A first overview

MARCHE
“……for me The Marche is the East, the Orient, the sun that comes at dawn, the light in Urbino in Summer…..”
Mario Luzi (Poet, 1914-2005)

 

Overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the heart of Italy, with slightly more than a million and a half inhabitants spread among its five provinces of Ancona, capital city, Pesaro Urbino, Macerata, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno, The Marche, which has always been Italy‟s “Gateway to the East”, is the country‟s only region with a plural name and which is home to very different environments and landscapes.
The Marche are truly a place to discover for the many environmental landscapes, the variety of natural and artistic beauties which can all be found in a space just under 10,000 squared km. Featuring the mountains of the Apennine chain, which gently slope towards the sea along parallel valleys, the region is set apart by its rare beauty and noteworthy figures such as Giacomo Leopardi, Raffaello from Urbino, Giovan Battista Pergolesi, Gioacchino Rossini, Gaspare Spontini, Father Matteo Ricci, Fredrick II of Swabia, all of whom were born here.

 


Tourism using all five senses
Discovering The Marche is a multi-sensorial exploration that brings into play the five senses thanks to the delights to be found in the five provinces of The Marche, each very distinct from the other, and yet also quite similar, offering visitors unfailingly new and surprising emotions.

 

The sense of sight is swept away by a wide variety of intriguing landscapes, a number of different coastal settings; the expanse of hills with its unmistakable profile and masterful mix of natural colours and the works of man, in the form of the centuries-old villages, the sanctuaries, the castles and the abbeys; the Apennine mountains, with their forests, valleys and peaks, all still echoing with the legend of the Sybil are waiting to be discovered. By stopping in the towns and villages it is possible to discover many museums and churches preserved like precious gems, endless works of art, along with the same come testimonies of art and everyday life, which contribute to telling the story of such a rich and varied territory.

 

The sense of touch is stimulated by the vast array of top-quality crafts products, including paper and parchment, handmade lace and traditionally manufactured pottery and tiles. Without forgetting the numerous designer labels in the clothing and shoe industry. It is in fact here that some of the most important international brands were born, which contributed to spreading the prestige of made in Italy worldwide.

 

The sense of hearing can delight in the immortal music of our composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giovan Battista Pergolesi and Gaspare Spontini played during the “ROF, Rossini Opera Festival” or the “Pergolesi Spontini” Festival and during the numerous local opera seasons held in theatres and other sites of the Region. The best known example is the season at the Sphaeristerium Stadium in Macerata. Also to be enjoyed is the sound of the verses of Leopardi, a beacon from the past for all the modern and contemporary poets of The Marche.

 

The sense of smell is stimulated by endless scents, each of which calls forth sensations of pleasure, well being and joyful living. The Marche is a land of aromas: the sea breeze, the odour of freshly caught fish, the vast fields of lavender and juniper in Conero, the bouquets of wines that tell the history of the hills and the wide selection of grapes in their vineyards, the intense aroma of the truffles of Acqualagna and the Sibillini mountain zones, the delicate scents of the salamis and other cured meats of Carpegna, Fabriano and Visso, plus the traditional local cheeses.

 

The sense of taste is coddled by a treasure trove of traditional products and wines; the culinary offerings of The Marche include traditional peasant fare and seafood, often reinterpreted for modern tastes, but without losing sight of the genuine, natural values we treasure, as well as the emphasis on quality. In fact, the tastes and pleasures of fine dining extend beyond special occasions, filling the entire lifestyle of The Marche with a delicious but uncomplicated sense of taste that revolves around a respect for tradition.


 

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