Corinaldo rises on a hillside in the Marche, a short distance inland from the Adriatic coast, and its defining feature is visible from far off: a complete circuit of brick walls, punctuated by towers and gates, running unbroken around the town. Inside, the streets follow the slope, and the long stepped street known as La Piaggia climbs from the lower gate to the upper town, passing the well whose legend — a cask of wine mistaken for water, a pot of polenta lost down the shaft — has given the townspeople their nickname and their annual festival. Churches, a small theatre and quiet squares punctuate the ascent, and the house associated with Maria Goretti, born here, draws its own pilgrims. Filmed in 4K, with aerial views that reveal the geometry of the enceinte, the programme reads Corinaldo as a rare surviving example of a fortified hill town of central Italy.
