It is a small centre in the municipal district of Sarsina, with a very ancient history.
It is situated in the middle of the Borello valley, 333 metres high above sea level, on a huge, panoramic piece of sandstone rock. Its name maybe comes from "roncare" (to weed) and "roncola" (billhook), with reference to a deforested place and therefore, a cultivated field or a grazing land.
Some findings brought to light in the neighbourhoods of Ranchio testify the presence of the man since the Bronze Age.The origins of the "Castrum Rancle" date back to the early middle ages. Its history is centred on the abbey of Saint Ambrogio and on the parish of Saint Bartholomew.
The abbey-monastery, still call Badia (abbey), was situated on the right bank of the Borello torrent. We still conserve: remains of the abbey church, with some original structures of the apse; remains of sculptures and fragments belonging to a coffin of the V century used and conserved in the present parish church, two slabs used as frontal in the altar and, finally an important and precious missal of the XI century belonged to the Benedictine community of Saint Ambrogio: it ended up (noone knows how or when) in the U.S.A., in Baltimora and it is still there, conserved in the Walter Art Gallery.
The parish of Saint Bartholomew, which combines vaguely Renaissance elements with baroque peculiarities, is situated in the centre and on the highest point of the Medieva village. Inside the church, the visitor can admire the altar-piece by Michele Valbonesi (1731- 1808), restored not long ago and representing the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (1756).
The recent restoration works of the church had led to an interesting discovery: the Way of the Cross on the walls of the church, which consists of prints dating back to the 30s, hid a canvas version of the Way of the Cross, painted by an anonimous artist at the beginning of the XIX century.
Since the beginning of the XX century Ranchio has been connected to agriculture which is still the predominant activity with the presence of small and medium-size farms.
In the last twenty years, thanks to new small industries, employment (above all for women) has increased.
All year round, in order to make the days in the town pleasant, tennis courses for children and adults, ecological days, aerobics courses and other cultural and social events are organized. Since a couple of years, the second Sunday of October the traditional "Sagra delle Castagne" (The chestnut festival) takes place.