A few kilometres far from the Adriatic Coast, on a gentle hill of the Valconca, 348 m above sea level, rises Saludecio.
Medieval village, in the middle of the crown of the Malatesta’s fortresses, Saludecio is a commune in the province of Rimini.
Stronghold of the Malatesta, shelter for pilgrims, capital of the valley in the Renaissance, the traces of the vivid past are kept within the walls.

The toponymy is uncertain: some scholars have involved Decius Trajan, the Roman emperor who here found a shelter, some other Saint Laodicio, to which an ancient church was dedicated, some other the Latin saluticius, fertile soil.

Also the foundation is uncertain, but it is likely that there was a Roman settlement.
What is certain is that in the twelfth century Saludecio was subject to the Church and that in the thirteenth it was long disputed by the Malatesta of Rimini who finally managed to extend their domination on the village.

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Twenty kilometers far from the Adriatic Coast, in the middle of the Valconca, 85 m above sea level stands Morciano di Romagna.
Natural crossroad for territorial trades, it is the commercial capital of the valley.
To the root of its vocation there is the Antica Fiera di San Gregorio, that every year in March, at least since 1200, makes Morciano the throbbing heart of Romagna.
Morciano is famous as the birthplace of the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, as country of origin of the futurist painter Umberto Boccioni (born in Reggio Calabria, by parents from Morciano, he always considered himself a native of Romagna), and for the Old Pasta factory Ghigi.

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Montebello rises on a calcareous cliff, typical of the landscape of Valmarecchia, 436 m above sea level.
From the top of the mountain the imposing fortress of the Guidi di Bagno dominates the valley.
The legend of the ghost of Azzurrina, albino little girl who mysteriously disappeared in the basement of the fortress in the Middle Ages, attracts thousands of tourists.

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Torriana rises on a rocky spur in Valmarecchia, m 337 above sea level.
Hanged on the impracticable cliff, it was called “Scorticata” until 1938.
Stronghold of the seigniory of the Malatesta, it was an important centre of light signallings for the valley in the twelfth century.
Today Torriana is commune in the province of Rimini and has for hamlet the near village of Montebello, known for the castle of the Guidi di Bagno and for the legend of Azzurrina. (continua…)

La The Republic of San Marino, “Old land of freedom”, extends at the border between Marche and Emilia Romagna.

City of San Marino stands out against the calcareous- arenaceous peak of Mount Titano, 749 m above sea level.

Capital of the state, its oldest nucleus, seat of government institutions, and one of the main tourist destinations of the hinterland of Romagna, it has recently been included in UNESCO World Heritage List. (continua…)