Among the main sanctuaries of Fano, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Ponte Metauro, of Franciscan origin, stands on the left bank of the Metauro river. Inside, the splendid Madonna del Latte is still today the object of great devotion and a destination for pilgrimages.
Built at the foot of the bridge passing over the Metauro river, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Ponte Metauro has ancient origins, prior to the 12th century, and is linked to the legend of the killing in 1215 of a gigantic serpent, or dragon, by Saint Francis. The church has a T-shaped plan, made up of a single nave and cross vaults.
Historical notes speak of the use of the sanctuary by Blessed Francesco da Montegranaro, also known as Blessed Cecco da Pesaro, who used it as a shelter in the mid-14th century. It is there that the Blessed Cecco placed the fresco image of the Madonna dell'Umiltà or del Latte, executed by Giacomo di Stefano, with the intention of allow pilgrims and wayfarers to see the Madonna. The fresco has been the object of great veneration over the centuries, as evidenced by the numerous votive offerings still on display, and is still a destination for pilgrimages today.
Over time, particularly valuable paintings were added to the sanctuary, including a fresco dating back to the 14th century representing the Last Supper. The fresco representing the Madonna on the throne with the Child alongside San Rocco dates back to the 16th century and is probably of Perugian origin. A stone structure which currently houses the tabernacle dates back to 1597. The bell tower, after an initial construction in the 15th century, was then rebuilt with the shape of a crenellated tower due to the earthquake of 1930. The sanctuary, as it appears today, is the result of the restorations that took place between 1926 and 1930. Inside the church it is also possible to admire other works of notable value: on the right wall a fresco, from the Perugian school, of the Madonna enthroned flanked by St. Rocco and in the background, on the right wall of the presbytery, another fresco representing the Last Supper .
The stupendous polyptych created in the first half of the 1400s by two Venetian masters and now preserved in the civic art gallery of Fano was originally displayed on the main altar. In its place there is now a splendid wooden crucifix from 1710. The current crenellated tower is the result of the reconstruction of the bell tower, which collapsed due to the 1930 earthquake.
