Ostra, Marche
Ostra is a town and "comune" in the Marche, central Italy, near the modern Ostra Vetere, south-east of Senigallia. The original name of the town was Montalboddo. In 1881 the name was changed to Ostra, like the ancient Roman city located near the modern town of Ostra. Ancient Ostra. Ancient Ostra was situated between the modern town of Ostra and Ostra Vetere and was inhabited from the 3rd century BC until the 6th century AD. Pliny the Elder mentions Ostra with another ancient town, Suasa, west. Neither town survived beyond the classical period. Though Ostra is little  mentioned by ancient authors, excavations there have brought to light remains of various buildings and several inscriptions. Geography. Modern Ostra lies on a hill over the Misa river valley. It is the most important town in the valley upstream from Senigallia, lying from the Adriatic coast. Close by is the city of Jesi (18 km), while Ancona, the capital of the Marche Region, is away. The nearest railway station is that of Senigallia, while the Raffaello Sanzio Airport (Ancona-Falconara) is away. Main sights. Piazza dei Martiri. At the heart of the town is Piazza dei Martiri ("Martyrs' square") the  most important square in the town. Here is the 16th century city tower, high, rebuilt in the 20th century after being bombed in World War II. Here also are the municipal building with its arches and its marble staircase and the St. Francis' Church, built in the 13th century. Defensive wall. Built in the late Middle Ages the wall surrounding the town is perfectly preserved for a total length of . It still has nine great towers and two main entrances. Madonna della Rosa Sanctuary. Located a few hundreds metres out of town, this Sanctuary devoted to Holy Mary is one  of the most important in Italy, visited every year by many pilgrims coming both from Italy and Europe. It has been built in 1754 after Holy Mary appeared to a young girl and fosters a miraculous image of the Virgin.