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To those driving on the road that from the coast
winds up ridge after ridge towards the innerland, Mondavio
appears clearly recognizable by its imposing fortress, the three
tower-bells all enclosed by the perfectly intact town wall.
Mondavio is placed at 280 metres
above sea-level and the air is rich of the saltness of the sea of
Fano and Marotta only 20/25 km. far. The village is unique in its
sort, half way from the Middle Age and the Renaissance, it
escaped the deturpations caused by repeated construction phases
which the fortresses usually underwent: it is a triumph of
ancient cotto and flint-stone. 
The town wall had three arched entrance-gates: no traces are left of St.Peter's gate and only a column remains of Porta Marina's, but the one incorporated in the fortress remained as it was in origin.
The entrace into the tower was through three draw-bridges - now replaced by three cotto arched bridges - and passing the rampart. The entrace to the village was past the rampart entouring the Revelline and through other two arches.
The fortress was designed by the architect Francesco Giorgio di martini from Siena who also followed the progress of the works. The building was commissioned by Giovanni della Rovere, Lord of Mondavio and commander of the Feltria brigade. The fortress was built over an earlier Malatesta's fortress built between 1300 and 1350. The fortress is formed by four basic elements (in the original project there were five): two Revellines with draw-bridges to cross the rampart
The tower with the arched gate as a first defence a guard-house with a steep slope to enter into the Mastio (the highest tower) and a draw-bridge
The five-floor Mastio, in the
shape of an irregular octagon, has helicoidal and steep walls,
sloping corbels, gun-embrasures and loopholes on every stage and
at each corner, merlons with embrasures where would stand the
garrison. 
The fortress as a whole represents a valuable example of a revolution in the art of fortification, the only masterpiece of the Siena architect which reached the present days in its full integrity. After the discovery of the gun powder the fortress had to resist passively to any assault from the artillery: bombards, colubrines, guns, like the weapons you can admire today in the armoury of the fortress.
The people of Mondavio at the time were frightened by the fortress, which they saw as a place of dark misteries and tortures, some other times the fortress caused them a feeling of safety as it was a good giant watching on the village asleep. Today the fortress raises sentiments of wonder and amazament in everybody.
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