Montefeltro

Montefeltro is a historical and geographical region in northern Italy. It gave its name to the Montefeltro family, who ruled in the area during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The mountainous region includes San Marino and the upper valleys of the rivers Marecchia and Conca. It is situated at the borders of the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna, the Marche, and Tuscany.

The region has been historically considered an extension of Romagna.

Overview
Montefeltro covers mostly the mountain part of the province of Pesaro and Urbino (Marche) and the south-western area of the province of Rimini (Emilia-Romagna). It comprises also two municipalities of the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, and the Republic of San Marino. The most important town of the region is Novafeltria. Today it is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, formerly until 1978 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Montefeltro.

The area is subject to recent territorial changes between the province of Pesaro and Urbino and the Province of Rimini. On 15 August 2009, seven municipalities were transferred from Pesaro and Urbino to Rimini: Casteldelci, Maiolo, Novafeltria, Pennabilli, San Leo, Sant'Agata Feltria and Talamello. On 17 June 2021, the municipalities of Montecopiolo and Sassofeltrio followed.

History
In the late 19th century, the area became a stronghold for republicans and supporters of Giuseppe Garibaldi, leading to considerable social repression.

In the 1960s, much of Montefeltro was depopulated as Rimini's mass tourism economy developed.