Marche
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[edit] Marche
Marche is in the center of Italy, faces on the Adriatic and brags its seaside localities, characterized by the mild climate and large beaches perfectly supplied. Visiting the the inland through a thriving country that gives way to the majesty of the Sybilline Mountains and the Monti della Laga, that are parts of the National park of the Gran Sasso. Region with rich history and archaeological sites disposes all ingredients for a cultural vacation and amusement. Marche is located in the Central area of the country, bordering Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the north, Tuscany to the north-west, Umbria to west, Abruzzo and Lazio to the south, and the Adriatic Sea to the east.
Beautiful Adriatic beaches and ancient towns perched on hilltops, or nestled deep between rolling farmland, give travelers to Le Marche a real taste of central Italy.
Two main highways traveling along the coast facilitate transportation to the larger cities. One of the most valuable parts of visiting Marche is driving through the interior, visiting smaller towns and exploring areas where there are virtually no tourists.
Recently a buzz word in Britian and a ex-pat destination for vacation home buying. The Marche has been compared to Tuscany as having all the attributes, with none of the hassles of high prices and large crowds.
[edit] Provinces
[edit] Cities
- Fermo - once the most important town in Le Marche, and now again a provincial capital. Fermo is, to quote its own website, 'a noble city of very ancient origins, rich in art and culture. Thirty centuries of history are enclosed within its thousand-year-old walls, between memories and echoes of legends not yet lost'.
- Senigallia home of Michelin star restaurant Madonnina del Pescatore
- Jesi - Walled city famous for its Verdicchio wine
- Fabriano - A city under the Ancona district. It's famous for its Paper production story since XIII century
- Gabicce Mare
- Recanati - A town of medieval origin, unusually built along the ridge of a hill and with great views towards the adriatic and the Apenines. It is well known in Italy for being the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, considered, together with Dante, the most important figure in the italian literature.
[edit] Other destinations
- Conero Riviera The only relief (572 meters) overhanging the sea from Trieste to Gargano, in symbiosis with the towns of Ancona and Camerano, and with the sea resorts of Sirolo and Numana, mount Conero is the heart of the homonymous Regional Park. Established in 1987, the Conero Natural Park is a protected envirnomental oasis covering some 5800 ha. of woodland and spectacular white cliffs plunging into the Adriatic sea.
- Monti Sibillini National Park The Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini comprises over 50 mountain peaks over 2,000 metres high, that rise at the heart of the park area, stretching for no less than 40 kilometres from north to south between Umbria and the Marches. The highest of these peaks is Monte Vettore (2,476 metres), followed by Monte Priora, Monte Bove, Monte Sibilla and a number of others. In the 15th and 16th century popular belief maintained that the Monte Sibilla was the kingdom of the “illustrious prophetess”, while others thought it to be the dwelling place of “the seductress Circe in league with the devil”. The “demonic”Lago di Pilato on the other hand is said to be the place where the body of Pontius Pilate vanished off the face of the earth, dragged into oblivion by a herd of cattle.
- Fiastra Abbey, Tolentino (Mc) The territory of the nature reserve sourrounding the medieval abbey of Fiastra presents the typical morphology of fluvial areas, and it is characterized by the valleys where the river Chienti and the river Fiastra run. The flora and the fauna of the area are very interesting, since they include some species which are typical of the hills of the Marches region and species which are rather rare in Italy. It is a popular among locals for walking and riding activities.
[edit] Understand
[edit] Talk
[edit] Get in
From the UK, Ryanair fly from either Liverpool or London Stansted to Ancona.
[edit] Get around
The railway that runs down the coast is excellent for exploring the region with fast and frequent trains running all day. Busses tend to be rather infrequent, especially if you are looking to explore inland, so hiring a car is essential if you want to explore a bit.
[edit] See
- Library of Casa Leopardi, Recanati The library comprises more than 20,000 volumes, most of which were collected and arranged by Monaldo Leopardi, the father of Giacomo, in the second half of the XVII century and includes rare volumes such as the first edition of the Encyclopedie by Diderot and Dalambert.
