Santa Maria Nuova lies in the centre of the Province of Ancona, in the heart of the Marche Region, on a hillside at an altitude of 249 metres. In this area the presence of humankind can be traced back to the prehistoric era, confirmed by a series of impressive archaeological finds. There are also a large number of discoveries dating from Roman times including the remains of a decorated villa and a funerary shrine, in the Pietrolone district. The first mention of an inhabited settlement however dates from 1201 A.D., the year in which an act of subjugation to the city of Jesi was signed by the Lords of the castle of Santa Maria della Ripe. This was in fact the town’s original NAME: Santa Maria Nuova and this was probably due to the fact that the castle stood in a location not far from the current one, made up of a series of rocky wastelands. Religious buildings of note include the Church of San Giuseppe (1762), with its extremely pure lines, full of decorations in stucco, Baroque altars and valuable paintings, and the parish church of Sant’Antonio da Padova, designed in 1793 by the architect Mattia Capponi. The building features a basilical altar decorated with multicoloured ceramics, an 18th century organ and two fine paintings, one by Filippo Bellini (1598) and the other by Aquilini (1658). The town hall, with Renaissance lines, dates from the 19th century and stands next to Palazzo Frontini, built in the previous century, with an 18th century portal in sandstone and frescoed vaulted ceilings. Everything is enclosed within the 16th century  castle walls, with three irregular quadrangular-shaped towers.