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Introduction
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Morciano is the most important centre of commerce in the
Conca Valley, and it has witnessed a steady process of economic
growth since the end of the fasI century. However, the Joundation
for this development was laid hundreds of years ago, when one of
the largest annual Jairs of Romagna was first held in the town,
and its busy markets became a Jocus of trade for agricultural produce
and a wide range of other goods for the whole area of the Conca
Valley.
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History
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| This ancient town of fairs and markets, a natural
centre for the business of the
inhabitants of the towns of the Conca Valley, probably had its origins
in the
Roman periodo Inscriptions on stone tablets, now kept at Rimini
Civic Museum, refer to lands in the Morciano owned by Gens Murcia
or Marcia, MedievaI documents show that Benno Bennone, the squire
of the town, left it to bis son Pietro in 1014, who donated it to
St Peter Damian. In 1069, to commemorate this event, the San Gregorio
Monastery was founded, and traces of the originai building can stilI
be seen in the farmhouse into which it has been transformed over
the centuries.
 A
document dating back to 1371, Descriptio Romandiole, presents Morciano
as a ruined and aImost uninhabited village, on account of the frequent
floods caused by the River Conca, Nevertheless, it was stilI an
important place for markets, and ownership of the town was often
fought out between the local lords, as the tolls and taxes resulting
from the market trade were a source of great wealth. The famous
St Gregory' s Fair, heldevery yearin the second week of March, probably
started in this period, and its existence is documented as far back
as 1200.
At the end of the 12th century, the town and its markets were annexed
to the neighbouring town of Montefiore, whilst the remaining portion
of the territory carne under the jurisdiction of San Clemente. The
situation changed slightly in 1827, when Pope Leo :xn issued an
edict subtracting Morciano from Montefiore and assigning it, with
a certain degree of independence, to San Clemente, which thus carne
to contrai the commerciaI activities of the entire valley. Morciano
was finally granted autonomous status by Pope Pius IX in 1857.
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Places
and events
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|  The
important role occupied by Morciano in the past is stilI a distinctive
feature of the town. There are many important factories in the area,
and it is one of the wealthiest commercial communities in ltaly,
even boasting a small centre far trade fairs and exhibitions. The
streets are laid out according to plans drawn up at the beginning
of this century, and there are regrettably few traces left of the
original medieval town. Only a single wall remains of the castle,
running along side the River Conca, and what little remains of the
San Gregorio Monastery, chiefly the external walls, has been incorporated
into a farrnhouse, as mentioned earlier.
It was suppressed
in the period of the Napoleonic occupation, and was never reopened.However,
the Town Council has prepared a project far the recovery and restoration
of the surviving parts of the building. The Beata Vergine delle
Grazie
Chapel, from the end of the 18th century, is worth visiting. One
particularly important annual event is the StGregory's Fair, with
its gaily coloured stalls lining almost alI the streets of the town,
and this is still probably one of the largest events of its kind
in Romagna.
It is held in coincidence
with the spring equinox,a traditional time far celebrations ever
since human history began, linked with the mysterious reawakening
of trees and plants, with the worship of the deities of the earth,
and with fertility rites. An interesting custom, handed down tram
generation to generation, is that the shopkeepers and tavem owners
of Morciano hang a leafy branch aver their doors during the fair,
in continuation of ancient propitiatory rites invoking good fortune
far the coming year. One particular speciality of the fair is the
exhibition and sale of local cattle and horses. Amongst the famous
people bom in Morciano, mention should be made of Umberto Boccioni,
a leading figure in the Italian Futurist movement, and Arnaldo Pomodoro,
a modero sculptor whose work can be adrnired in the new square of
the town.
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Useful
information
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| Area:
5.41 sq. kilometres
Height: 85 metres above sea level
Population: 5,323
Dialling code: 0541
Postcode: 47047
Town Council: 1 Piazza del Popolo - Tel. 988016/988122
Civic Library: 46 Piazza del Popolo - Tel. 988016
Boccioni Civic Art Gallery: Piazza del Popolo - Tel. 988016
Posi OfflCe: 2 Via Della Resistenza - Tel. 988234
Public Telephone Service: Bar Roma - 44 Via Roma - Tel. 988234
Municipal Police: 30 Piazza del Popolo - Tel. 988122
Police;22 Via Venezia - Tel. 988134
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fonti
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| Taken from:
A Guide to Rimini Countryside 1992
Published by
Rimini Area Tourist Authority
Official
web site: www.morciano.it
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