Camerano, Italy: travel guide to the underground city of the Marche and the heart of Rosso Conero wine

Camerano is a hill village in the province of Ancona, in the Marche region of central Italy, set among the vineyards of the Conero Regional Park a short distance from the Adriatic coast. Famous for the mysterious network of caves beneath its streets, it is known as the underground city and lies at the heart of the celebrated Rosso Conero wine country.

For travellers searching for Camerano Marche, the Caves of Camerano, Rosso Conero wine or the Conero Riviera, the village offers a remarkable subterranean world, medieval streets and fine local wine.

The Caves of Camerano

The Grotte di Camerano form an extraordinary underground town carved into the sandstone, running for around a kilometre beneath the historic centre at a depth of some twenty metres. Far more than simple cellars, the tunnels and chambers are adorned with domes, vaults, columns, friezes, bas-reliefs and religious symbols whose original purpose remains uncertain. Over the centuries they served as stores, places of worship, refuges from pirate raids and shelters during the Second World War, and are still used to age Rosso Conero wine. Opened to the public in 2008, they can be explored on guided tours, with four of the main caves recalling the noble families who once owned them. As locals say, there is more of Camerano below ground than above.

Town and wine

Above ground, Camerano is a pleasant village of noble palaces and churches, including the Church of San Francesco, and the birthplace of the Baroque painter Carlo Maratti, celebrated with a collection of works in the Town Hall and a statue in the main square. Surrounded by vineyards, the town is a capital of Rosso Conero, honoured each September with the Rosso Conero wine festival.

Practical information

Camerano lies within the Conero Regional Park, only about twenty minutes from Ancona and close to the beaches and villages of the Conero Riviera such as Numana and Sirolo, making it an ideal stop combining nature, wine and hidden history.