Discover Villagrande: Art, Church and Local History

Villagrande combines cultural and historical points of interest with insights into local production. The art connections are particularly concentrated around the Church of Santa Susanna: works by Ciro Pavisa, frescoes and the history of the church’s construction form a specific focus there. Other highlights include a patron saint’s festival held on a fixed date in July, religious shrines and the Fonte del Pontaccio.

Santa Susanna: Art and Building History

The Church of Santa Susanna in Villagrande preserves some of Ciro Pavisa’s early significant works and is decorated with original frescoes by the artist. One specific work is the 14-panel Stations of the Cross, which Pavisa painted on canvas and plywood in 1968. Via di Ciro Pavisa runs through Villagrande and also includes Santa Susanna; the artist’s connection can therefore be seen both in the church and along the cultural route. The building history adds to these artistic connections: before being relocated to Villagrande, the church was restored and expanded from a Greek-cross plan to a Latin-cross plan. In a Greek-cross plan, the arms are of equal length, whereas a Latin-cross plan has a longer longitudinal axis. The church thus brings together the area’s artistic and architectural history.

Festival Day and Local Religious Culture

The feast day of Santa Susanna falls on the third Sunday in July. If you are planning a trip specifically around the festival, check the programme for that year in advance. Another point of interest is the Edicola di Villagrande. It is one of around nine religious shrines still found in the municipality of Mombaroccio. As a group, such shrines serve as destinations for believers taking part in processions and Marian pilgrimages. Together with the patron saint’s festival, the shrine broadens the focus beyond the church to other forms of local religious culture.

Spring and Olive Oil from the Region

During an inspection in February 2020, the restored Fonte del Pontaccio was functional. It provides oligomineral water, which people from other places also collect. If the spring is relevant to your plans, check that it is usable on site before relying on it.

Olive oil production also has a specific connection to the area. L'ARTIST, the company owned by Alfiero Vagnini, produces extra virgin olive oil from olives grown in its own groves within the municipality of Mombaroccio. The oil is bottled at the workshop on Via della Celletta in Villagrande. The origin of the olives and the bottling location are therefore two different geographical points of reference for the same product. Company information may change; if you are specifically interested in the producer, check the latest information.

Route from Pesaro to Mombaroccio

From Pesaro, the route continues via Santa Maria dell’Arzilla and Villagrande to Mombaroccio; the distance is approximately 20 km. This itinerary places Villagrande as a stop along the route described and adds geographical orientation to the cultural and historical themes.

Discover more destinations: Apecchio, Tavoleto, Candelara, Mondavio, Marotta, San Michele, Montevecchio, Montesoffio

For the broader travel overview: Pesaro - Urbino.