LE MARCHE

“….green, green hills, distant smoky mountains, huge swathes of Brit-free beach, and ancient hilltop villages that would give anything in Tuscany a run for its euros. All this in one little region, condensed into one user-friendly layout. If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to the rest of Italy – the Marche is the ideal place for your Italian summer escape”

“ Who wants a year in Provence when you could have one in the Marche?”

Harriet Perry, The Sunday Times, June 22, 2003

She’s right, there’s every reason for Le Marche being billed as the ‘new Tuscany’; it’s every bit as beautiful but far more rural and without the crowds and pollution, what more could you want?

Geography

Le Marche borders Tuscany and Umbria, with the Apeninne Mountains to the west and the Adriatic to the east.

History

The Marches – in Roman times meaning the borderlands, indeed, the Marchesians were once Papal tax collectors. Today, it is an area as steeped in history as anywhere in Italy with rich Roman remains at Urbisaglia and Falerone, and the fabulous university hill cities of Urbino and Macerata – the latter hosting a famous opera festival each summer. These are the major hill towns, but every hill seems to be topped with a totally unspoilt medieval village. Loreto is home to a major shrine for pilgrims, while Ascoli Piceno has one of the most magnificent squares in Italy, built entirely of Travertine marble. It is best seen on the third Sunday of each month, when it hosts a very lively antiques market.

Beaches

From the dramatic cliffs of the Monte Conero peninsular to the miles of white sands of the rest of the Adriatic coast, beach-lovers cannot fail to be impressed.

Mountains

Acting as a backdrop, are the Sibillini Mountains, a national park since 1993 and home to a wonderful variety of flora and fauna, including masses of wild orchids, golden eagles, the elusive wild cat and even wolves, not to mention pine martens which can often be spotted at night on roads around the house. In winter, the area of Sassotetto, just above Sarnano becomes a skier’s paradise, with ample skiing for a perfect long weekend.

Food & Wine

This is the land of the truffle, white, October to December, black, December to March. In summer though, you’ll get the tartufo d’estate, not perhaps as highly prized as its winter brethren but pretty good nonetheless. Otherwise, Marchesian cuisine is based upon the freshest of ingredients, simply cooked. On the coast, fish straight from the sea; turbot, bream, mussels, sea bass, you name it. Inland, meat rules and virtually every restaurant has an open fire where they grill the most perfectly marinated pork, beef, lamb and veal, but before you get to this, you’ll have tasted the most wonderful antipasti. Be warned though, portions are aimed at Marchesian farmers. Prices too will astonish those used to the big Italian cities with the average meal for two, with wine, coming to no more than €35 and often less. Wines are pretty good too, the most famous being the white Verdicchio, though two notable reds stand out as well, the Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno.

Shopping

While only a small town, Macerata has shops that would not look out of place in Bond St but with considerably lower prices. Le Marche is also home to most of the major Italian shoe manufacturers. Piederipa, just south of Macerata has masses of factories with ‘outlet’ stores, including Cesari Paciotti.