The region is also thebirthplace of such con-temporary artists as En-zo Cucchi, Eliseo Matti-acci, Arnaldo and GiòPomodoro (1930–2002),Gino De Dominic is(1947–1998) and Giu seppeUncini (1929–2008), whilethe great tradition ofLeonardo Caste l lani(1896–1984) and Fran -cesco Carnevali at theScuola del L ibr o inUrbino, where the art ofrestoring old books is

taught, has been continued by Renato Bruscaglia(1921–1999) and Carlo Ceci and their pupil WalterValentini. Many of the works of these modern artistsare on display at Macerata in the Palazzo Ricci. Oth-er modern art museums in the Marches include theGalleria G.B. Salvi at Sassoferrato, the Pinacotecacivica in Ancona, the Pinacoteca civica in Jesi and theTorrione (built by Francesco di Giorgio Martini) atCagli. The Pinacoteca comunale in Ascoli Piceno con-tains an interesting collection of 19th-century paint-ings. Surprisingly, perhaps, the Marches is the re-gion that possesses the greatest number of Venetianpaintings after the Veneto, thanks to the polyptychsof Paolo Veneziano, Jacobello del Fiore and CarloCrivelli, and the paintings of Giovanni Bellini, Loren-

remarkable ta lents ofFrancesco di Giorgio Mar-tini for their defensiveworks – the fortresses ofSassocorvaro, Monte Ce ri -gnone, Fossombrone, Cagliand Frontone – and their res-idences, the ducal palacesat Urbino and Urbania. TheDella Rovere left their mark

on the fortress of Mondavio, the Ducal Palace of Pesaro andthe magnificent Villa Imperiale at Pesaro, rebuilt and ex-tended by Girolamo Genga. Further south, Senigallia, wherethere is a fortress and ducal palace built by the Della Rovere,is the gateway to the fortresses and castles of the provinceof Ancona: the imposing fortress of Offagna recalls the battlesbetween Ancona and the nearby town of Osimo; at Fal-conara, it is possible to visit the Rocca Priora, with its portaldesigned by Luigi Vanvitelli, and the castle in the high town.Inland, Corinaldo, subjected first to the Malatesta and then

Thanks to their rich cultural traditions, the Marches is anarea in which ancient crafts are still practised in the ar-tisans’ workshops. And it is in these traditions that thestrength of the region’s economic model lies; based on thesmall and medium-sized firm, this has now spreadthroughout the region. One of the oldest crafts, the dress-ing of hides, the centre of which is at Tolentino, dates backto the Middle Ages and has given rise to a series ofleather industries such as the manufacture of shoes andbags in the areas round Macerata and Fermo. A world-fa-mous industry is paper-making at Fabriano,where there is the Museodella Carta e Filigrana –like the old master pa-permakers, workers heretransform rags into hand-made paper – and shopsselling the refined water-marks. The tradition ofpapermaking is alsofound at Pio raco, which,like Fabriano, has em-ployed the water of thePotenza river to power itsfulling-mills. There is al-so an international printmuseum, the MuseumGraphia, in Urbino at lo-calità Miniera. Anotherthriving local craft is themanufacture of terracottawares – from Montottonein the pro vince of Fermoto Fratterosa in theprovince of Pesaro – andthe maiolica from Appig-nano in the province of Macerata to Urbania in theprovince of Pesaro and Urbino. The latter dates fromthe Middle Ages and reached its peak in the Renaissance

when, as a result of the pa-tronage of the Della Ro-vere, at Urbino, Urbania(then known as Ca stel Du-rante) and Pesaro, one ofthe most flourishing Ita lianindustries developed. Themanufacture of wroughtiron is a craft found allover the region; in thetowns and villages it iseasy to come across lampsor the railings of a balconymade by hand. One of themost important areas formetalworking is theprovince of Ascoli Piceno,especially Force and

less than 70 historical theatres, there is certainly no lackof events involving thisart form. These includethe seasons of classicalthea tre at Urbisaglia andFalerone, which last thewhole summer; Renais-sance theatre at Urbinoin July and August;avant-garde thea tre atPolverigi in July andAmandola in September;to the summer seasonof the Teatro alle caveat Sirolo; from dramaevents of the Gad Na-tional Festival held at Pe-saro to the fe stivalknown as I teatri invisi-bili, held at San Bene -detto del Tronto in Sep-tember. There is also anevent focu sing ondance: Civitanova Dan-za at Civitanova Marcheand Fabriano hosts theFestival Poiesis.

THE MARVELS OF NATURE

The seaAll the provinces of the Marches are on the Adriatic Sea and,on the coast, there are cities with ancient origins that have along history as ports and markets. For travellers arrivingfrom Rome on the Via Flaminia, the first town they reached onthe sea was Fano; Senigallia – at the mouth of the River Misa– hosts the Fiera di Sant’Agostino, a traditional fair which re-news the age-old mercantile vocation of the city; originally aPicene port, Ancona later became a Greek and a Roman one;Numana was a rich Picene and Greek port; Porto Sant’El-pidio and San Benedetto del Tronto, and other coastal towns

in the province of A sco li Pi-ceno and Fermo, were im-portant Picene and Romanports. Many of the coastaltowns of the region are stillactive ports: Ancona is alarge commercial port, whileSan Benedetto del Tronto,together with Fano, Civi-tanova Marche and PortoSan Giorgio are the main fish-ing ports. This vicinity to thesea has favoured the devel-opment of an excellent cui-

