Fano

Italy, Italy

---

Fano is a charming coastal city in the Marche region of central Italy, located on the Adriatic coast at the mouth of the Metauro River just 12 kilometers southeast of Pesaro in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino.

This historic town, home to approximately 62,000 residents, was founded in the 3rd or 2nd century BC as Fanum Fortunae ("Temple of Fortune") and was occupied by Julius Caesar in 49 BC, later becoming a Roman colony where Emperor Augustus planted veterans and built wall fortifications that still remain today. Fano's most iconic landmark is the magnificent Roman Arch of Augustus, a triple arch erected in honor of Emperor Augustus that still stands as the city's entrance gate and commemorates the Roman victory at the Battle of Metauro.

The town flourished under the Malatesta family of Rimini from 1304 until passing under papal control in 1463, and its notable landmarks include the Palazzo Malatestiano (1413–21) housing a rich civic museum with 14th and 15th-century masterpieces, the Palazzo della Ragione (1299), and historic churches including Santa Maria Nuova with paintings by Perugino and San Michele (1475–95).