The municipality of Mondavio rises on a hill, approximately 20 km from the Adriatic Sea, from which you may very well see the Catria and the Nerone Mounts.

The town lies between two rivers from the Marche region, to the left the Metauro and to the right the Cesano, in the center of their respective valleys.
It's part of the mountain community of Metauro.
Near the Cesano river, in flat position, there are the hamlets of San Michele al Fiume and San Filippo sul Cesano, while the hamlets of Sant'Andrea di Suasa and Cavallara are on top of a hill.

The name of Mondavio is seen for the first time in a document of 1178 and subsequently in a Vatican register of 1289.
The village is already existing at the moment of the probable passage of St. Francis on the place donated by the Ricci family to build a convent.
The Holy on that occasion would have welcomed the amenity of the place and the variety of birds. And from those expressions derived the name Mons Avium as "mount of Birds" (today there is a dove in the municipal coat of arms).
As this is one of the many explanations of the origin of its name, we can consider uncertain the true meaning of "Mondavio".

Provincial Vicariate with jurisdiction over twenty-four castles, underwent several domains, including that of the Malatesta family, of Alessandro Piccolomini, Giovanni della Rovere, Lorenzo de ' Medici and the town of Fano.

In 1442 crossed triumphantly the town walls, Sigismondo Malatesta, where his wife Polyxena Sforza brought in dowry the Vicariate, subtracted to the Church by her father Francis in a period of serious disorder.
In 1462 the territory it is scenery of the historic battle between Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, and Federico da Montefeltro that militated in the files of the Church (Pope Pius II) against the Malatesta.
With the end of the domination of the Malatesta family, the Vicariate of Mondavio returned under the direct domain of the Church as Fano and Senigallia.
Towards by the end of 1463 the Vicariate with Senigallia and Montemarciano became enfeoffed to the nephew of Pope Pius II Antonio Piccolomini, but the domination was short as Pius II died in August 1464 and Mondavio, Senigallia, San Costanzo and Mondolfo, with other castles rebelled at Piccolomini and subjugated to the Governor of Fano, the Bishop of Perugia, Giacomo Vannucci da Cortona.
The ascent to the papal throne of Sixtus IV Della Rovere in 1471 inaugurated a policy of nepotism which will have large consequences in the territory.
In 1473 the Pope decorated Federico da Montefeltro with the title of Duke and he agreed to become related with the Della Rovere family giving married his daughter Giovanna to the nephew of Pope Giovanni Della Rovere (+ 1502).

The wedding took place in October 1474 and after a few days John was invested with the city of Senigallia, the Vicariate of Mondavio and other lands.
John stayed for some time in Mondavio and gave task to the brilliant architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini to build the fortress (built between 1482 and 1492), that in all these centuries has never suffered any siege nor has never fired a shot from its guns.
John's son Francesco Maria, perhaps really born in Mondavio, succeeded 1503 his uncle Guidobaldo in the Duchy of Urbino and he incorporated the Vicariate of Mondavio.

During the Government of the Della Rovere family, the Vicariate went through a period of about one hundred and thirty years of peace, prosperity and progress, this was the period of big folk festivals.
In 1631, with the extinction of the Della Rovere dynasty, Duchy and Vicariate of Mondavio returning into the jurisdiction of the Holy See.

The municipality of Mondavio has been awarded since July 2003 with the recognition of the Orange flag, environmental tourism quality label for the hinterland, given by the Italian Touring Club.

Monuments:
- Rocca Roveresca (Fortress)
- Ex Capuchin convent
- St. Francis Church
- Town Hall
- Collegiate Church St. Peter and aterniano
- Santa Maria della Quercia Church
- St. Andrea di Suasa castle

Museums and theatres:
- Apollo theatre
- Museum of historical recalling
- Park of war machines
- Civic Museum and picture gallery

Events:
- "Caccia al Cinghiale" historical recalling