The origin of the name of Marzocca is not certain: it could either be related to the sea (mare in Italian), or it could have a Germanic origin, from the word “mark-zucht” which means “government of frontier country). In fact, in the olden days the territory of Marzocca was situated between the Duchy of Senigallia and the Duchy of Ancona, and also between the territory of Montemarciano and that of Massa Ravennate. The name of Marzocca could also originate from a building provided with towers like a small castle, which was erected on the ruins of an ancient fortress, called “a small space for military activities”. Up to 1930 this building still existed, and was used as a station for changing horses. In 1930 a terrible earthquake damaged the whole building, and on the wall which was still standing, was fixed a memorial plaque with the words: “Marzocca – very ancient house built in 1301 and totally re-built in 1766″. The name Marzocco was also given to a stone lion (called Marcotus meaning Small Mars) which was holding under its right hand paw the shield with the Florentine fleur de lis. Marzocco was also a surname: in 1615 a Senigallia citizen called Francesco Giulio Marzocchi was the artist who painted the portrait of bishop Cristoforo II, which can be seen in the convent of St. Martin in Senigallia. Moreover, we can find the name of Andrea D’Antonio Mazzocco in the list of fishermen captured by turks in the spring of 1658. By:” Montignano e Marzocca antiche historie e memorabili fatti” – 1997 The Story of Marzocca In ancient maps, the denomination of Marzocca – Marzoche at the time – appears for the first time in 1708, in Coronelli’s map and it is five miles south of Senigallia on the Adriatic coast. Through many centuries the place was considered as a port of landing for the fishermen from the nearby village of Montignano . At the end of the 19th century, in the territory of Marzocca only about 30 houses existed, and the area was situated in what today is Marzocchetta. Only in the years between the two world wars Marzocca and Marzocchetta became the modern settlements. The main roads in Marzocca are the road to Montignano and the coast road. The first blocks of houses, the Church and the Cinema were built in the twenties along this coast road. In 1914 the Railways decided to create a station for the daily train stops: six in total. Various building constructions in the thirties contribuited to a remarkable increase of population, particularly the Fiorenzi and Spilimbergo cottages (on the Capri , Ischia streets and along the sea). After the boom of the fifties and the sixties, Marzocca was described as “the Miracle Village” in the “New York Times” and in the “Europeo”. Since then, the building process has never stopped.The population has increased from 200 at the end of the 19th century to 1.485 in 1961 and 3.445 in 2003. The first inhabitants were mostly people moving down to the coast from Montignano followed in the fifties and sixties by a considerable migration from the nerby village of San Silvestro.. Today Marzocca can be considered as a small cosmopolitan town. As Marzocca emerged only about 100 years ago, there are pratically no historical buildings; the only “old” building being the so called “Barucca tavern” in Marzocchetta, on whose walls appear a memorial stone: “Marzocca – this ancient building, constructed in 1301, was completely rebuilt in 1766”. In a social framework, Marzocca has a strong role in the Senigallia territory, thus becoming its most populated area. As a matter of fact, Marzocca is one of ten most populated parts in the province of Ancona. By archivio Evandro Sartini Montignano is slightly inland from the Adriatic Sea, 5 miles south of Senigallia (towards Ancona) It is dominated by the Catholic Church of San Giovanni Battista. It is a prosperous and quiet village, 100 metres above the sea level: overlooking the village of Marzocca. Montignano is referred to an ancient history as “mons ignanus”, thanks to the fire signals sent from the hills there in defence against pirates. These signals were sent out from The Ancient Albani Tower wich still exist, on the ridge of the hill between Montignano and Senigallia.