sine in the region and has led to the growth of the tourist in-dustry since sea-bathing first came into vogue among the up-per middle classes in the mid-19th century. In the course oftime, bathing establishments, sports facilities and hotelswere built in the seaside resorts of the Marches, which, par-ticularly after the Second World War, have welcomed millions

of visitors from Italy andabroad. The coast of theMarches has numerous at-tractions for visitors, butthe greatest of all are thefine, smooth sands, ex-tending from Gabicce Mare,where the beach is over-looked by the Monte SanBartolo and the fortress ofGradara, southwards to Pe-saro, Fano, Marotta, Fal-conara M., Porto Recanati,Porto Potenza Picena, Civi -tanova Marche, Porto San-t’Elpidio, Casabianca di Fer-mo, Pedaso, Porto San Gior-gio, Cupra Marittima andGrottammare up to SanBenedetto del Tronto fa-mous for its many tall palm-trees (about seven thou-sand), which lend the town

an exotic air. Known as “thevelvet beach”, the one atSenigallia is particularly fa-mous and has been a touristattraction since the 20th cen-tury. Near Ancona and thepromontory of Conero, an off-shoot of the Apennines form-ing the only headland juttinginto the Adriatic between Is-tria and the Gargano promon-tory in Apulia, there are rockycoves where the seabed isvisible through the clear bluewater. On this stretch of coastthere are hidden bays andthe enchanting small har-bours of Portonovo, Siroloand Numana, which also at-tract visitors in spring, whenMonte Conero is coveredwith broom, and the autumn,when it is mantled with thewarm colours of the straw-berry tree (arbutus unedo).

THE MUSEUMS ON THE COAST

TOWNS AND VILLAGES LOOKING OUT OVER THE SEA

The beach at Gabicce Mare

PARKS BY THE SEA

From the beaches of the Marches it is easy to trav-el inland up the numerous valleys to the historictowns, or to visit the old towns and villages on theheights overlooking the coast. There are medievalcastles like Gabicce Monte, Casteldimezzo andFiorenzuola di Focara and fortified villages likeMondolfo with Marotta, Falconara Alta with Fal-conara Marittima, Montemarciano with Marina diMontemarciano, Sirolo, Numana, Recanati with Por-to Recanati, Potenza Picena with Porto Potenza Pi-cena, Civitanova Alta with Civitanova Marche, San-t’Elpidio a Mare with Porto Sant’Elpidio, Porto SanGiorgio with the Marina, Fermo with Torre di Palme,Cupra Alta (or Marano) with Cupra Marittima, Grot-tammare Alta with Grottammare and San Benedet-to del Tronto with the Gualtieri tower.

The varying types ofbeaches, and the prox-imity of the hills andmountains open up awhole range of sportingoptions, including sailing,golf, scuba diving,thrilling horseback rides,water-skiing and moun-tain biking. Then, thereare the beach volleyballtournaments on the won-derfully fine sand and theopportunities for freeclimbing on the white cliffs rising sheer above the Adri-atic. At Vallugola, Ancona, Portonovo, Sirolo, Numanaand Pedaso, one can still enjoy spearfishing. Yacht portsare also plentiful: Gabicce Mare (Vallugola), Pesaro,Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Numana, Civitanova Marcheand San Benedetto del Tronto. The harbour of Marina diPorto San Giorgio with its 800 berths deserves a specialmention for being the largest yacht port in the Adriatic.

The palm-lined promenadeat San Benedetto del Tronto

The two regional nature parks on the coast of the Marches provide an opportunity to spenda holiday combining the joys of an unspoilt natural environment with the pleasures of the

seaside. Between Gabicce Mare and Pesaro there is theMonte San Bartolo Regional Park (tel. 0721400858), whereit is possible to go for hikes and guided tours. The park com-prises an area of wetlands of national importance and is thewinter habitat of the herring gull, the Mediterranean gull andthe cormorant. On the coast there are picturesque rockycoves with small beaches. The Monte Conero Regional Park(tel. 0719331161), includes woods of holm-oak and downyoak, and there are large a reas of Mediterranean scrub. Thepark is an excellent place to see passage-migrants such asthe long-legged buzzard, the honey buzzard and the marshharrier. Numerous fascinating hikes are possible in thepark and the coastal waters are ideal for boat trips. AnotherRegional Nature Reserve is the Sentina (tel. 0735794278-0735794279), between Porto d’Ascoli to the north and theTronto river to the south. This is a land of sand and water,with sandbanks, salt marshes and wetlands that are hometo 143 bird species.The “Riviera del Conero”

Those interested in the seaand maritime history maysatisfy their curiosity in var-ious museums: at Pesarothe Museo della marineriapesarese “Washington Pa tri -gnani” (tel. 0721387474); atSan Benedetto del Trontothere are the Museo delleanfore “G. Perotti” (tel.0735592177), the Museo ittico (tel. 0735588850), theMuseo della civiltà marinara(tel. 073586855), the Pina-coteca del Mare (tel. 0735794588) and at Cupra Marit-tima the Museo malaco-logico piceno (tel.0735777550).

