Town of very ancient origin (the first settlements in the area are dated in the pre-Roman and Roman age, we mention the towns of Attidium and Tuficum), has its name from a word, Fabelrius, typical adjective of a Roman noble name, indicating the possessor of a “fundus” or a “rus” (allotments) in sites where later medieval castles were built. The first mention of a locality with this name is dated 1065, but it's in a document dated 1160 that clearly reports about two feudal castles built on the banks of the river Giano one in front of the other.
The town had its maximum economic,social and artistic development.Industry and commerce was thriving, the painting history of Fabriano was developed and also a humanistic culture was active.
Afterwards, after a brief and unlucky dominion of Francesco Sforza, the town was progressively annexed to the Papal State: from this moment that town started a slow but inexorable decadence, till the Unity of Italy. Fabriano is worldwide known as the “Town of paper”": was one of the first European places where by the end of the 13th century started the production of paper.

The town has given the birth to many great personalities in different sectors.
We mention for all ,the masters of the painting of the 14th century as Allegretto Nuzi (1320-1373), Francescuccio of Cecco Ghissi, Gentile from Fabriano (1370-1427), and in the following century Antonio from Fabriano (1451-1489); the industrialist Pietro Miliani, that relaunched the paper industry in the 18th century; Aristide Merloni, author of the economic development of the territory in the second postwar period; the notable contemporary exponents in the sculpture sector, Quirino Ruggeri and Edgardo Mannucci.