Few know it, but a legend has it that, right in front of the Monte San Bartolo Regional Park, the ancient city of Valbruna is buried in the water.
Myth, legend or something more?
Few know it, especially the inhabitants of Pesaro and Cattolica, but legend has it that, in the stretch of sea between the 2 cities right in front of the Monte San Bartolo Regional Park, the ancient city of Valbruna is buried in the water. If, on a clear day, you climb the hill of Monte San Bartolo, in the many panoramic points that are found along the cliff, looking at the sea you can see darker stripes on the seabed, which almost look like underwater roads. If you talk to a diver in the area he will tell you that he has seen many strange shapes on the seabed in the area, such as columns and temples.
Just a legend? Who knows.
Even if there are no written texts that refer to this city, it is true that at the highest point of the hill overlooking the sea, there is an epigraph that testifies to the presence of a temple dedicated to the Greek god Jupiter Serenus. Over the years, there have also been many artifacts found in fishermen's nets: fragments of mosaics, floors, terracotta, etc. which testify that this coastal area was populated many centuries before Christ.
Today this coastal area is one of the most fascinating of the central Adriatic Sea. Monte San Bartolo is dotted with stupendous villas with swimming pools which can also be rented by tourists; from vineyards overlooking the sea, from footpaths for beautiful walks or to reach hidden and deserted stretches of coast. The two villages of Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo are two beautiful hamlets to visit along the panoramic road that runs through the Regional Park. For those who want to admire San Bartolo from the sea, just rent a dinghy and coast along this stretch of coast, which offers the unique spectacle of the mountain overlooking the sea and small white pebble beaches.
Perhaps, from the top of the hill or from the sea, you too will be able to see the remains of the ancient city of Valbruna, the mysterious Atlantis of the Adriatic Sea, which sank into the sea centuries ago!
