One of the most characteristic aspects of Le Marche is the coast line, that extends for nearly 180 kilometres with a great variety and style of beaches. Many of these are prized as ‘blue flag’ beaches indicating the quality of the water and care and protection of sea life.
Starting from the promontory of Monte Conero, situated within the regional park, extend numerous beaches of exceptional quality.
The northern coast, known as ‘Riviera delle Colline’, Riviera of the Hills, has long and narrow beaches, occasionally interrupted by a promontory, small coves, or streams. The famous beaches of Gabicce Mare, Fano and Pesaro are characterised by wide sandy areas offering a tranquil beach life. Continuing towards Ancona you will find the Senigallia coast with fine, light sand. From Monte Conero, a promontory of extraordinary beauty, there is a view out towards the blue Adriatic sea. From here on begins a unique coastline of Le Marche: the ‘Riviera del Conero’ - with wide beaches, sometimes only accessible by boat or through Mediterranean woodland which hugs this part of the coast.
To the Southern side of Ancona, there are numerous interesting tourist locations, such as: Oasi of Portonovo, the highly prized Sirolo, projecting out onto the sea, Numana with its beautifully kept harbour, and Marcelli, the most modern beach resort with tourist villages, residences and well organised retreats. From this point of Monte Conero the coastline becomes wider and flatter, towards the green pinewoods of Porto Recanati, Porto Potenza Picena and Civitanova Marche. To complete the coastal panorama of Le Marche, are the ‘Green Picene Riviera’, that extends from Porto Sant’ Elpidio, through Lido di Fermo, to Porto San Giorgio and Pedaso, and the exotic ‘Palm Riviera’ between Cupramarittima, Grottammare, and San Benedetto del Tronto, with its seven thousand palms that grow on the fine white sand that slopes gently into the sea.





The panoramic hills, which make up half of the region, are an unforgettable feature of Le Marche. Many are crowned with sandstone hill towns scattered throughout the region. Over time, plots of land were created, forming geometrical shapes on the landscape, planted with olive groves and vineyards.
Some of these hilltop towns are like balconies over the region, witnessing history unfold beneath them over many centuries. Recanati, Urbino, Fermo, Camerino, Cingoli, Osimo, San Ginesio, Macerata and Loreto are some of the most beautiful of these panoramic cities.
At Montefeltro, on the boundary with Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, more arid and steep rock formations are found with large stone fortresses perching on the rocks, such as San Leo and Republic of San Marino.
To the south, the landscape is made up of gentle green undulating hills, which continue all the way down to the province of Ascoli. To the southern side of the Ascoli province, bordering Abruzzo, the land becomes more rugged, with steeper hills and the contrast between hills and plains is more dramatic.





Wherever you may find yourself in the Marche, the Apennine mountains are never very far away. They form the region’s western border and offer some of its finest scenery as well as providing a home for some of Italy’s most fascinating wildlife.
Large areas have now been designated natural parks. The Parco Naturale dei Monti Sibillini, in the southwest corner, is the region’s largest park, spreading over 40 km of mountain peaks and continuing westwards into Umbria. The mountains take their name from a legend that one of the sibyls hid here in a cave on Monte Sibilla known as Grotta delle Fate (Cave of the Faries) when she was chased out of the underworld. Monte Vettore (2476 mts), at the centre of the park, is the highest mountain in the region. The huge rocky walls and crags on the eastern side, with such eerie names as Pizzo del Diavolo (Devil’s Beard) and Gola dell’Infernaccio (Hell’s Gorge), are every bit as dramatic as the landscape of the Dolomites. The most unusual feature of the area, however, is the vast area of upland plain called the Piano Grande to the west. In May and June, this huge expanse of treeless plateau, 1250 mts above sea level, eight kilometres long and five wide, is transformed into a carpet of wild flowers. Among the poppies you will find wild tulips and exotic alpine flowers such as carex buxbaumii. The mountains that frame this plateau are also a botanist’s paradise. Alpine Edelweiss, Martagon Lily, Bear Berry, Apennine Cinquefoil and Alpine Buckthorn are just some of the species here. The park is also rich in bird life, such as buzzards, kestrels and sparrow hawks, with rare sightings of golden eagles, peregrine falcons, rock partridges, eagles, owls and chough.
