Lorenzo Lotto's altar piece "The Crucifixion" is kept in the 14th century Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Telusiano, which was renovated by bishop Niccolò Bonafede in the 16th century. The painting was commissioned by the former bishop and then finished by the Venetian painter in 1531; after a superficial clean up in 1831, the painting was restored in 1953 and in 1981. The original frame, which Lorenzo Lotto himself designed, was restored in 1996.
The Church of Santa Maria della Pietà has been recently renovated and brought back to its former glory. Some valuable frescos were discovered while the Church was being renovated.
Monte San Giusto is a large village of over eight thousand inhabitants which is located halfway between Macerata and Civitanova Marche on the hills overlooking the valley of the river Chienti. The name Telusiano, which is probably ancient, betrays distant origins. There are in fact traces of settlements from the Roman era (age of Nerva 96-98 d. C.). When it was already an integral part of the ecclesiastical district of Fermo, Monte San Giusto was passed on to the Lombards, under the Duke of Spoleto, then, up until the 11th century, belonged to Farfa.
The period of Monte San Giusto's greatest splendor was undoubtedly the sixteenth century thanks to Niccolò Bonafede, who was born in 1463 in Monte San Giusto; He was the Bishop of Chiusi and the office holder of the Roman Court in the years ranging from Alexander VI to Clement VII. He was very attached to his homeland so he erected a building establishing a true Renaissance court. He beautified the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà with an altarpiece by the Venetian painter Lorenzo Lotto "The Crucifixion.".
Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were numerous attacks by French soldiers who destroyed, killed and plundered. Giuseppe Garibaldi stopped here while he was on a trip from Macerata to Fermo. After the interwar period, during which a lot of people died, Monte San Giusto developed a form of artisan footwear, which is still the carrier of the local economy.
The permanent display of "Collezione Maggiori" is housed in the palace, which is the Headquarters of the Cine Theatre. This fantastic collection contains some old painting from 1500 to 1700 attributed to Marotta, Carocci, Reni, Masucci, Viani, Crete, Vasari, D'Arpino, Del Sarto and others of the Bolognese school. The "Fondo Cantalamessa"- donated by Brillarelli- is also on display and it brings together the works of the sculptor who was very attached to the village.