Standing in a strategic position on the Misa river valley, not far from the beach of Senigallia, Arcevia is protected by mighty city walls from the 13th century. Populated as early as the Upper Palaeolithic, the area was continually inhabited until Roman times and is well known for its important archaeological finds. The Baroque Church of San Medardo, dating back to 1208, contains two extraordinary works by the great Renaissance artist Luca Signorelli, the Polyptych of S. Medardo (1507) and the Baptism of Christ (1508). It also has a monumental, glazed terracotta dossal of the Madonna and Child between Saints John the Baptist and Jerome (1510-1513) by Giovanni della Robbia, a leading exponent of the famous Florentine Della Robbia workshop. The former Franciscan monastery complex preserves the Renaissance cloister and its splendid church. The ground floor houses the State Archaeological Museum, which contains significant local archaeological artefacts and the ancient cellars host exhibition spaces. The Gallic grave goods from the Gallic necropolis of Montefortino from the 4th century BC are a highlight. The area includes 9 castles, small villages and a well-preserved fortified layout.