Just north of the Monte Sibillini park, lies the Torricchio Riserva Naturale, a small World Wildlife Fund reserve covering around 300 hectares (800 acres). The Val di Tazza at its centre is a narrow gorge flanked by the wooded slopes of Monte Torricchio (1444 mts) and Monte Fema (1575 mts). The area is particularly rich?i?? in flowers - white asphodel, orchids, cyclamen and wild strawberries - which attract many interesting species of butterfly, including the rare alcon blue, which some naturalists regard as a species all of its own and which is in danger of extinction. Animals include badgers, red squirrels, wildcats and the occasional wolf.
Monte Conero, just south of Ancona provides the only really rugged coastline in the Marche, rising spectacularly out of the sea to a height of just over 500 metres. Its position half way up the Italian peninsula has made it an important meeting point for many species of northern and southern European maritime flora.
The park boasts over a thousand species of wild plants, as well as rich bird life. And as if that’s not enough, the views out over the sea are stunning. There is another nature reserve inland, near the Cistercian abbey of Fiastra, where you can find deer, beech-martens, sparrow-hawks, tawny owls, hoopoes and green woodpeckers. The Gola della Rossa-Frassi regional park, the area of Genga, is a series of towering limestone gorges which provide the rocky habitat for several golden eagles as well as peregrine falcons and eagle owls. The Frasassi caves, in the heart of the area, are the longest and among the most interesting in Italy, with a 240m high central chamber, which is large enough to comfortably hold Milan cathedral. The sheer limestone crags of the Furlo Gorge, to the East, are home to a family of golden eagles. The Colle San Bartolo Regional Park, near Gabicce on the Northern Marche coast, offers guided tours of areas of marshland, which are the winter habitat of the herring gull, the Mediterranean gull and the cormorant.





From the drama of the Appenine mountains, the landscape of Le Marche is articulated by rolling hills which descend gently from the mountains to the sea. The hills are the best areas for cultivating vines, resulting in the production of excellent grapes. The climate is ideal for producing high levels of sugar and a good aroma, essential for the production of numerous excellent wines within the region. In Le Marche the cultivation of vines can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Viticulture is a tradition that has been passed down through the centuries in this region. (One of the most famous local wine producers was Federick Barbarossa, who began the production of wines that are now appreciated all over the world.) Today there are 24,000 hectares of vineyards in the region, of which a third of the production is doc., the large proportion of which is white wine. The most common wine known to Le Marche is Verdicchio, cultivated in the area of the Jessi castle, this is one of the most well known Italian wines in the world. Eighty percent of its production is exported. It is not just Verdicchio that keeps the flag of the region flying high, lately other wines have come to the attention of the experts, good red wines, such as Rosso Conero doc., an excellent wine made from Montepulciano grapes, or Lacrima made from the Morro d’Alba grape. The Metauro Valley is the area of production for Bianchello, a fresh and versatile wine, while in the south of the region Rosso Piceno is produced, well known as an excellent red wine. Other good wines are: Vernaccia; Spumante - a Spumante wine that is sweet and delicious; ‘Falerio’ dei Colli Ascolani - brut white with a fresh aroma; Verdicchio di Metallica - two versions Passito and Spumante; and lastly Esino, the table wine of excellence.





To some extent the Le Marche region represents a meeting point between the gastronomies of northern and southern Italy. Being a very green land and being situated in central Italy, this region has been considered for many years, the region of tradition and great hospitality. In the region of the Appenines, that is also the natural boundary to the region of Umbria, the gastronomy is built on strong flavours that dominate the meat, especially the very tasty ‘porchetta’ that is still prepared following ancient traditions and accompanies many dishes.
