protected being the Stella Alpina. Others include the pulsatilla alpina, silene acaulis, lilium martagon, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi and many types of orchid. Some of the most common tree species in the area are: oak, hop hornbeam, Turkey oak, South European flowering ash, chestnut, holm oak and beech.

When to go

Amandola is charming and beautiful throughout the year, but is more so during winter and summer thanks to the impressive landscape of the Sibillini Mountains that lie behind it.

See

There are many things to see in Amandola, and the town is a gem. Its old historic centre includes different architectural styles. Its large territory, made up of many different hamlets, gives the town a mystical and mysterious touch.

• San Francesco Church
• Beato Antonio Church (containing the body of the late Saint)
• La Fenice Theatre
• Anthropology Museum
• The 5 Fountains
• Rococò Theatre
• The Abbeys of San Ruffino and Vitale
• Capuchins' Monastery
• Restored and unrestored medieval towers
• Piazza Alta (former market square of the town)
• San Ruffino Lake
• The Council Rooms
• Ruins of Towers
• Taccarelli Church
• Santa Maria a Piè d'Agello Church
• Santa Trinità Church
• War memorial
• Alpine Troops Memorial
• San Bernardino
• San Francesco cloister frescos
• San Francesco church Crucifix
• Tower Houses (typical buildings of 1100 where pigeons were kept)
• The Authority's Tower
• La Collegiata Theatre
• San Bernardino Church

Do

At the Rococo Theatre, the Cultural Association "The Superteppe," entertains children at weekends, with games, dancing, singing, teaching and creative work . In addition, the Association La Fenice, which has been operating for decades, teaches classical and modern music, classical and modern dance, acting for adults and children and organizes other cultural activities.

For those who want to play sports, there are various associations, such as: Asd Amandola football club, " Il Principe" tennis club, Sibillini volleyball club, 5 Fonti Basketball club, Bocce Amandolese (bowls), and Climbing School. For the elderly, there is also a centre called "Portare i pesi gli uni degli altri" where the elderly meet twice a week to do some activities. The Mandorlo d'Argento, is a true "over 60s" circle which offers various activities to local elderly people. The parish charity also includes volunteers who offer assistance to elderly people and needy families in the Amandola area.

Some cultural associations organize various courses throughout the year the most active are:

• The Canvas, organizes sewing, embroidery and macrebè courses
• Dinos, organizes conferences on the history of the mountain territory, as well as book presentations and other initiatives
• ACR , the Catholic Association of entertainment for children and young people
• AS Amandola, sports amateur football association
• AS Sibillini Volleyball, volleyball sports association
• AVIS, volunteer blood donation association Sibillini
• A.V.U.L.S.S
• The ASS La Gramigna, Cultural Association of Casa Tasso (hamlet)
• ASS Alpines
• Bocciofila Amandolese (bowling)
• Legambiente
• C.A.I Amandola
• The Chirocefalo Coop, Cooperative society
• Choral La Ginestra
• The Ass Mannola, a dancing association
• The Ass Cucuma, a dancing association
• Red Cross
• The Unforgettable
• Line Fishing Club High Tenna
• Mc Eagles Sibillini (motorcycle club)
• San Lorenzo Riding Club
• Os Aridum
• POL 5 Fonti Basket
• Pro Castel Leone
• Pro Loco Amandola
• Il Principe Tennis Club
• Target Shooting
• Sailing on Lake San Ruffino

Buy

In Amandola there are all kinds of shops: clothes, confectionary, bakeries, local products. Even the butchers' shop windows join meat with the typical products of this land.

A small shopping centre includes a bar, food store and a fabric store. In the industrial area of Pian di Contro, the most famous company is Sibilla, producer of mozzarella cheese and other dairy products, sold in the nearby shop. It is easy to buy houses, thanks to the local real estate agencies.

The white truffle of the Sibillini Mountains is very famous and sought after and many tourists come to Amandola for the annual fair "Diamanti a Tavola" which is held in November. The most common types in the Park and in Amandola area are:

• White Truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico)
• Black Truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittadini)
• Summer Truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittadini)
• Truffle (Tuber borchii Vittadini) .

Eat

• Agriturismo San Lorenzo, +39 0736847535.
• Restaurant Bella Napoli +39 0736 847 619.
• Trattoria Da Fernanda, +39 0736 847 562.
• Agriturismo "Madonna di Piana", +39 0736 848 262.
• Agriturismo "Le Piane", +39 0736 847 641.
• Country House "Il Casolare", +39 0736 848 755.
• Agriturismo "I Gelsi", +39 0736 847 641.
• Rifugio Città di Amandola, +39 0736 847 512.
• Restaurant Pizzeria "La Rimessa", +39 0736 847 915.
• Agriturismo "Alto Tenna", +39 0736 848 348.
• Restaurant "La Gorbe e L'Ua".
• Restaurant "Il Vecchio Moro" in San Ruffino
• Osteria del Lago San Ruffino - +39 0733 660 477.

Sleep

• Hotel Paradiso
• Holiday House "Chirocefalo"
• B&B "Il Convento"
• B&B "Il Palazzo"
• Agriturismo Osteria del Lago - +39 0733 660477.
• Rifugio Città di Amandola
• B & B "Il Sambuco"
• B & B Dimensione Natura- Riding School in San Lorenzo - +39 0736 848099.
• Bella Napoli
• B & B "Casa Chiocciola", +39 3341954701.
• Agriturismo "San Lorenzo", 847 535.
• Agriturismo "The Quercetta" +39 3498665231.
• Real Estate Company San Ruffino, +39 0734780171.

Connect

• City Hall, +39 0736 848037,
• Accounting/municipal taxes Office, +39 0736 840705,
• Secretary, +39 0736 840704.

Go next

The CAI of Amandola, often in collaboration with other local associations, organize hiking, snowshoeing, snow-walking or photography courses.