Chigiano Il Borgo Rosa

Il Borgo Rosa Chigiano appears suddenly after the seemingly endless winding curves of the provincial road that comes up from San Severino Marche toward Apiro, nestled between cultivated fields and small groups of farmhouses. The village of Chigiano rises on the slope of a minor hill of Mount San Vicino. These hills are covered with forests and foot paths. We are in the province of Macerata, in central Italy on the crest of the Apennines but still only 40 minutes by car from the Adriatic coast.

The village, which expanded around the XIII century to protect access to the upper valley of the Musone River, and sits at an altitude of about 600 meters on the crest of the Appennines, has remained, almost by miracle, unaffected by the damage caused by decades of urban and environmental devastation. It bears witness to a time when man was respectful of nature, working together with the land without causing it harm, because he felt himself to be a part of it.

A cluster of stone houses, alleyways, stairs, and underpasses piece the place into a comfortable whole and is softened by the light pink colour of the local chalky stone which has been used to construct all of the buildings. Niches with sacred images offer a short pause for prayer. Ovens for cooking bread are set into the walls and available to the whole community. The arches and lintels were made with antique mastery. Some ledges are decorated with playful brick designs while others have humble roofs made of boards of oak. These are the simple building elements that, all together, make up the town’s particular “atmosphere.”

The village of Chigiano, now almost completely uninhabited, represents an emblematic example of the enormous urban and historic heritage that characterises the Marche region. This heritage is invaluable and fundamental for the safeguarding of its cultural and historic identity, which, however, often is left forgotten, damaged, altered, or simply abandoned. The idea was simple: restoring the village in a uniform fashion with care to respect the architectural characteristics of the place as well as maintaining and conserving the town without making major structural changes. Borgo Rosa an ideal location for those who, tired of the pace of contemporary life, are in search of a refuge. For those who are longing to enjoy that kind of peace and tranquility, as well as a place that is charged with memories, patiently formed in time, Chigiano offers the perfect escape.