Morro D’Alba, a Historical Small Village with its Lacrima

When you are in Ancona or in whichever place in Marche and you hear talking about Morro D’Alba, they will immediately match this name not to a place but to an Ancona oenological typical product: the famous Lacrima di Morro D’Alba. Morro D’Alba is a small village at 200 metres a.s.l. placed in Ancona hinterland, afar from the province capitol less than 30 kms.

As far as we can know the town was populated already during Roman Age and it is still keeping important ruins of its past: two Roman villas discovered in St. Amico place. The origins of the built-up area should however be traced back to around the 1000 year, when the village was mentioned as Curtis into an imperial Act by Federico I, as an ancient golden medallion reporting the restored words “Theodoricus pius princeps invictus semper”; now it is kept at the delle Terme Museum in Rome.

In 1213 Morro D’Alba was defined as “Castrum” into an Act in which Senigallia gave it up to Jesi. There are many sieges and raids documented over the years, and in fact in 1365 the walls that defended the small village were reconstructed. It passed to Malatesta of Rimini, and over the years bore sacks former by Ancona and later by Francesco Maria Della Rovere. During the Napoleonic rule it was taken away from Jesi and since 1860, with Italy Unity, joined definitively Ancona province.

Its name reminds the mora (or boundary stone) set on the alba (or hill) marking the medieval frontiers division between Jesi and Senigallia. In 1861 to the name Morro was added the word Alba. Completely closed by walls of the second half of fiftieth century, nowadays it keeps numerous estiges of its past: the walls themselves and the inner walk “La Scarpa” (a parapet walk fully covered, communicating with several panoramic lookouts situated on the six pentagonal towers), the undergrounds (a real underground town, composed by a labyrinth of caves dug over the centuries beneath the houses), the Town Hall, the St. Gaudenzio and the Holy Annunziata Churches, the very interesting Utensilia Museum about sharecropping culture.

In the above mentioned small St Amico hamlet, we advise you the beautiful historic residence Marotti Campi property, set in the vineyards. The whole area offers stimulating routes such as the Via del Sole (the Sun Road), two exciting routes fit for mountain bikes and another one dedicated to the horse rides.

Deep red ruby coloured with remarkable and clear purple shades, deep pleasant smell, full-bodied and with dry taste, characteristic soft flavour of medium body. When you come and visit these places, please do not miss tasting the very famous Lacrima di Morro D’Alba DOC wine.

Hereunder some of the wine factories that you will find on the territory:

Antica Cantina Sant’Amico (St Amico Old Cellar)
The factory name originates by the place in which rises the owner’s building complex that includes also a wide park with ultra hundred-year-old trees, an elegant villa of ‘800 and a private church.

Az. Agraria Mario Lucchetti (Mario Lucchetti Farm)
By Marches sharecropping farm world, holding the same attention and skill…

Az. Agricola Fratelli Badiali (Badiali Bros Farm)
It has got about 5 hectares area vineyard cultivated and placed onto the gentle, pleasant and precious Morro D’Alba hills.

Az. Agricola Marotti Campi (Mariotti Campi Farm)
Marotti Campi Family, land owners since nineteenth century, now has got about 52 hectares of new vineyards.

Az. Agricola Orlando Olivetti (Orlando Olivetti Farm)
Our farm is strictly family-owned and is now arrived to the second generation.

Az. Agricola Stefano Mancinelli (Stefano Mancinelli Farm)
Upon the Morro D’Alba gentle hills, into an area with a particular vocation of Marches hinterland, there Stefano Mancinelli cultivate vineyards and olive groves.

Az. Agricola Vicari Nazzareno e Vico (Vicari Nazzareno and Vico Farm)
Since ‘800 in Morro D’Alba village it was well known the sharecropping Vicari family wine-growing and producing experience.