THE MARVELS OF NATURE

The mountainsNot only is this a region with splendid sandy beaches andclear seas, but there are also outstanding areas of naturalbeauty in its mountains: the splendid Monti Sibillini, withlandscapes that, in places, are Alpine in character; the spec-tacular caves of Frasassi; and the forest-clad mountains inthe Montefeltro area, forming a backdrop to craggy spurs.The most magnificent mountain landscapes in the March-es are to be found in the Monti Sibillini National Park,

ronmental Education of Valleremita. Worth seeing in theprovince of Macerata are the Monte San Vicino with the an-cient beechwoods of Canfaito, recognized as a natural re-serve; the maquis of Montenero at Cingoli and the valley ofthe Grilli that ends in the S. Eustachio Gorge, which is sur-rounded by the caves of the same name. Between thecommunes of Pieve Torina and Monte Cavallo, at the footof the Monti Sibillini, is the Montagna di Torricchio NatureReserve, recognized as a biogenetic reserve by the Coun-cil of Europe. Whereas the Cistercian abbey of Chiaravalledi Fiastra is included in the other nature reserve, Abbadiadi Fiastra, famed for its agricultural landscape that is stilldistinctly medieval in appearance.(Information: Parco nazionale dei monti Sibillini,tel. 0737972711; Parco nazionale del Gran Sasso e mon-ti della Laga, tel. 086260521; Parco regionale del SassoSimone e Simoncello, tel. 0722770073; Parco regionaledella Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi, tel. 073186122; Ri-serva naturale Abbadia di Fiastra, tel. 0733201049; Ri-serva naturale Gola del Furlo, tel. 0721700041; Riservanaturale Montagna di Tor ricchio, tel. 0737404512-0737404517; Riserva naturale Ripa Bianca, tel.0731619213; Riserva naturale regionale del monte SanVicino e del monte Canfaito, tel. 0733637245).

There are numerous spas specialized in the treatment ofvarious ailments. In the province of Pesaro there are theTerme Pitinum at Macerata Feltria, once a Roman town,the Terme di Monte Grimano, the Terme di Raffaello atPetriano and the Terme di Carignano, near Fano. AtGenga, near the Frasassi caves, is the renowned Termedi San Vittore and near the “Riviera del Conero” is AspioTerme. Famous in the province of Macerata are theTerme of Santa Lucia at Tolentino and the Terme diSarnano, close to the Monti Sibillini. In the provinces ofAscoli Piceno and Fermo there are the new Terme diAcquasanta already known in Roman times and, at Torredi Palme, perched above the sea near Fermo, the Sta -bilimento Idropinico Palmense del Piceno.

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS OF THE MARCHES

THE KEY TO GOOD HEALTH: SPA RESORTS

The caves of Frasassi, in the heart of the Gola della Rossaand Frasassi Regional Park and the gorge of the same nameformed by the River Sentino, are one of the most inter-esting systems of limestone caves in Italy. After the dis-covery in 1971 of the Grotta Grande del Vento, the caveswere opened to the public in 1974 and now attract thou-sands of visitors every year. With its fascinating series ofsmall lakes, exquisite stalactites and gigantic stalagmites,the underground tour – comprising the lofty cavern calledthe Abisso Ancona (240m in height), the Sala dei Duecen-to, the Sala delle Candeline, the Sala dell’Orsa and the Saladell’Infinito – is enhanced by the spectacular use of light-ing. (Information: Consorzio Frasassi; tel. 073290090-073290080, www.frasassi.com).

A journey across the environmental treasures of theMarches can be enriched by stopping off at the numer-ous nature and palaeontology museums in the region:Apecchio, Macerata Feltria, Piandimeleto and Piobbicoin the Pesaro area; Genga, Offagna, Ostra, and SerraSan Quirico near Ancona; the Fiastra abbey, Camerino,Macerata, Pioraco, Sarnano and Serravalle del Chientiaround Macerata; Amandola, Fermo, Montefortino andSmerillo in the vicinity of Fermo and Ascoli Piceno in theprovince bearing the same name.

A MIRACLE WORKED BY WATER AND TIME: THE FANTASTIC CAVES OF FRASASSI

The Monti Sibillini covered with snow

PERFORMANCE AND CELEBRATION

Music and theatreThose wishing to get to know the Marches properlyshould not fail to visit the historic cities and ancientvillages when concerts and plays are being staged. Itis possible to enjoy early music in the Anconaprovince with the Festival Cantar lontano, in Urbino,there is an International festival of early music in Julythat combines courses specializing in the various in-struments and at Loreto an International choir festivaltakes place in April. As regards classical music at aninternational level, in July and August, there is theopera season the Sferisterio in Macerata and the Rossi-ni Opera Festival (ROF) in Pesaro, and the Festival Per-golesi Spontini, organized by the same name Founda-tion of Jesi. Other numerous events of interest are: atCamerino there is an International chamber music fes-tival in August; at Fermo the International Violin com-petition “Andrea Postacchini” and in the provinces ofFermo and Ascoli the Armonie della sera, a chamber

music festival. Recanatipays tribute to the greattenor Beniamino Giglitwice a year with theCommemorazioni giglianeheld in March on hisbirthday and in Novem-ber to mark the anniver-

sary of hisdeath. At Seni-gallia an Inter-national pianocontest and atGrottammarethe Liszt Festi-val. In recentyears, numer-ous fe stivalsof light andcontemporary

music have been found-ed: at Fano, in the sum-mer the well-known Jazzby the Sea festival, at Mac-erata in June, the Musi-cultura, a pop and folk fes-tival, while in Senigalliaduring the summer theSummer Jamboree cele-brates the legendaryfifties. At Ascoli Picenoand province the con-certs of the Ascoli PicenoFestival are held duringthe summer; AnconaJazz, the oldest jazz fes-

tival in the region; at San Severino the San SeverinoBlues Marche Festival is held in July and in San Benedet-to del Tronto the FestivalLeo Ferrè is held in June.Another important mu-sical event is the AdriaticMediterranean Festival,with its concerts, plays,exhibitions, meetings,films and initiatives in-volving artists from dif-ferent countries to helpspread a culture of peaceand cooperation amongpeople. There are nu-merous events related tofolk and popular music:in August at Apiro thereis the festival entitled Fes-tival internazionale del

folclore Terrano stra; and at Monsano concerts fea-turing leading singers of popular and folk music takeplace. At Castelfidardo, the world accordian capi-tal, an International contest for soloists and groupsusing the accordion is held. In a region boasting no

