Ercole, who was the eldest of five children early left orphans, began his education at the Piarist college at Urbino.
The most notable churches are St Gotthard (14th century, remodelled in 1782) St Mary, attached to the Piarist college (1655-1658), the chapel of St Lawrence (13th century) and the church of the Holy Trinity belonging to the Franciscan friary (1655).
It contains monasteries belonging to the Piarist and Franciscan orders, a Catholic (founded in 1714.), a Calvinistic and a Lutheran school.
Among the principal buildings are a Franciscan convent, with a rich library and an interesting collection of antiquities and ecclesiastical objects; a Piarist and a Minorite convent; a handsome new town-hall; and a natural history and historical museum to which is attached a public library.
The town hall, the Franciscan church, the Piarist monastery and college, and the theatre are also worthy of mention.