Why the Marche?

Travellers who want the best of central Italy are now heading for Le Marche, the third region, alongside Tuscany and Umbria, that makes up the area. The region lies on the eastern side of central Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the high Apennine mountains and much of it remains unspoilt by the ravages of mass tourism.

The Adriatic coast has been a destination for holiday makers for decades, but few venture far from the beaches. Inland, perhaps more so than anywhere else in central Italy, you will find places where time really has stood still. Compared to its central Italian sisters, here culture comes in more easily digestible proportions but quality, as at Urbino, is often of the very best.


When to go

While it can be hot between mid-July to mid-August, it is rarely overcrowded and up in the mountains the breezes are cooling. May, June and September are the ideal months to tour Le Marche if you can't take the heat; the landscape is clothed in spring green or the first tints of autumn.

Where to go

Whether you want to admire masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, trek across wild uncharted mountains or hunt out the best of the catch in a fishing port, Le Marche has enough to keep you busy for years. And you will rarely have to jostle with hoardes of other foreign tourists.

Many visitors who come to Le Marche are looking for a taste of the "real" Italy, unsullied by mass tourism, yet welcoming to foreigners - if that's what you want, you won't be disappointed.

Food

Here the home cook rather than the professional chef rules and even the smartest restaurants seek to produce food just like nonna, or grandmother, used to make.

The use of fresh, top quality materials assembled with the minimum of fuss marks marchigiano food. But as dishes are strictly based on tradition and local produce, each local area has its distinctive cucina tipica.

As with any rural diet, much use is made of food gathered from the wild; funghi, game, nuts, field herbs and - the area's greatest culinary treasure - truffles are an important feature in the Marche.

Wine

Wine alone could provide an excellent motive for touring in the Marche and winemaking in the area has been having its own little renaissance over the last ten years or so, with a move away from quantity towards quality.

From producing rough plonk for the masses, the region now boast some outstanding vini da meditazione, wines so good they should be drunk with religious respect. These top class wines are not cheap and often cost much the same whether bought here or back home. But as well as the fashionable labels, you can drink excellent wines at excellently low prices.

The Marche region has 180 kilometres of Adriatic coastline and a host of inviting seaside resorts if you want to spend a week or two al mare.

There are basically two types of beach resort in the Marche. First there are the bigger centres with a lively atmosphere, busy nightlife, plenty of visitors from abroad and nose-to-tail hotels along the prom. Good examples include (from north to south) Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Senigallia, and San Benedetto del Tronto.

Then there are the many more smaller resorts with less spectacular beaches and more rented villa/apartment accommodation rather than hotels. These places are often filled for the short summer season by Italian families, often inland marchigiani, who return each year.

The Marche (also known as the Marches in English) form the eastern seaboard of central Italy with the regions of Emilia-Romagna to the north and Abruzzo to the south. From the relatively narrow coastal plains the land rises sharply to the peaks of the Appennines which form a natural boundary with Umbria and Tuscany to the west.

While the coastal areas are heavily populated the beautiful inland countryside is sparsely inhabited. The total population of the region is around 1.5 million with an average density of less than 150 inhabitants per square kilometre. The region covers just under 10,000 square kilometres.

The inland mountainous zones are mostly limestone and are noted for bare peaks, rushing torrents, dramatic gorges and many complexes of caves. In contrast, the areas nearer the coastal plain are celebrated for their fertile rounded hills topped by ancient fortified towns.

Cultural events in Le Marche

Here are some of the more important events in Le Marche, including the celebrated Rossini Opera Festival at Pesaro and the open-air Opera Season at Macerata.

Pesaro The Rossini Opera Festival 8 to 21 August 2007. Highlights of the 2007 season include Rossini's Otello and Il Turco in Italia. Information tel +39 0721 38001 fax +39 0721 3800220.

Macerata The 43rd open-air opera season in the magnificent Sferisterio arena - 27 July to 12 August 2007 - includes Verdi's Macbeth, Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, and Bellini's Norma. Information tel +39 0733 230735 fax +39 0733 261570.

Ancona - The newly-restored Teatro delle Muse has a strong opera, classical music and jazz season. Full details on www.teatrodellemuse.org

Fano - Fano Jazz by the Sea - July. tel +39 0721 8292883

All information supplied on this page is published with kind permission of Marche Voyager. For further details on any of the subjects above and for further information on what Le Marche has to offer please go to:
www.le-marche.com