One of the best-known events isthe International BiennialHumour in Art held in Tolentinoin odd years, a traditional globalappointment with satire andcontemporary humour. AtGrottammare a festival ofhumour entitled Cabaretamore mio is held in July andAugust. The Theatres of theWorld, the most importantfestival of children’s theatrein Italy, takes place at PortoSant’Elpidio in July, whilethe National Festival ofTheatre for Schools is held atSerra San Quirico in April andMay.

HISTORICAL THEATRES

For some time now impor-tant festivals, the only onesof their kind in Italy, havebeen held in the Marches.In June the InternationalNew Cinema Festival takesplace in Pesaro; in July theLibero Bizzari Italian Na-tional Documentary Festivalis held in San Benedetto delTronto; in October the FanoFilm Festival features inde-pendent cinema from Italyand abroad. The RegionalCouncil has dedicated par-ticular attention to the so-called seventh art, with itsMarche Cinema portal andMarche Film Commission.(Information: www.cultura.marche.it).

IT’S TIME FOR A SMILE

THE MARCHES AND THE CINEMA

THE MARCHES, A MUSICAL LAND

With more than 70 historical theatres – it’s easy to see whythe Marches are known as the land of theatres – opera, sym-phony concerts, dance and drama are staged. Mostlysplendid examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture,they range from large sumptuous ones, like those in Pesaro,Macerata and Ascoli Piceno to smaller ones notable for theiroriginal stage machinery such as the one at Offida. Whileothers are miniature masterpieces, such as the theatre at

Montegiorgio and the Teatro della Rocca at Sassocorvaro. In Jesi, the Teatro G.B. Pergolesiis well-known for the decoration of its ceiling by Felice Giani; the Teatro Gentile in Fabri-ano has the best acoustics of all the theatres in the Marches. A permanent exhibition de-voted to the history of the theatre has been opened in the Teatro dell’Aquila at Fermo. Oth-er historical theatres are: Le Muse at Ancona, Misa at Arcevia, La Vittoria at Ostra, LaFortuna at Fano, Comunale at Cagli with its lavish neo-Baroque forms, La Fenice at Os-imo and the Mercantini at Ripatransone. (Information: www.amatmarche.net).

In order to find out allabout the great musi-cians it is necessary tovisit the places wherethey have livedand pore overthe documentsas s o c i a t e dwith them. InPesaro thereare GioacchinoRossini’s houseand the Tempi-etto rossiniano;at MaiolatiSpon tini, thereis the Gaspare Spontinimuseum, in the compos-er’s last home, the housewhere he was born, histomb and the Parco Ce-leste Erard, named afterhis wife; at Recanati amuseum devoted to thetenor Benia mino Gigli ishoused in the TeatroPersiani. It boasts thelargest collection of doc-uments and memorabil-ia ever dedicated to anopera singer.

PERFORMANCE AND CELEBRATION

PageantsIn the context of a region particularly rich in culture theMarches relive their heritage every year with horse races andhistorical pageants. Medieval festivals often group togeth-er different art forms such as dance, music and theatre to cre-ate a harmonious combination of tradition and creativity. Inthe province of Pesaro and Urbino a number of events areassociated with the history of the noble families that used torule the area. At Piandimeleto, in July, the Palio dei Conti Oli-va, linked to the Malatesta, celebrates life at court. In Urbinothe Festa del Duca takes place on the third Sunday of August;this is a pageant in 15th-century costumes, with parades andcontests along medieval themes. At Mondavio the Caccia alCinghiale (Boar-Hunt) takes place in August, recall thefavourite pastime of the local nobility. Medieval times areevoked at Gradara, where Francesca di Rimini and her broth-er-in-law, Paolo, are said to have fallen in love (this story ismentioned in Dante’s Inferno) with the Assedio al Castello.Three pageants are concerned with games: in August atCagli the Palio dell’Oca features a gigantic chessboard, andthe first Sunday after Easter at Fermignano there is the Paliodella Rana and the first Sunday of September the Gran pre-

sa alla Spada, inMay, involves atrial of strengthin which the com -petitors have toextract a swordfrom a log; du -ring the firstweek in July, inthe Palio deiCastelli at SanSeverino Marchethe competitorsrun a race carry-ing high “tow-ers” weighing upto 70 kilograms.In this period atMogliano thereis Mogliano 1744;at Montecas-