[edit] Itineraries
- Lorenzo Lotto Tour [1] It is possible to buy a single ticket which gives you access to several museums dotted around the centre of Le Marche displaying the works of Lorenzo Lotto, one of the finest painters of the Renaissance.
[edit] Do
[edit] Eat
- Vincisgrassi A lasagna dish from Le Marche with an odd name. Vincisgrassi is the Italianization of the name of the Austrian general, Prince Windischgratz, who was commander of the Austrian Forces stationed in the Marches. The dish was allegedly created for the prince by a local chef.
- Ciauscolo This unusual salami is originally from Le Marche, but it is also prepared in Umbria, especially in the area that borders the town of Macerata. It is made by kneading very finely ground pork with a good quantity of fat until the mixture is very soft. The meat is flavored simply with garlic, salt, and pepper, and it is often smoked. Ciauscolo is meant to be spread onto bread rather than sliced, given its soft consistency; Ciauscolo resembles the rillettes of France, which differ because they are cooked while ciauscolo remains raw unless it is smoked.
- Olive all'ascolana (stuffed olives) The invention of these stuffed and deep fried olives dates back to the beginning of XIX century. Apparently created by an unknown chef who worked for an aristocratic family of Ascoli Piceno, they are a must on the table of locals during the festivities.
[edit] Sleep
Although many hotels can be found around the region, especially along the coast, the best way to enjoy a visit is to stay at an 'agriturismo' (a kind of accomodation in which hospitality is offered on farms, usually on a 'bed and breakfast' basis) or rent a self-catering property, either in the country or in a town.
- Short-term apartments [2] Rent vacation rental apartments near Cagli, Urbino and Gubbio. $604/week, per apartment and up. The American agency listing this apartment has been in business since 1975, gives its profits away to charity, and looks particularly for apartments of good value.
- Medieval Hill Top Town Apartments [3] Holiday apartments set between the Adriatic Coast and the Sibillini National Park giving you the best of both worlds. Montalto delle Marche is an important historical town and is where Pope Sisto V trained in the 16th Century and elevated the village to the status of city when he became Pope so this is probably the smallest city in the world.
- Town house in historic setting with a large private garden [4] Self catering apartment in the heart of medieval Recanati, in a palazzo dating back to the early middle ages and open onto a large terraced garden with panoramic views over the valley towards the Apenines.
[edit] Drink
- Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, one of the strongest Italian white wines;
- 'Falerio dei colli ascolani, A white wine whose millennial history is written in the name itself, typically Roman, which, in turn, was derived from that of the ancient city of Faleria. It is produced in the rolling hills between Fermo and Falerone and it is excellent with fish and white meats.
- Rosso Conero, A red wine produced in the Conero area, south of Ancona and it is made from the Montepulciano grape. It is a rich, perfumed wine that often reaches greatness. From 2006 it boasts the coveted DOCG description
- Rosso Piceno, is a red wine produced in the south of the region (the "Piceno" area), made from at least 60 percent Sangiovese (the Chianti grape), plus some of Marche's native Montepulciano and, optionally, small amounts of the local red grape Passerina and the white Trebbiano. Legend has it that Hannibal used the hearty red wine of Piceno as a rubdown for his army's horses.
- Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, An intensely-scented red wine produced in the area around Morro d'Alba. The principal vine variety is Lacrima, with the possible addition of Montepulciano and/or Verdicchio (but only up to 15% of the blend). Why the variety and the wine obtained from it have the name Lacrima (tear) is not clear. The denomination may be derived from some legend or simply from the nearly oval shape of the grape or the pyramidal form of the cluster, both resembling tear drops. The wine is almost a varietal, for all "correction" is limited to the addition of 15 per cent of Montepulciano and/or Verdicchio grapes.
- Vernaccia di Serrepetrona, an extraordinary sparkling red wine.
[edit] Stay safe
[edit] Get out
- Green Door, Recanati (Mc) An American bar serving good cocktails in a vaulted cellar space. Via di Porta San Domenico, Recanati (Mc)
