 San Leo
In the northern part of the Marches, surrounded by craggy cliffs atop the Apennines mountain range, San Leo fortress served as the Popacy’s maximum security dungeon back in the XVII century. Its striking location at 600 meters up dominates the valleys and offers fabulous views across the surrounding hills that alone are worth a trip. It seems as if time had stood still in San Leo, where besides the massive Fortress there's the timeless hamlet - a secluded place paved in stone and yet exhaling the most relaxing atmosphere - rich in Romanesque churches and Rinascimental Palaces, such as the Parish Church from the 11th century, the Cathedral from 1173 and the Cloister of Santa Igne from 1243 . Together with its landscape and architectural beauties, San Leo's popularity is closely linked to the rise and fall of one of the most controversial and influential figures in Italian occultism and Freemasonry – Giuseppe Balsamo, aka Count Cagliostro who from being an ordinary man rose to celebrity, and ended up imprisoned in the stronghold for causing a multitude of scandals in European courts. Within the little town is a liquor distillery that produces an excellent, liquorice-based digestive beverage named after the unlucky Count. San Leo has recently been included in the prestigious club <Borghi più belli d’Italia> which translates as "The most beautiful villages in Italy".
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