At the coast one can sample an array of sea food. Shell fish and wet fish are present within all the local cuisine.
Of particular interest is the simple dish of ‘Brodetto di Mare’ that is a fish soup unique in the fact that each city produces its own version. The cuisine inland in Le Marche is built on ancient traditions that have remained unchanged throughout the centuries to keep a unique taste to each dish. Truffles, both black and white, dominate the recipes of the inland areas, and are used to flavour many dishes. Together with mushrooms, truffles are certainly the most important ingredient in a dish called ‘vincisgrassi’. Meat also dominates the inland cuisine: normally a derivative of the special cattle within the region. The breeding of pigs is very prevalent, allowing a great availability of ‘salumi’ - pork products. Pork is certainly another ingredient of Le Marche’s inland gastronomy and its history is undoubtedly connected to the tradition of old farming families. The pigs are fed with acorns and a mixture of flour and wheat. The preparation of the pigs is generally done during the winter period when the food from other agricultural activities is less plentiful, and importantly the low temperatures allow for the preservation of the meat. The minor parts of the animal are used for the preparation of the two most well known ‘salumi’ of the region: the ‘Ciauscolo’ or ‘Ciavuscolo’ and the ‘SalameLardellato’. Other typical products derived from pork are ?i??the: coppa, mazzafegato, lonza, lonzino, porchetta, and pancetta arrotolata. A very high quality is typical of all of them. The most noble of the Le Marche salumi is the ham of Carpegna that has obtained the DOP title (an original protected product). Even though the area of production is limited to that of Carpegna, its diffusion has overtaken the Italian shores to be served at tables worldwide. The real queen of the Le Marche territory though is without doubt the ‘Porchetta’, roasted pork with the traditional flavour of wild fennel. Also typical of Le Marche are the big and juicy olives that constitute one of the most famous dishes of the region: the ‘Olive all’ Ascolana’ , probably the most representative dish of the region. Desserts are not extensive but among them are: ‘Ciambelline’ and ‘Pagnottelle’, ‘Raviolo of Pasta Frolla’ (often called Piconi), Carnival sweets (Scroccafusi), and an old fashioned Christmas cake (‘Frustignolo’ or ‘Pistingo’). The desserts of Le Marche are simple, avoiding excessive flavours, and tend to use only seasonal ingredients. Usually they contain small amounts of sugar, being historically a most precious commodity, to be used sparingly, and sometimes replaced by honey for the sweetening of cakes. Sweets were normally produced for Carnival or during religious festivals and seasonal events. In most parts of the region it is quite common to find liqueurs and distilled spirits. These originate from the numerous monasteries, which until the 15th century dedicated themselves to the preparation of such spirits, and are even today produced by modern distilleries following traditional recipes.
One The most famous of them is the Annis, especially that produced in the area of Ascoli Piceno.





The main provincial regional town Ancona, was founded in 4BC by the Sarracens. It has a commercial harbour, is a good tourist destination is the site of various military activities. On the Colle Guasco stands the Romanesque ‘Basilica di San Ciriaco’, built in the year 1000, enhanced by Gothic and Byzantine details. This and the Merchants Loggia and Santa Costino’s Church are a must to visit.
A few kilometres away is the town of Loreto, the greatest Italian sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria. It is one of the most popular places for pilgrims all over the world. According to tradition, following the invasion of the Palestines by the Muslims in 1294, the Holy House of Nazereth, was brought by the Angels to Loreto. Originally the sanctuary began as a small church, but rapidly the town began to grow around it, and in the 16th century by the order of Pope Leone 10th, it became surrounded by walls. The Square of the Madonna, the sanctuary of the Saints House and the Apostles Palace are worth a visit. The marble cladding of the Saints House was designed by Bramante, and built by San Sovino. The museum of the Saints House and the armoury museum must not be missed.
