It is a well known resort, famous for Winter sports and Spa treatments in the province of Macerata, located in a harmonious way, forming concentric circles, on the slopes of a hill. On the summit is situated the main center, highlighted by the XIII century Church, entitled to Santa Maria. The streets and buildings are built in brick, while the already narrow streets become even narrower slits, called "buttresses". The most recent part of Sarnano has developed in the flat area. The municipality and its districts are washed by the river Tennacola and feature a very heterogeneous territory, characterized by meadows, forests and mountains.
The first settlement was founded as a farming community, in Roman times when the lands were allotted to the veteran centurions of Augustus. At the fall of the Empire, the territory was occupied by the Lombards, followed by the domination of feudal Lords Brunforte. Once the inhabitants were able to obtain recognition, it was proclaimed municipality in 1265. Over the centuries, the town grew a lot from the demographic point of view and incorporating some neighboring villages, thus expanded its territory encompassing several districts, to reach the maximum development in the XVI century. The town was fortified with the construction of two series of fortified walls with important doorways, of which there are still remains in the urban fabric. The town was included into the Duchy of the Varano of Camerino and shared same historical events and later conquered by the Papal States, until the time of annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.

Attractions:
- the Church of Santa Maria della Piazza, built by the monks of the Abbey of Piobbico, which was built in the XIII century on the site of a previously built oratory. It features a brick façade of great simplicity in Romanesque-Gothic style, interrupted by two lancet windows, a fine doorway surmounted by a pediment. Inside, it preserves a series of XV century frescoes, paintings and frescoes in the crypt of the artist Alemanno. The Bell Tower was built in the XIV century;
- the Church of San Francesco, dating from the XIV century, seat of a convent till 1870. At present, it features a Library that houses several books, manuscripts of great value and an important art gallery with paintings by Pagani, Crivelli, and many other artists. It also features a Romanesque-Gothic portal;
- the Church of Santa Chiara;
- the Palazzo del Podestà with the Civic Tower;
- le Fonti di San Giacomo;
- the Town Hall;
- the Palazzo del Popolo;
- the Palazzo dei Priori;
- the medieval center.