Discovering Le Marche, Italy
It is a question of fact: Italy has the most significant artistic and cultural heritage in the world. And not only this: its inheritance is not just found in the artistic cities, but is distributed through the whole national territory as in no other country. The confirmation of this comes from Le Marche (known in English as The Marches). This region is located in the central area of Italy, bordering to the north Emilia-Romagna and San Marino, to the north-west Tuscany, to the west Umbria, to the south Abruzzi and Lazio; and to east the Adriatic sea. The Marches have a rich and various countryside: the Adriatic Sea, with its smooth and sandy coast, broken up by rocky precipices; the harmonious agricultural landscape of its placid hills; the profound and mysterious caves; the protected areas of natural beauty. The Marches as well are beautified by important artistic towns, villages, palaces; and religious buildings. Up to 30 years ago, this region was considered quite poor, even if it had some well established economic sectors, like its agricultural production (mainly cereals, vegetables and grapes) and the traditional crafts.
In the last 30 years the economy of The Marches has completely changed, though without denying its rural past. Many of craft workshops became modern and specialized; some of them arrived to be brand famous all over the world, such as Indesit (appliances manufacturer), Guzzini (producer of designer kitchenware) and Teuco (manufacturer of baths, saunas, bathtubs). Some specialized industrial areas emerged by this evolution: the provinces of Macerata and Fermo are in particular producing footwear and leather wares; Pesaro is the area of furniture, the province of Ancona is where household appliances and textile industry are.
The Marches are the ideal place for an unforgettable holiday in Italy, far from the mass tourism and rich of places where the time seems to stand still.
Whether you want to see masterworks of Renaissance art and architecture, walk across unexplored mountains or fish in a Mediterranean fishing port, The Marches have all what can keep a tourist busy for years.
Ancona is the capital of the region and at the first look it seems not very attractive for the tourists. But if you stop there and you give it time, you can discover the salty charm of this busy port. This city has been built by the Greek colonists and it shapes as amphitheatre on the hills around the harbor.
Colle Guasco is the name of hill above the port and the oldest part of the town borders it. On the top of Colle Guasco is located the best church of Ancona, the Medieval Cathedral of San Ciriaco, a pleasant blend of Romanesque and Gothic.
If you want visit the rest of the town, you can walk from the bottom of Corso Stamira down by the ferry dockyards. You will note the Venetian-Gothic facade of the ruined church of San Agostino and then cross to near Piazza della Repubblica, where Corso Garibaldi and Corso Mazzini start. You can see the Teatro delle Muse, a theatre built in the 19th century and recently renovated. In Corso Mazzini you can admire the fountain called Fontana del Calamo, built in the 16th century. Other spots to be mentioned are the Loggia dei Mercanti, Santa Maria della Piazza, the statue of Pope Clement XII, Palazzo Bosdari (a gallery with beautiful paintings) and Palazzo Ferretti (an archeological museum).
Nearby Ancona, you can find and rent beautiful holiday homes, located between the blue of sea and the green of the hills, where you can spend and enjoy your time.
Pesaro is another important city of The Marches and it is a pretty coastal resort, a prosperous fishing port and vital industrialized centre. The heart of Pesaro is Piazza del Popolo, with its beautiful fountain in the middle, the Palazzo Ducale and the post office building. The Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini born in Pesaro in 1792 and his house is still there, not far from Piazza del Popolo, along Via Rossini.
The Cathedral of the city also deserves a visit to see the incredible mosaic floor. In the Civic Museums you can see the finest collections of Renaissance and Baroque pottery.
Urbino is indisputably one of the most significant towns in The Marches (in fact in Italy) for the great Italian art and architecture and its charming streets in general well appreciated by the curious travelers. The centre of this city is now included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Its hill hosted for the second half of the 15th century one of most important courts of Europe, the ducky of Montefeltro. Urbino has an inimitable skyline, given by the two twin-towers of its Palazzo Ducale (now a museum with a notable collection of paintings).
The Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista (a small stunning church), the Orto botanico (a little botanic garden) and the church of San Bernardino (where the tomb of the Duke Federico da Montefeltro is) are other places to pay a visit to, before leaving Urbino.
Macerata is a town in The Marches, famous for its annual open-air opera festival, but it is as well a charming human-scaled city, with amazing palaces, museums, Roman ruins, and much more.
Many of the smaller inland towns in The Marches are well worth visiting: Cagli, Camerino, Cingoli, Jesi, Recanati, Offida and Sarnano. The Conero peninsula is rich of beautiful beaches and pretty seaside locations, such as Sirolo and Numana
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