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Fabriano, town and comune of Ancona province in the Italian region of the Marche, at 43°20N 12°54E, at 325 m (1066 ft) above sea-level. It lies in the Esino valley 44 km (27 mi) upstream and SW of Jesi; and 15 km ENE of Fossato di Vico and 36 km (22 mi) E of Gubbio (both in Umbria). According to the 2003 census, Fabriano's population was 30,300: its location on the main highway and rail line from Umbria to the Adriatic make it a mid-sized regional center in the Apennines.
History and Monuments
Fabriano appears to have been founded in the early Middle Ages by the inhabitants of a small Roman town 5 km (3 mi) S at Attigge (Latin Atidiae), of which some slight remains and inscriptions are extant. Fabriano itself was one of the earliest places in Europe to make high-quality paper on an industrial scale, starting in the 13th century. This led to Fabriano's prosperity in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and was also one of the factors that led to the establishment of nearby Foligno in Umbria, 55 km (34 mi) SSW, as the earliest printing center in Italy in the late 15th century.
Fabriano's wealth and commitment to the fine arts in the late medieval period have left it with many handsome monuments: churches of course, but also several civil buildings like the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) and the Fontana Sturinaldo, an attractive 16‑sided fountain in the main square.
Famous natives of Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano, 15th century painter, whose most famous work, an oil painting of the Epiphany, is in the Sala del Consiglio (City Council Room) of the Palazzo Comunale.
External links
- Official Site (http://www.cadnet.marche.it/fabriano/)
- Mapquest - Fabriano (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?tb=1&city=Fabriano&country=IT)
- Bill Thayer's site (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Marche/Ancona/Fabriano/Fabriano/home.html)
(Incorporates text from Bill Thayer's Gazetteer of Italy, by permission.)
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