siano the Palio dei Terzieri takes place at the end of July; atCaldarola the Giostra de le Castella in August, San Ginesio theBattaglia della Fornarina with the Palio di San Ginesio and thefirst Sunday of September at Corridonia the Contesa dellaMargutta. Curious 19th-century pageants are Cingoli 1848, inperiod costume with carriages, in August, and the Disfida delBracciale at Treia, which, in the first week of August, com-memorates the famous gambler from this town Carlo Didimiimmortalized by the great poet Giacomo Leopardi in an odehe devoted to him. In Ascoli Piceno, on the first Sunday of Au-gust, there is the Quintana, in which more than a thousandparticipants tilt at a heavy, revolving effigy of a Saracen.The other events of the province in August are: Arquata delTronto the Alla corte della Regina (At the Queen’s Court) withmedieval costumes and a banquet, and nearby at Pretare,where the Discesa delle fate (Descent of the Fairies) is heldevery three years, at Spelonga is held the Festa Bella, apageant of the battle of Lepanto, which lasts for the whole ofAugust every three years, and at Acquaviva Picena there isthe Palio del Duca. In the province of Fermo on the third weekof July, Sant’Elpidio a Mare became La città medioevo and theContesa del Secchio takes place on the second Sunday of Au-gust bringing to life medieval splendours of the past. In August at Servigliano the Torneo Cavalleresco di SanClementino and at Grottazzolina the I Giorni Di Azzolino. On15 August at Fermo in the Ca valcata dell’Assunta ten knightsin costume gallop through the streets of the town. As far asreligious feasts are concerned, mention must also be madeof L’Armata di Pentecoste e Sciò la Pica at Monterubbiano, com-memorating the arrival of the Sabines in the Marches, andspectacular fireworks of the Cavallo di Fuoco at Ripatransoneon the first Sunday after Easter. (Information: Associazione marchigiana rievocazioni storiche,www.rievocazionimarche.it).

In July the city of Fano relives ancient Roman splendourswith its Fano dei Cesari, involving Roman-style dining inits restaurants transformed into authentic Roman ta-verns, historical processions, chariot races and Romanarmy camps. One of the oldest and prestigious carnival pa-rades in the region also takes place at Fano: there are hu-ge floats, followed by a b o n f i re on which the effigy ofthe feast is burnt. Besides the carnival of Ascoli Piceno,S. Benedetto del Tronto, and Matelica, one of the best-known and most spectacular is the carnival of Offida, whi-ch is divided into two parts: on carnival Friday, Lu Bov Fint,involving the carnivalesque frolics of a mock ox, and, onShrove Tu e s d a y, the Sfilata dei Vlurd. Pagan festivals in-clude Halloween, celebrated in Corinaldo from 29 to 31 Oc-tober. Urbania celebrates one of Italy’s most famous Ch-ristmas characters, the Befana, from 2nd to 6th January.

PAGAN FEASTS AND CARNIVAL

Over the centuries, the Marches have maintained anumber of events linked to specific religious feasts. Thetradition of the Christmas nativity scene, with three ded-icated museums at Macerata, Morrovalle and Tolentino,is still very much alive in the region. There are numer-ous artistic, mechanical and living nativity scenes dis-played every year in extremely picturesque settings. Themain episodes of the Passion are staged at Cantiano,Mogliano, Loreto (Villa Musone) and Pioraco on GoodFriday. Corpus Christi is a day when there are splendidflower displays all over the region. At Loreto, on 9 De-cember, at night there is particularly fascinating feast tocelebrate the translation of the Holy House. A number ofreligious events are also linked to the harvest festival,for example the Covo Festival at Campocavallo di Osimoand the procession of the harvest baskets at Amandola.

RELIGIOUS FEASTS

The Quintana is held on the first Sundayof August at Ascoli Piceno

The Contesa del Secchio takes place on the second Sundayof August at Sant’Elpidio a Mare

SHOPPING AND GOOD FOOD

The culinary delightsFrom the delicious fish of the Adriatic to the tasty dishesof the hills and mountains, the Marches offer an incredi-ble variety of food cooked in the traditional manner. Thereare a vast number of recipes for fish, often very similarright along the coast: there are, however, various ver-sions of the brodetto (fish soup), including those of SanBenedetto del Tronto, made with green peppers, and Por-

to Recanati, flavoured with saffron and thoseof Fano. Stoccafisso all’anconetana (An-

cona stockfish) is one of the tastiestItalian versions of this type

of fish. Freshwater fish isalso very popular, espe-

cially trout in theareas of Sefro, inthe upper Poten-za valley, and Us-sita, at the footof the MontiSibillini.Pork is the sta-ple item in thecuisine of the in-land areas. Al-

though most Italians are not aware of this, the porchetta(roast suckling pig), a national favourite, originated fromthis region. As regards cured pork products, there are therenowned Carpe gna hams, the salame of Fabriano, ciavus-colo (a type of spreadable salame) from Visso and else-where in the province of Mace rata and coppa, a sausagecontaining various parts of the pig that is eaten cooked.There are also numerous sheep’s milk cheeses, the cas-ciotta d’Urbino in the Metauro valley and pecorino, pro-duced in all the mountain areas. Near the Monti Sibillini,lentils are widely grown; these are eaten with the zamponi(stuffed pig’s trotter) and cotechino (pork sausage) in theChristmas period. The Marches are also well known for thecultivation of truffles, of both the black and white varieties;both types of tuber are found in the inland area of theprovince of Pesaro and Urbino, while, in the province of As-coli Piceno, Comunanza, is noted for the white truffle andCastelsantangelo sul Nera for the black variety. The great

speciality of A scoli Pi-ceno is olive all’as-colana; it consists ofolives stuffed withminced meat and thenfried. The best-knownpa sta dish in the March-es is maccheroncini diCampofilone, very thintagliarini served withragout. The celebratedrecipe for vincisgrassidates from the secondhalf of the 18th centu-ry; broad strips ofhome-made pasta are al-

ternated with layers of minced meat, mushrooms andbéchamel sauce, and there are two versions, one fromAncona, the other from Macerata. Lastly, there is a widerange of sweets, which are eaten with dessert wines suchas vino di visciola and vin santo: funghetti of Offida; caval-lucci of Apiro and Cingoli; the salami of figs; calcioni;bostrengo, from the province of Pesaro and Urbino; torrone(almond nougat) and frostengo at Camerino, a Christmassweet made with raisins and dried figs; and a great varietyof doughnuts and tarts filled with home-made jam.

