| Pesaro | |
| Official Name: | Città di Pesaro |
| Frazioni: | Borgo Santa Maria, Candelara, Case Bruciate, Casteldimezzo, Cattabrighe, Chiusa di Ginestreto, Colombarone, Fiorenzuola di Focara, Ginestreto, Monteciccardo, Novilara, Ponte Valle, Pozzo Alto, Santa Maria dell'Arzilla, Santa Marina Alta, Santa Veneranda, Trebbiantico, TrePonti, Villa Ceccolini, Villa Fastiggi, Villa San Martin |
| Coordinates: | 43.9167°N 66°W |
| Region: | Marche |
| Province: | Pesaro e Urbino (PU) |
| Mayor Party: | PD |
| Mayor: | Matteo Ricci |
| Area Total Km2: | 126.77 |
| Population Total: | 95000 |
| Population As Of: | 21 October 2011 |
| Population Demonym: | Pesaresi |
| Elevation M: | 11 |
| Saint: | St. Terence |
| Day: | September 24 |
| Postal Code: | 61121, 61122 |
| Area Code: | 0721 |
Pesaro (pronounced as /it/; rgn|Pés're) is a Italian: [[comune]] (municipality) in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, after Ancona. Pesaro was dubbed the "Cycling City" (Italian: città della bicicletta) by the Italian environmentalist association Legambiente in recognition of its extensive network of bicycle paths and promotion of cycling. It is also known as "City of Music" (Italian: città della musica), for it is the birthplace of the composer Gioachino Rossini. In 2015 the Italian Government applied for Pesaro to be declared a "Creative City" in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. In 2017 Pesaro received the European City of Sport award together with Aosta, Cagliari and Vicenza.
Local industries include fishing, furniture making and tourism. In 2020 it absorbed the former Italian: comune of Monteciccardo, now a Italian: [[frazione]] of Pesaro. Its Italian: frazione of Fiorenzuola di Focara is one of Italian: [[I Borghi più belli d'Italia]] ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[1]
The city was established as Pisaurum by the Romans in 184 BC as a colony in the territory of the Picentes, the people who lived along the northeast coast during the Iron Age.[2] In 1737, fourteen ancient votive stones were unearthed in a local farm field, each bearing the inscription of a Roman god; these were written in a pre-Etruscan script, indicating a much earlier occupation of the area than the 184 BC Picentes colony.[2]
A settlement of the Picentes tribe has been found at Novilara. The northern Picentes were invaded in the 4th century BC by the Gallic Senones, earlier by the Etruscans, and when the Romans reached the area the population was an ethnic mixture. The Roman separated and expelled the Gauls from the country.
Under the Roman administration Pesaro, a hub across the Via Flaminia, became an important centre of trading and craftmanship. After the fall of the Western Empire, Pesaro was occupied by the Ostrogoths, and destroyed by Vitigis (539) in the course of the Gothic War. Hastily rebuilt five years later after the Byzantine reconquest, it formed the so-called Pentapolis, part of the Exarchate of Ravenna. After the Lombard and Frankish conquests of that city, Pesaro became part of the Papal States.
During the Renaissance it was ruled successively by the houses of Montefeltro (1285–1445), Sforza (1445–1512) and Della Rovere (1513–1631). Under the last family, who selected it as capital of their duchy, Pesaro saw its most flourishing age, with the construction of numerous public and private palaces,[3] and the erection of a new line of walls (the Mura Roveresche). In 1475, a legendary wedding took place in Pesaro, when Costanzo Sforza and Camilla d'Aragona married.[4]
On 11 September 1860 Piedmontese troops entered the city, and Pesaro was subsequently annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy (see also Battle of Castelfidardo).
Pesaro was significantly damaged in the 1916 Rimini earthquakes.[5] Its historic centre was abandoned after the 16 August earthquake, leaving 14,000 displaced people crowded into 2,000 tents.[6] Many villages in its hinterland also suffered collapsed buildings.[7]
See also: List of mayors of Pesaro.
The Pesaro film festival (Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema) has taken place in Pesaro since 1965.[11]
The Rossini Opera Festival has taken place every summer since 1980 in Pesaro, home as well as the Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini" founded with a legacy from the composer.
Pesaro hosts the home games of Victoria Libertas basketball; they play at the Adriatic Arena, the third biggest Italian indoor arena behind Mediolanum Forum in Milan and PalaLottomatica in Rome.
The city's other professional sports clubs are futsal club Pesaro Calcio a 5, volleyball club Volley Pesaro and football club Vis Pesaro dal 1898.
The city hosted the 2017 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy. Pesaro is twinned with:[12] [13] [14]
Nanterre, France
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Qinhuangdao, China
Rafah, Palestine
Keita, Niger
Reșița, Romania
Kakegawa, Japan