The hamlet of villages, Offagna

Offagna is a town of about 1800 inhabitants in the province of Ancona. The name Offagna derives from the general Afranio, who settled on Monte Conero with his family, where he built his own villa. The general's villa was then fortified and used as a castrum and it is on those ruins that the Rocca di Offagna has been built since 1454. The Rocca was built by the Maritime Republic of Ancona to protect the Marche region and to control the nearby city of Osimo. Inside the fortress today is kept the museum of ancient weapons, from prehistory to the modern era and contemporary exhibitions. Although starting from 1600 the various battles between the municipalities for the conquest of other territories ended, the city of Offagna recorded a significant increase in population; for this reason the architect Andrea Vici, a pupil of Vanvitelli, was hired to redesign the urban layout of the city. Among the various works he was commissioned to build the church of the Sacred Heart and the monastery of Santa Zita. The church of the sacrament hosts a strategic position because it is located at the meeting point of two streets. The church is in baroque and neoclassical style, the same brick used for the construction of the Rocca di Offagna was used for the facade. The interior consists of two sacristies, two apses, two side altars, the church has an octagonal base with a lowered dome that gives the optical illusion of a central dome. The main food production of the city is the cured meats and the meat of IGP production. The wine is also locally produced and is still produced today in a cellar built in 1668 under the fortress. The current winery produces wine with conero red ocg reserve, the wine, before being served, spends 2 years of aging in oak barrels. In 2016 the first organic wine of the area was produced which had the task of representing the territory. Another typical product is the crescia made with water, flour, lard and salt. After cooking in the oven, it is served with vegetables and cold cuts. In Offagna it is possible to immerse yourself in nature by practicing Nordic walking, a sporting activity that consists of a natural bio-mechanically correct walk that exploits the use of sticks. The routes to do are that of the Via acqua and the Via del Maniero.