“It is said that sometimes, at down, when the sea is clear and calm, one could see underwater a Boulevard with columns; as a child I was convinced to see them every hour.”
So tells one of the many fascinated spectators of Valbruna: a misterious place facing Gabicce Monte, on the edge between Romagna and Marche.

People’s fantasy has always borne magic stories that could keep company to our life.
It is hard to resist these charming stories, despite scepticism, because, even if they are fake, the mystery that they spread seems to attract us as an irresistible magnet.

Therefore it could not be any different for our “Sassi of Valbruna”, sacked by fishermen and do-it-yourself-archaeologists whohave been bringing to earth stones and finds, assuring they are to pieces of statues or of columns,but without restraint nor scientific foundation.
Subs, scientists and experts refuse the theory of the existence of an underground city, arguing that the items found in bottom of the sea (amphorae, vases, fragments of mosaico…) are, in fact, only karst formations.

Yet there are strong supporters: the reliable sources of two historic as Biondo Flavio in ‘400 or Raffaele Aldimari in ‘600 declared that, at the mouths of the Conca river, rose the mythical Crustumium (the original name of the river) or Concha whose legend, perhaps, was born from a banal transcription error, although for a long period the city has been represented on many maps.

Certainly, a long time ago, Conca is really existed near Cattolica: probably a town of Greek origin that micht have been destroied by the see and the bad weather.

It is hard to define the edge between reality and fantasy, but certainly the beauty of the place is in itself, a very good reason to visit the breathtaking hinterland of Cattolica: let’s just think of the Sasso of Gabicce!

The Alberghi delle Donne, run just by Women (guaranteeing a warm welcome as if you were home) of Cattolica and Gabicce, would be happy to add whoever is interested to, to the excursions dedicated to the area!
These Hotels offer customized packages holiday , focused on the needs of the tourist and…between a reservation and a dinner with friends…
…perhaps, halfway between the history and the fable, Conca is laying down there, looking at us and waiting to be discovered!