While the Chinese have been credited with the invention of paper, and the Arabs credited with introducing it to the West, it was Fabriano, a town in Le Marche, that became Europe's most important papermaking centre.  Amongst the many papermaking innovations that Fabriano is known for is the development of the watermark.  Truly ahead of its time!  The Paper and Watermark Museum can be found in the magnificent Gothic church of San Domenico, where the visitor can explore displays of  centuries-old machinery and manuscripts that document Fabriano's prominence through the ages. 

Fabriano was not only business, its commitment to the arts has endowed it with many beautiful  churches and notable buildings such as the Palazzo Comunale (Mayoral Palace), the municipal art gallery, the Fountain Sturinaldo, and a charming historic theatre.  In particular, the town was the home of a school of painting founded in the late 14th century by Allegretto Nuzi and Gentile da Fabriano. The former, whose glorious frescoes decorate the cathedral, seems to have been influenced by paintings from Siena as well as by the work of Giotto. A number of his fine works, including a Virgin and Child dated 1372, can be seen in the Galleria Nazionale in Urbino. The latter was the foremost painter in central Italy at the beginning of the 15th century and his few surviving works are amongst the finest examples of the international Gothic style. His masterpiece, the Adoration of the Magi can be seen in the Florence Uffizi Gallery.