There are numerousevents in autumn, suchas the truffle fairs at San-t’Angelo in Vado, Acqua -lagna and Amandola. TheCasciotta d’Urbino wasthe favourite cheese ofthe great Michelangelo,when lived in his home atUrbania, then known asCastel Durante, whichloved to receive as a giftsheep’s milk cheesesfrom the Metauro valley.

FOR ALL TASTES

WINE FESTIVALS AND MUSEUMS

In the Marches there are numerous museums devoted to the culture and traditions of the rural population contain-ing farm implements and replicas of the rooms where the families of the tenant farmers spent their lives, including,obviously, the kitchen. The best-known at Senigallia is the Museo di storia della mezzadria “Sergio Anselmi” (historyof agriculture). Other interesting museums are in the Abbazia di Fiastra, near the Ci stercian abbey, at Amandola, Fa -briano, Montefiore dell’Aso, Montegiorgio (focusing on the rural culture of Picenum), Montelupone, Morro d’Alba, Of-fida, Piandimeleto, Pieve Torina, Ripatransone and Sassoferrato. At Sant’Angelo in Vado there is a museum dedicat-ed to traditional trades and crafts, the Vecchi Mestieri. Other specialized museums, linked to aspects of the world ofwork in the Marches in the 19th and 20th centuries, include the Museo della Miniera di Zolfo (sulphur mines) at Per-ticara and Cabernardi, the Museo delle Carbonaie (charcoal workers) at Cessapalombo, the Museo della Carrozza (car-riages) at Macerata and the Museo del Biroccio at Filottrano, devoted to the gaily painted farm carts of the Marches.

REMEMBERING THE PAST: MUSEUMS OF RURAL CULTURE

The sour cherries of Cantiano

Fish is a staple in the traditionalcuisine of the Marches

The truffle season is inautumn

Generally speaking, a long festival during the year or vis-its to the wineries are devoted to each of the numerousDOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines ofthe Marches. The best-known of the region’s wines isthe Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, celebrated in Octoberby a grape harvest festival at Cupramontana, where thereare the Museo dell’Etichetta and a wine shop. Other events,some of national importance, include Verdicchio in festaat Montecarotto in July, a fair of local wines and, in autumn,the Verdicchio d’Oro competition at Staffolo, where thereis a wine shop and museum. The Verdicchio di Matelicais also particularly well known. The leading red wines inthe region are Rosso Conero, to which is devoted a festivalthe first week of September at Camerano and a specialtourist route entitled Le strade del Rosso Conero. The.Rosso Piceno Superiore is celebrated by a wine fair at Of-fida in September. Other red wines include the Vernacciadi Serrapetrona (festival in August), the Lacrima di Morrod’Alba (festival in May). Well-known white wines also in-clude the Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, the Bianchello delMetauro and the Bianco dei Colli Maceratesi. Other DOCwines: the Esino, Rosso Piceno, Serrapetrona, Terre di Of-fida, I terreni di San Severino, Pergola and San Ginesio.The Marches also boast 5 DOCG: the Vernaccia di Ser-rapetrona, Conero Riserva, Verdicchio di Matelica Ris-erva,Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva and Offida. TheGrappolo d’Oro festival is held at Potenza Picena inSeptember. To the “wine culture” are dedicated: la Fes-ta della sapa at Rosora, the Sagra dell’acquaticcio atBelforte del Chienti, the Sagra del vino cotto at Loro Pi-ceno and the Festa del vino cotto at Lapedona.(Information: www.turismo.marche.it).

SHOPPING AND GOOD FOOD

A land of a hundred craftsComunanza, where the coppersmiths continue an age-oldtradition. The Marches also boast a city, Jesi, where thereare numerous goldsmiths’ workshops., present also atFano and Fossombrone. Pietrarubbia first opened itsT.A.M. (Centre for Artistic Metal-working) in the sum-mer of 1990, assisted by the well-known sculptor ArnaldoPomodoro. Since then the centre has fostered metal-working both as an art and a craft, with activities involv-ing everyone from sculptors to goldsmiths. T.A.M. has apermanent exhibition showing its pupils’ best work cho-sen for the summer fair which is open to the public. At Of-fida, near Ascoli, the art of making bobbin lace has beenhanded down for at least 5 centuries. Each summer an ex-hibition of lace masterpieces is held and in the Museo delmerletto a tombolo there are displays of lace from bridaltrousseaus made at the end of the nineteenth and begin-ning of the twentieth centuries. At the “La Tela” laboratoryrun by Ginesi and Varagona in Macerata textiles are stillhand-woven on looms. Near the San Michele ArcangeloAbbey in Lamoli, a hamlet near Borgo Pace, the naturalcolours museum finds, cultivates and treats natural dyesfrom plants, experimenting their effect on textiles.With regard to textiles, around Cantiano and Mercatellosul Metauro, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, rusticwoollen carpets are manufactured. Also of great renownis the production of furniture, especially in the province

