Fermo

Perched on a hill overlooking two valleys in the Marche region as a defence against enemies and pirates, from the sea Fermo looks like a nearly inaccessible pyramid of roofs and walls. However, if we look at it from the nearby hills, the maze of walls seems to grow less dense; the city outline stretches out and takes the shape of a ship stranded atop a hill. With its dense network of streets flanked by churches and elegant buildings still intact, Fermo has housed the artistic masterpieces contained in this volume – the aim of which is to offer a challenging architectural interpretation of the city – ever since the Middle Ages.