Belvedere Fogliense: Castle and Walking Routes

Belvedere Fogliense brings together the history of the old Montelevecchie Castle and routes through an agricultural landscape and along a river. The castle, church and two distinct routes each offer a different focus for a trip: you can explore the area’s history or the landscapes that feature along the way. If you’re looking for hotels in Belvedere Fogliense, this distinction can help you choose what to focus on based on the themes that interest you during your trip.

Castle and religious history

Until 1922, Belvedere Fogliense was called Montelevecchie; the old castle also bears this name. It was built by the Malatesta family. Only the walls on the south and east sides of the former castle remain. This makes it possible to distinguish the history of the town’s name from the castle’s construction history: the former name belongs to the town’s history, while the surviving walls provide a tangible link to the building itself.

The Chiesa di San Donato offers a different historical perspective: the body of Blessed Ugolino Malatesta delle Camminate is kept there. This religious connection differs from the castle’s architectural history and adds another specific theme to the cultural focus. If you’re considering local history and religious heritage as part of your trip, you can visit both the old castle and the Chiesa di San Donato.

Two distinct route themes

The “Strada marrone” route runs from Babbucce to Belvedere through an agricultural landscape. It takes in fields, riverside vegetation, scattered houses, towers and hilltop villages. Agricultural land, riverside vegetation and individual built features can therefore be found side by side. If the landscape is also a factor in your trip, this mix offers a distinct focus alongside the history of the castle and church.

The municipal walking trail from San Martino in Foglia offers a different focus: it runs along the river, passes an old mill and climbs to a point below the walls of Belvedere Fogliense; there is a sulfur spring along the way. In contrast to the “Strada marrone,” with its agricultural character and scattered built features, this route foregrounds the river, mill, spring and climb to the point below the walls. This lets you compare the routes based on their different landscape and local features. Their stated starting points also differ: the “Strada marrone” runs from Babbucce to Belvedere, while San Martino in Foglia is given as the starting point of the municipal walking trail. If you include a route in your plans, you can take its respective starting point into account.

Getting there via Tavullia

From Tavullia, you can reach Belvedere Fogliense via Provincial Road 38 and then the SP 17. If your journey takes you through Tavullia, this sequence of roads is another planning consideration alongside your choice of route. This way, you can weigh three distinct aspects when planning your trip: historical or religious interests, the features of the two routes, and access via Tavullia.

Discover more destinations: Gallo, Isola di Fano, Cuccurano, Mercatino Conca, Frontone, Calcinelli, Montesecco, Smirra.

For the broader travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.