of Pesaro and Ur bi no,while the re storation ofantique fur niture is wide -spread, especially at Pol-lenza, Amandola, Fermo,Co rinaldo and Ostra. An-other flourishing industryis the manufacture of mu-sical instruments, mostnotably the famous ac-cordions of Castelfidardo – with its internationalmuseum – the guitars atRecanati and violin-mak-ing at Ascoli Piceno. In theprovince of Macerata, es-pecially at Mogliano, arti-cles of rushes, wicker andbamboo are manufac-tured, including baskets,containers of variousshapes and sizes, orna-ments and furniture. Theprovince of Fermo, on theother hand, at Montap-pone and Massa Fermana,is specialized in hat-mak-

ing, with an interesting museum devoted to this productat Montappone. Diffused in the Marches from Cagli to Pe-saro with Mastro de Pajaa, Loreto to Recanati, woodenpipes are manufactured by hand. Finally, the ancientcraft of stone-dressing should not be forgotten – for in-stance, the preparation of the travertine that was used tobuild the splendid palaces of Ascoli Piceno and the onetypical of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, from San-t’Ippolito to Cagli.

In summer the antique fairs and shows are numerous: national show at Sarnano (May to June); fair at Fermo(July and August), regional show at Ostra (August).Then there is the antiques and restoration show atPollenza in July, while at Fano, Pesaro and Urbino, An-cona, Recanati, Sassoferrato, Tolentino, Ascoli Piceno,Grottammare and San Benedetto del Tronto there aremonthly fairs throughout the year.

ANTIQUES GALORE IN THE MARCHES

Bobbin lace, a famous tradition of the Marches

A craftsman working copper

A fascinating tour may be made within the province of Pesaroand Urbino, in the areas noted for the production of maiolica

in the Renaissance, in search of the dis-tinctive richly decorated plates,

pots, bowls and pharmacy jars,which are still produced today.The first visit is to the Musei civi-

ci in Pesaro, which includes theMuseo delle ceramiche – one ofthe most important in Italy –with rare pieces producedfrom the Renaissance to the18th century. This is fol-

lowed by the Galleria nazio -nale in Urbino, where, in the

Ducal Palace, Urbino platesfrom the Renaissance are on dis-play. The nearby town of Urbaniahas two collections of maiolica:in the Museo civico, where thereis a display of cartoons and de-

signs of the potters of the 16th and 17th centuries; and theMuseo diocesano. At Pietrarubbia, Jesi, Loreto and Ascoli Pi-ceno it is possible visit other pottery museums.

MAIOLICA FIT FOR A DUKE

Maiolica of the 16th century,Museo civico, Urbania

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

According to Festus the name Pi-cenum derives from the fact

that the insignia of theSabines who migrated to-wards Asculum Picenum(present-day Ascoli Pi-ceno) was a wood-pecker (picus), a birdsacred to Mars, whichaligh t ed on their stan-

dard; and from this theytook the name Piceni orPicentes. The discoveryof various cemeteriesscattered between therivers Foglia to the north

and Pescara to the south,in Abruzzi, has revealed

the existence – from theeighth to the first centuries B.C. – of what is known as thePicene culture, which flourished in the area in central Italybordering the Adriatic Sea until it was conquered by the Ro-mans. The most important burial sites, with rich gravegoods, have been found at Novilara (province of Pesaro), Nu-mana and Fabriano (province of Ancona), Matelica and Piti-no (province of Macerata) and Belmonte Piceno (provinceof Fermo). After being the site of a Bronze Age settlement andthen an important Picene town, in about 390 B.C. Ancona be-came the home of a group of refugees who arrived from theGreek colony of Syracuse, in Sicily; living side by side with thePicenes, they set up a thri ving port that traded with the east-ern Mediterranean. The nearby town of Numana, an oldPicene port, also had important trading relations with theGreek civilization. In the fourth and third centuries B.C., thecentral and northern Marches up to Esino were occupied bythe Gallic tribes known as the Senones. The most importantsettlements of this people – who produced splendid jewellerynow exhibited at the Museo archeologico nazionale delleMarche – have been found at Arcevia and Senigallia. After thebattle of Sentinum in 295 B.C. between an alliance of theGauls and the Samnites and one of the Romans and Picenes,in the area between Camerino and Sassoferrato, the Ro-mans occupied the territory of the Gauls, stressing its culturaldistinctiveness by calling it ager Gallicus. Over the next two

centuries they conquered the rest of the region, buildingroads, such as the Via Flaminia, which still links Rome toFano, and the Via Salaria, which they used to transport saltfrom Porto d’Ascoli. Along them, the Romans foundedcolonies and municipia (provincial cities whose citizenshad the privileges of Roman citizens), evidence of which isstill clearly visible today in the grid plans of a number oftowns (Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Jesi, Ascoli Piceno) and in theancient monuments, such as Trajan’s Arch at Ancona; on theVia Flaminia, the Arch of Augustus at Fano, Vespasian’s tunnel(76 A.D.) in the Gola del Furlo, and bridges, such as PonteMallio at Cagli, Ponte Grosso at Pontericcioli (Cantiano area);on the Via Salaria, Porta Gemina and Ponte del Solestà at A -scoli Piceno. The equestrian group in gilded bronze found atCartoceto di Pergola is particularly interesting, as is thesculpture in bronze attributed to Lysippus found in the wa-ters off Fano and currently on display at the Getty Museumin Malibù, Cali fornia. Numerous relics from Picene, Gallic andRoman times are to be found in the archaeological museums(Ancona, Arcevia, Urbino, Pesaro, Pergola, Cingoli, Urbisagliaand Ascoli Piceno) and the numerous archaeological parks(Fossombrone, Sassoferrato, Castellone di Suasa, San Seve -rino Marche, Urbisaglia, Falerone and Cupra Marittima). Gilded bronze from Cartoceto di Pergola

The head of a Picene warrior from Numana

In the Roman theatres and amphitheatres of theMarches it is possible to enjoy an amusing comedyby the Roman playwright Plautus or a compellingGreek tragedy. During the summer, drama produc-tions are housed in the 1st century A.D. Roman am-phitheatre of Urbisaglia, in the province of Macera-ta, and the theatre in the Roman town of Faleria(modern Falerone, in the province of Fermo) da -ting from the 1st century A.D. Both of these are lo-cated in archaeological parks with museums.(Information: www.amatmarche.net).

