Ecomuseo della Valle dell'Aso

Campofilone, a medieval village nestled in a splendid natural fresco, is situated on a hillside in the lower Aso Valley, sweeping from the blue Adriatic Sea to the rolling green hills of the Marche to the whitewashed peaks of the Sibillini Mountains. Archaeological finds from the Picenian and Roman periods discovered in the area (remains of villas, buildings, cisterns, tombs with grave goods, thermal baths, pottery) testify to the ancient origins of Campofilone. The words “Campo Fulloni” found in medieval manuscripts indicate the derivation of the village’s name from the presence in ancient times of a field owned by a wealthy launderer. In the early Middle Ages Benedictine monks settled on the hill, at the time crossed by the ancient Roman coastal consular road. At least as early as 1066 documents report the existence of the Abbey of St. Bartholomew, which was already autonomous and among the richest in the Fermo area due to its management of substantial land holdings. Later the castle was built around the Abbey, and in the 13th century the population was organized according to communal-type institutional models under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Fermo. In the mid-14th century the community of Campofilone became part of the castles controlled by the City of Fermo, while the Abbey continued to enjoy its autonomy under the management of “commendatory” abbots appointed by the Pope. In the following centuries the history of Campofilone remained closely linked to that of the city of Fermo and the events of United Italy, while the Abbey remained the spiritual reference point for the town. To this day, the Abbey’s assets are entrusted to the care of the diocesan pastor, who retains the title “abbot.”