Cingoli is a town and comune of the Marches, Italy, in the province of Macerata, about by road from the town of Macerata. It is the birthplace of Pope Pius VIII. It is a member of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy") association.
History
The town occupies the site of the ancient Cingulum, a town of Picenum, founded and strongly fortified by Julius Caesar's lieutenant Titus Labienus (probably on the site of an earlier village) in 63 BCE at his own expense. Its lofty position at an elevation of about made it of some importance in the civil wars, but otherwise little is heard of it. Under the Roman Empire it was a municipium.
Main sights
Cingoli is also known as the "Balcony of Marche" ("Il Balcone delle Marche") because of its belvedere (viewpoint) from which, on a clear day, the sight may encompass all of the Marche and further across the Adriatic Sea to the Croatian mountain tops.
Religious buildings
Cingoli Cathedral (Concattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) Collegiate church of Sant'Esuperanzio, Cingoli (Collegiata di Sant'Esuperanzio): Gothic church Santuario di Santa Sperandia San Benedetto San Francesco San Filippo Neri San Giacomo San Girolamo San Nicolò Santo Spirito Santa Caterina d'Alessandria San Domenico
Secular buildings
Palazzo municipale
Biblioteca Comunale ″Ascariana″
Museums
Pinacoteca comunale "D. Stefanucci" named after Donatello Stefanucci
Museo archeologico statale di Cingoli
Museo del Lago
Museo del Sidecar
Sport
Cingoli has been host to the Italian Sidecarcross Grand Prix a number times and have hosted on 16th May 2010.
Twin towns — sister cities
Cingoli is twinned with:
Aprilia, Lazio, Italy (2004)