Not far away is Recanati, the city of Leopardi, that exudes the culture of one of Italy’s greatest poets. There is an itinerary covering all the places mostdear to him. A little bit further inland is the Esino Valley dominated by Jesi. Surrounded by ancient walls, the city is dominated by the elegant tower. The Palazzo della Signoria was built in 1486 by the famous artist Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Medieval quarters, noble palaces and splendid churches are the features of a harmonious and well-kept historical centre.
Ascending the valley we reach Fabriano, made up of two federal castles situated close to the Ciano River, world famous for the production of paper for 700 hundred years. The town Pinacoteca, contains numerous paintings from the local school, among which are works by Gentile da Fabriano one of the most important painters of that sch?i??ool. Osimo is also deserving of a visit, an ancient town, with Roman origins, that became a free community in the year 1100. It was later dominated by the Malatesta and Sforza families. It is interesting to see the remains of the Roman walls, the prestigious palaces dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, including the communal palace which contains within it 13 Roman statues of the 1st century BC, the dome of the 13th century, and the church museum. Senigallia, preserves visible traces of its ancient history: the ‘rocca roveresca’ where within its interior it is still possible to visit the Roman watch tower, the Palazzetto Baviera, the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Palazzo Mastai Ferretti dedicated to the Pope Pio 9th who was born in this town.





Ascoli Piceno has one of the richest in histories in the region. It is a city in which various civilisations have been well integrated. The first stop is the Piazza del Popolo, which is the heart of the city. It is surrounded by the Church of San Francesco (1258), the Palazzo dei Capitani (1535), and the Loggia dei Mercanti. Of relevant artistic value is the Church of the Saints built by Vincenzo and Anastasio. The dome is dedicated to Saint Emidio, the protector of the city and the Battistero, an important structure of the 12th century. Another town with historic origins is Fermo. Together with Ascoli , it was one of the most flourishing towns from Roman times to the middle ages. Offida, has plenty of proof of its glorious past. The castle walls still remain in good condition as does the Rocca. Of interest is the triangular shaped ‘square’ dominated by the Communal Palace, that contains a most precious collection of Roman and Picene artefacts. Grand and bewitching is the Abbey of Santa Maria della Rocca. It is one of the most significant Roman/Gothic monuments of Le Marche. A little gem of the entire province is Ripatransone. The archaeological museum C. Cellini has a large collection of historical artefacts, Picene as well as Roman. The ‘Pinacoteca Gipsoteca’ is also worth a visit. It contains the only museum of plaster cornices in Le Marche. There is also the Cathedral and the Palazzo del Podestà, begun in 1304 and completed during the 20th century. Not to be missed is the recently restored ‘Corte delle Fonti’ and, in the beautiful historical centre, the narrowest lane in Italy at just 43cm wide. To complete the itinerary go to Grottammare, where you will find a very old historical centre and Acquaviva Picena, where a great fortress of the 13th century dominates.





A document of the 10th century leads us to believe that Macerata has late middle age origins, even if legend says that the original city was built on the Helvia Recina. The town is a centre of great historical and artistic interest. It is rich in Renaissance and Baroque architecture, with numerous monuments, churches, palaces and museums.
