Le Marche is one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Prior to the unification of Italy, Le Marche was one of the Papal States governed directly by the Pope, “the Marches” meaning a border province of the Holy Roman Empire. The inland area is almost tourist-free and for this reason all the local people are kind and helpful to strangers.

The landscape of Le Marche ranges from undulating agricultural fields and vine clad slopes to snow-capped mountains and dramatic gorges. In Ascoli province the land is mountainous, with fingers of fertile valleys reaching into the mountains from the sea. In the bottoms of these valleys you will find peaches, nectarines plums and pears and on the southward facing slopes above, the vines of the local Rosso Piceno. This is the fertile land which produces fruit in abundance as well as the grapes of the well known Verdicchio, the local Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero from the coast.

Ascoli Piceno is one of the most historic areas, home of the Piceni who for many years resisted Roman incursions before they were eventually overcome. A rich heritage of art and architecture makes this beautiful city worth a visit with its beautiful Piazza del Popolo paved in luminous travertine marble. Ascoli has been described as the most beautiful undiscovered city in central Italy and also as ‘little Siena’. A historical feast known as the Quintana takes place every summer with much pageantry and festivity.

Every small hilltop village in this region has a beautiful church and a welcoming bar, but more than that, throughout summer and autumn each village has its local festa or sagra. This is a time to celebrate the year’s hard work and is usually based on produce from mushrooms, sausages, fruit, wine or chestnuts depending on the season. It is a time for eating and drinking, processions, music and dancing.

The most extraordinary landscape is found at Castellucio, a small and remote village in the Piano Grande, high above the tree line, whose plains in early summer are ablaze with wild flowers and which, later in the year, yield the most sought after lentils. To reach here requires an excursion which inevitably climbs up through small mountain villages such as Montefiortino and Montemonaco from which there are splendid views.

This is very good walking terrain.There are several marked paths which criss-cross some very dramatic mountain landscape. There are opportunities for every walker, from a three hour trip into the dramatic Gola d’Infernaccia, the gorges at Foce or Madonna dell’Ambro, to whole day walks to the unique Lago di Pilato at 1900 metres.

The sea is within easy reach of all our properties. Pedaso is a quaint old seaside town with a restaurant where you can eat seafood whilst your children play on the beach! Porto san Giorgio and Civitanova are a little more sophisticated. Further up the coast Numana and Sirollo have good sandy beaches in the bay of Rosso Conero.
 

In the provincial capital and university city of Macerata an annual international opera festival takes place during July and August in the purpose built Sferesterio. On the programme for 2007 are Macbeth, Norma and Maria Stuarda. Contact us if you are interested in obtaining tickets.

For those who want to make a serious excursion, the drive to Urbino is about two hours and worth it for the Palazzo Ducale with treasures amassed by the Duke of Montefeltro including works by Piero della Francesca. You can also visit the National Gallery of Le Marche and Raphael’s house. You may wish to make a pilgrimage to Loreto, specifically the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Loreto. This beautiful city with its landmark skyline is within an hour of all our properties.

Skiing in Le Marche is as unsophisticated as it is delightfully uncrowded. At Sassotetto and Bolognola you will not have to queue and the drive to the piste is spectacular. All this within view of Villa Marziali and within easy reach of all houses.