The cultural heritage of Montalto delle Marche is rich in history, art, and knowledge of inestimable value. The work of recovering, restoring, and curating Montalto’s cultural sites continues tirelessly and passionately, and it will continue to be hosted in the Town Hall, dating back to 1586. Currently closed to the public due to the 2016 earthquake, the building will be returned to the community and reopened by 2026.
Inside, it will house all the pre-existing municipal museums and collections in a renewed format: the Archaeological Museum, the Prison Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Civic Art Gallery.
From these four museum sections, the Metroborgo Montaltolab project will create a single, expanded, and reimagined path dedicated to the history of Montalto and its surrounding territory, seen in the broader context of historical, social, and cultural phenomena that have shaped the urban and anthropological model of the “Italian borgo.” The exhibition will follow a chronological journey through the key stages in the development of the Montalto, Porchia, and Patrignone villages, from late antiquity to the modern era, with the crucial turning point marked by the rise of Pope Sixtus V and the establishment of the Presidato. This engaging and multifaceted narrative will combine testimonies from civic art and history collections with multimedia and interactive installations, also offering visitors the chance to explore the evocative spaces connected to the building’s past as a prison. Throughout this extensive journey tracing the identity of the village and its territory, insights into local historical developments will be placed in dialogue with the broader Italian context of the birth, crises, and evolution of the borgo model. In the final section of the museum, this dialogue will focus on the social, demographic, and anthropological transformations that have characterized the communities of villages and inland areas during the 20th century—and that today inspire these same communities to imagine new forms of life and residence in these places.
Montalto is part of the Metro Museo dei Borghi di Marca, established in 2023 on the initiative of the Marche Region, which brings together Montalto delle Marche (the lead municipality), Monte Rinaldo (FM), and Monte San Martino (MC). As part of the broader Metroborgo MontaltoLab project, the museum network has hosted artist residencies with young international talents, coordinated and curated by director Tommaso Strinati. With a strong focus on contemporary art and hospitality, this artistic and social initiative culminated in temporary art exhibitions held on the main floor of Palazzo Paradisi, along with artistic installations that involved both the village and its surrounding hamlets.
Montalto hosts a rich theatrical season at the Teatro della Fiaba e della Poesia (Theater of Fairy Tales and Poetry), curated by AMAT Marche, which fills the theater during the winter season with original and high-quality performances, as well as artistic residencies that actively involve the community. Of particular importance is the “School of the Audience” initiative, which brings younger audiences to the theater and engages them, offering the opportunity to explore the themes of the shows alongside the actors of the guest companies. Among the initiatives linked to cultural and social regeneration, a community theater workshop called Metroteatro Montaltolab was successfully launched. Its goal is to preserve and keep alive, through art, the memories of people, customs, and past traditions, so that shared memory remains vibrant and strengthens common roots.
In addition, the theater hosts conferences, masterclasses, and events for children, making it the beating heart of the village’s cultural activities.
Since 1988, the La Cordata Choir of Montalto has organized the Festival degli Appennini (Festival of the Apennines), a musical event dedicated to mountain, Alpine, and folk songs, held every year in May. The festival takes place in the evocative setting of the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Montalto delle Marche and, over the years, has hosted some of the most prestigious representatives of Italian popular choral music. The repertoire ranges from work and emigration songs to love and festive songs, including melodies that originated in the trenches of the Great War, offering audiences a broad overview of Italy’s popular musical tradition. The festival also serves as an important opportunity for participating choirs to exchange experiences and repertoire, fostering growth and collaboration. Over time, the Festival of the Apennines has become one of the most significant events on the Italian choral scene, contributing to the promotion of folk singing and the enhancement of the local territory. Today, it stands as a key reference point for popular culture, situating Montalto not only as a faithful guardian of this tradition but also as a nationally recognized artistic and cultural hub.
The La Cordata Choir was founded on May 29, 1987, as a male choir dedicated to the study and performance of mountain, Alpine, and folk singing. It has participated in important concerts and choral festivals in various Italian and international cities, including performances at the Aula Magna of the G. Verdi Conservatory in Turin, Wolfsberg (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), and multiple occasions in Trentino. In 1992, the choir was awarded the ARCOM Prize (Regional Association of Marchigian Choirs) as a young ensemble distinguished by its continuous commitment and consistent musical growth.
Since 2007, the Sancta Maria in Viminatu Choir has organized "Voci dalle Colline" during the Easter period, a festival of folk songs from the local tradition, set in the evocative surroundings of the church of the same name, in the heart of the village of Patrignone. The initiative has enjoyed steady success and widespread popularity over the years, thanks to the quality of the performers and the variety of musical programs. The Sancta Maria in Viminatu Choir was founded in the late 1980s with the aim of animating the Eucharistic celebrations in the parish of the same name in Patrignone. In December 1995, the director reorganized the ensemble, expanding it and introducing the study of polyphonic folk songs, alongside the simple, heartfelt singing style typical of popular songs. Today, the choir consists of a diverse but tightly-knit group, with a repertoire inspired by folk traditions, including works by both Italian and international composers.
In collaboration with the La Cordata Choir of Montalto delle Marche, it has participated since 2005 in the Christmas Festival “Capanna Sanda”, part of the “Puer Natus Est” event, organized by ARCOM.
The Poetry Festival "La poesia è giovane (e tosta)" meaning “Poetry is Young (and tough)”, under the artistic direction of poet and writer Davide Rondoni, has, in recent years, brought young poets from all over Italy to our village for seminars, workshops, and music-and-poetry performances. For three days, the festival offers a rich program of words, music, and dance, filling the village with the intensity that only art can generate. Through its performative dialogue with other arts, the festival showcases the vitality and beauty of young Italian poetry, bold and daring—just as Pope Sixtus V, nicknamed “tosto” by Gioacchino Belli, was called “tough.”
The young poets participating in the festival also dedicate poems to Montalto, which enrich the evocative Alley of Poetry in the historic center of the town.
