Ostra, Marche


Ostra is a town and comune in the Marche, central Italy, near the modern Ostra Vetere, south-east of Senigallia.
The original name of the town was Montalboddo. In 1881 the name was changed to Ostra, like the ancient Roman city located near the modern town of Ostra.

Ancient Ostra

was situated between the modern town of Ostra and Ostra Vetere and was inhabited from the 3rd century BC until the 6th century AD.
Pliny the Elder mentions Ostra with another ancient town, Suasa, west. Neither town survived beyond the classical period. Though Ostra is little mentioned by ancient authors, excavations there have brought to light remains of various buildings and several inscriptions.

Geography

Modern Ostra lies on a hill over the Misa river valley, in a typical Italian country landscape. It is the most important town in the hinterland of Senigallia, only from the Adriatic coast. Close by is the city of Jesi, while Ancona, the capital of the Marche Region, is away.
The nearest railway station is that of Senigallia, while the Raffaello Sanzio Airport is away.

Main sights

Piazza dei Martiri

At the heart of the town is Piazza dei Martiri the most important square in the town. Here is the 16th century city tower, high, rebuilt in the 20th century after being bombed in World War II. Here also are the municipal building with its arches and its marble staircase and the St. Francis' Church, built in the 13th century.

Defensive wall

Built in the late Middle Ages the wall surrounding the town is perfectly preserved for a total length of. It still has nine great towers and two main entrances.

Madonna della Rosa Sanctuary

Located a few hundreds metres out of town, this Sanctuary devoted to Holy Mary is one of the most important in Italy, visited every year by many pilgrims coming both from Italy and Europe. It has been built in 1754 after Holy Mary appeared to a young girl and fosters a miraculous image of the Virgin.

Twin towns