Half day Views Nature Villages

San Bartolo: the Panoramica, Fiorenzuola and Gabicce Monte

The panoramic road along the cliff, Villa Imperiale (in summer), the villages of Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo, the view from Gabicce Monte.

Between Pesaro and Gabicce the hills of Monte San Bartolo plunge sheer into the sea: it's a nature park and one of the few high coastlines on the Adriatic. The Panoramica road runs along the ridge between fields and woods, with two tiny villages and a sea view that from Gabicce Monte embraces the whole Romagna Riviera.

Parco del Monte San Bartolo — Photo: Toni Pecoraro, pubblico dominio, Wikimedia Commons

Length from Imola6 h 05 Long half day
Driving3 h 10 · 239 km there and back
Visits and stops2 h 55
When to goApril to October; Villa Imperiale in summer only

Long half day: leave early or skip one visit.

The plan from Imola

08:00
Leave Imola for Villa Imperiale1 h 25 driving, 116 km
09:25
Villa Imperiale1 h 10 of visits: Villa Imperiale
10:35
Drive on to Fiorenzuola di Focara15 min driving, 9 km
10:50
Fiorenzuola di Focara1 h 00 of visits: Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo
11:50
Drive on to Gabicce Monte15 min driving, 8 km
12:05
Gabicce Monte45 min of visits: The belvedere at Gabicce Monte
12:50
Drive back to Imola1 h 15 driving, 106 km
14:05
Back in Imola

Times are a guide: driving times are worked out without traffic, then come the visits and ten minutes at every stop to park. In summer towards the coast and at rush hour allow extra time.

What you will see

1Villa Imperiale

Villa Imperiale 60 min

The villa of the Sforza, lords of Pesaro: the foundation stone was laid in 1469 by Emperor Frederick III, hence the name. In the 16th century the Della Rovere family enlarged it with the architect Girolamo Genga, adding terraced hanging gardens. The rooms are frescoed by Dosso Dossi, Raffaellino del Colle, Bronzino and other painters from the court of Urbino.

It's privately owned: visits only in summer, on set days and with a guide, booking through the Pesaro tourist office. Out of season, skip this stop.

2Fiorenzuola di Focara

Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo 40 min

Two tiny mediaeval castles on the cliff. Fiorenzuola, enclosed within its walls, has a few lanes and a belvedere perched above the sea; Dante mentions it in canto XXVIII of the Inferno for the 'wind of Focara' feared by sailors. Casteldimezzo, a little further on, has a small church and a terrace overlooking the sea.

Steep path down to the beach: only for confident walkers.

3Gabicce Monte

The belvedere at Gabicce Monte 30 min

The last hill in the Marche before Romagna: from the terrace you can see the flat coast from Cattolica to Rimini and, on clear days, as far as Cesenatico. The little church of Sant'Ermete and an aperitif with a view to round off the trip.

Tips

The best time is late afternoon, with the sunset light over the Riviera seen from Gabicce Monte.
Outside summer, without Villa Imperiale, the trip takes about three hours: you can add Gradara, a quarter of an hour away.

The same trip from other towns

How long it takes from each town, the drive back included. Tap a town to see the plan from there.

Ravenna, Faenza and Cervia

Rimini and the Riviera

Forlì and Cesena

Bologna and its province

Comacchio and its beaches

Pesaro and Fano

With your own car

Almost every old town has a limited traffic zone (ZTL) with cameras: park outside and walk in. The fine reaches your home, abroad too. ZTL and car parks town by town

This trip with a driver

Romagna Transfer picks you up at your hotel, drops you in front of every stop and brings you back: no parking, no ZTL, and the wine is yours to enjoy.

Ask Romagna Transfer

More trips in the Pesaro and Fano area

All the trips

Trips written by our editors from the facts of our monument pages and the official sites. Opening days and hours change: the note under every place tells you what to check before you leave. No prices: you find them on the museums' sites.