Matelica is a town in Marche region in the province of Macerata and has very far origins.

Man is supposed to be settled in that land already in Paleolitic eve; in late Neolitic eve the Braccano settlement became imponent. It was discovered in the year 2000 where the ruins of a group of houses with several areas where flint stone was used to be worked.

Between 7th and 8th centuries the land grows much more and more: it is shown by the wide areas of buildings and the necropolis by the river Esino.

The finding of several remainings of "Vitis Vinifera" is dated back to that eve when they were recovered in a Piceno tomb belonged to a prince. That is an extraordinary document of the very ancient origins of vine growing in that area.

In the following period the settlement seems to concentrate in the head town of the Commune.

In the early 3rd century before Christ the land is conquered by Romans who would carry it to the growth of Matilica Municipium about on the half of 1st century before C. That name was then adopted by the modern Matelica.

The decadence of Roman centres between 3rd and 4th century after Christ concerns even Matelica that thus becomes the seat of bishop between 5th and 6th century.

Under the Longobardian domination it is annexed to Spoleto and then became a Castle.

It became a free Commune about in 1150 pwhen the inhabitants replaced the Consuls to the Feudatarian Earls of German Empire. 

Between 1170 and 1180 it was destroyed by Cristiano, the Archbishop of Magonza who acted in Marche region to re-establish the power of the Emperor Frederick 1st. 

A new autonomy was re-established around 1210. In 1266, with the return of the Papal authority in the Marche region, Matelica passed under the rule of the Popes. Beginning from the end of the 16 th century it was under the supremacy of the family Brass family, who were vicars of the Roman Pope. In that period one of the main sources of wealth was the factories of the woollen cloths which declined after the return in 1578 under the rule of the Church.

The city from 1610 was the residence of a Governorate, but this privilege did not improve the economy. The French invasion and the fights for the national unification caused a complete decline of the woollen cloths industry and just some small tanneries remained. Only during the last century, the economy went back to being thriving. In the years after the Second World War, new factories were opened and some years after, thanks also to the presence of Enrico Mattei, other important industries have developed.