Under the name of Rocca Contrada, the town was fortified by Pippin the Younger, King of the Franks, and was then donated by Charlemagne to the Papal States. In the following centuries, Arcevia played a key role in the local balance of power, located as it was at the border of the Marca di Ancona, Umbria, and the Duchy of Urbino. In 1201, Rocca Contrada proclaimed itself a commune independent from Rome, and was indeed recognised as civitas (Latin for "city") by pope Clement IV in 1266, and remained a guelph city ever since.