Fabriano

Fabriano was a commune in the Esino valley of the Marche, formed from two fortified settlements. It became a free commune in 1234, and by 1337 its paper mills were established.

The Chiavelli ruled Fabriano from 1378 until their massacre in 1435. Francesco Sforza held it until 1444, when it passed to the Papal States. Spanish troops sacked the town in 1515 amid disputes between its citizens and Pope Leo X; after the Napoleonic period, it returned to papal rule in 1815.