Camerino

Camerino stands in the Apennines between the valleys of the Potenza and Chienti. Its ancient predecessor, Camerinum, was allied with Rome, and the medieval town later became the seat of a lordship and a university. The palace of its rulers and the surviving urban fabric recall Camerino's long importance among the mountain towns of central Italy.

After imperial forces destroyed the town in 1256, Gentile da Varano returned with other refugees and established a lasting family lordship. The university was founded in 1336, adding a place of study to the town’s institutions. In 1382 Giovanni da Varano built a long defensive wall, while Giulio Cesare da Varano built a ducal palace in 1460. Cesare Borgia attacked the family in 1502, and in 1545 Camerino came under direct papal administration.