Le Marche shows all its beauty, from historical traditions to glorious nature, in the city of Tolentino. Tolentino, was an important centre before Picene and later in Roman times, and is a town that preserves its monumental and urban identity. It is famous for the signature of the treaty between the Popal Kingdom and Napoleon Bonaparte on the 19th February 1797. Tolentino is a lovely town to be discovered. Also to be visited is the Basillica die San Nicola, and the international museum of caricature. The town is also a very good starting point to discover the Macerata area, rich with suprises. Also there is the 14th century Castello della Rancia, that houses the town’s archaeological museum ‘Aristide Gentiloni Silverj’. The castle is part of the Fiastra natural abbey reserve. The territory of the reserve contains monuments and environments that embrace a vast historical period from the Roman Empire to its decline; from the ‘Monachesimo’, to the modern agricultural revolution. Close to the monuments, the agricultural environment is itself a bewitching element, because it has been preserved more so than many other place in Italy. Within the reserve it is possible to see the Fiastra River flowing through an unspoilt landscape. The reserve also contains: the monastic complex of the Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra and its museums; the archaeological area of Urbisalvia (1st century AC) with a theatre, an amphitheatre, walls, temple and crypt porch with frescoes; water cistern and its construction, the building with niches; and the national archaeological museum, the historical centre and the medieval rock of Urbisaglia. It is worth mentioning that it is possible to travel by car ?i??around the area surrounding the Abbey of Fiastra, to discover more about the civil and religious aspects of this area represented by small centres off the tourist route. Loro Piceno is also worth visiting. This is the ancient ‘Castrum Lauri’ from the Picene age, where there is a 12th century castle, the church of San Francesco with an atrium of the 14th century. Not far away is Mogliano, with its Porta da Piedi of the 15th century, the Palazzo Forti of the 16th century and in its square, the ‘Arcipretura di S. Maria’ from the 18th century where the painting the ‘Madonna in Gloria con Santi’ is preserved, painted by Lorenzo Lotto, in 1948. There is also Petriolo with its perfectly preserved 16th century walls and the church of Santa Maria del Soccorso of the 13th century.





The most famous town within the Le Marche region is Urbino. It is world famous, alongside Florence, for the start of the Italian Renaissance period. In the 15th century, under Duke Frederick II ‘da Monte Feltro’, Urbino experienced a period of unique artistic and cultural splendour. It became the reference point for all of Western civilisation. The Palazzo Ducale, which houses the national gallery of Le Marche is the monument that expresses to the full the grandeur of this city, with 27 rooms that are rich in rare artistic artefacts. Inside the Palazzo are important examples of masterpieces by Raffael, Titian, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Luca Signorelli and others. The cathedral is also majestic, both outside and inside, and is topped by a massive dome with a bell tower. Also deserving of a visit are the house of Raffael, that is also the site of his Academy; the ‘Oratorio di San Giuseppe’, in Baroque style that retains the plaster crib of Frederico Brandani and the Palace of the University, ancient residence of the Montefeltro family. Tradition states that Pesaro existed in the pre Roman age bearing the name ’Pisarum’. Urbania is a city famous for the production of artistic terracotta and glazed ceramics. It has also preserved numerous architectural features within its interior typical of the medieval period. Worth a visit are: the Palazzo Ducale, the ‘Oratorio del Corpus Domini’, the Saint Cristopher Cathedral, Saint Frances Church, and the ‘Palazzo della Ragione’ (from the 16th century).
Fano, still retains many aspects of its Roman origins and has the Palazzo della Ragione, the ‘Corte Malatestiani’, the church of San Paterniano, and the Basilic Cathedral. A tour of the town could be concluded at Gradara, a splendid example of military architecture. In the 15th century the tower was transformed into the Renaissance court, typical of many military buildings. Built over a period from the 11th to the 15th century, is the Rocca Castle that saw the great battle between the Malatesta and the Montefelt?i??ro families, passing later into the ownership of the Sforza family. The name of the castle is connected to the tragic love between Paolo and Francesca, that became immortalised by Dante Alighieri in ‘The Inferno’ the first of the books of the ‘Divine Comedy’. Another gem in the Montefeltro history is San Leo Castle of San Rio built in the 15th century and placed on the summit of the rock. The history of San Leo and the strategic position of its fort leads us to believe that the structure has been built on a previous construction, used as a defence for Sant’ Angelo in Vado, Cagli (with its beautiful Roman and Gothic churches that preserve paintings of extensive value, the communal Palace and the Rock), Cantiano, Carpegna, Sassocorvaro, Montecerignone and Fossombrone. The majestic fort of San Leo was built to the design of Francesco di Giorgio Martini and is erected on the summit of the cliff (639 metres above sea level). Other important sites to be considered are Sant’Agata Feltria and Pennabilli both creative retreats of Tolino Guerra.