DRAMA IN THE OPEN AIR

Archaeology is a key part of the cultural heritage. The va-rious provinces in the region are home to 7 archaeolo-gical parks: Forum Sempronii, in San Martino del Piano(Fossombrone) in the province of Pesaro-Urbino, Sen-tinum to the south of Sassoferrato and Suasa Senonumin Castelleone di Suasa in the province of Ancona, Sep-tempeda in San Severino Marche and Urbs Salvia in Ur-bisaglia in the province of Macerata, Falerius Picenus, inPiane, 2 km from modern-day Falerone in the provinceof Fermo, and Cupra Maritima to the north of the villa-ge of Cupra Marittima in the province of Ascoli Piceno.These parks are also home to related museums. (www.cultura.marche.it – www.archeomarche.it).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS

Roman amphitheatre (1st century A.D.), Urbisaglia

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Where silence reignsAfter the fall of the Roman Empire, the Marches weredominated by the Byzantine exarchate north ofAncona and the Longobards of the Duchy of Spoletoto the south; they were then contended by the Em-pire and the Papal State until the latter gained con-trol of the whole area. The long period of adminis-trative uncertainty and the distance from the papalcourt in Rome favoured the spread of Benedictinemonasticism into the region from Norcia, in Umbria,and Farfa, in Lazio. The monasteries and abbeyswere built, above all, along the main Roman roads– the Via Flaminia and the Via Salaria – and the val-leys leading from the Adriatic to the Apennines,such as those of the rivers Esino, Potenza, Chienti,and the Metauro. The Benedictines from Norciabuilt the basilicas of San Michele at Lamoli, in the up-per Metauro valley; San Vincenzo al Furlo, on the ViaFlaminia; San Firmano at Montelupone, near themouth of the River Potenza; and Santi Ruffino e Vi-tale at Amandola, near the River Tenna. The Bene-dictines from Farfa, on the other hand, settled in thearea round Ascoli Piceno, arriving from Lazio alongthe Via Salaria; the most important of the abbeysthey founded was Santa Vittoria in Matenano. Theonly abbeys belonging to the Burgundian-Cluniac

tradition are Santa Maria di Portonovo, at the foot ofMonte Conero, near Ancona, and Santa Maria a pièdi Chienti at Montecosaro. In the Marches thereare also two splendid examples of Cistercian abbeysin which the transition between the Romanesqueand Gothic styles is evident: the abbey of Santa

Maria in Casta gnola atChiaravalle, foun ded bythe monks of Clairvaux;and the abbey of Chia -ravalle di Fiastra, nearUrbisaglia, founded bymonks from the abbeyof Chiaravalle near Mi-lan. Centrally-plannedbuildings include SanCiriaco in Ancona, builton a pre-existing Greektemple dedicated toAphrodite Euploia, andSan Giusto di Maroto atPievebovi gliana. Thereare four churches builton the Greek-cross planof Byzantine derivation,three of which are situ-ated fairly close to eachother: Santa Croce deiConti at Sassoferrato,San Vittore delle Chiuseat Genga and SantaMaria delle Moje atMaiolati Spontini; thefourth, in the Chientivalley, is San Claudio alChienti, built on two lev-els with a façadeflanked by two roundcorner-towers.

The routes of faith in the Marches follow three main roads, on which abbeys, Francis-can hermitages and sanctuaries are marked. The Via Flaminia and its variations runthrough the valley dotted with abbeysthat, from Ancona, follow the River Esinotowards Rome. Senigallia is where PopePius IX was born, while Corinaldo is theland of St. Maria Goretti. The Via Laure-tana and its side roads, which from theSanta Casa at Loreto, a centre of pilgrim-age since the 15th century, leads to theRomanesque route along the valley of theChienti, the Basilica of San Nicola da To-lentino, at Tolentino, and the 16th-centu-ry Sanctuary of Macereto, surrounded bythe splendid peaks of the Monti Sibillini.Finally, there is the Via Salaria and itsoff-shoots, Grottammare, the birthplace ofPope Sixtus V, with the fascinating town ofRipatransone nearby; Monteprandone,whence came Saint James della Marca;and the area where the Benedictines fromFarfa settled. The whole of this area, fromFermo and Ascoli Piceno to the MontiSibillini National Park, is rich in Ro-manesque buildings, hermitages, abbeysand sanctuaries.

The Basilica of San Nicola da Tolentino,Tolentino

It was Saint Romuald, the founder ofthe Camaldolese order, who, in 1006,constructed the abbey of San Salvatorein Val di Castro, near Fabriano, where hedied in 1027, thereby inspiring the monkswho built the monastery of Fonte Avel-lana, on the slopes of Monte Catria. Inthis secluded place deep in the woods,ideal for meditation – mentioned byDante in the twenty-first canto of theParadiso – Saint Peter Damian tookmonastic vows in 1035; he also fre-quented the church of Santa Maria diPortonovo, at the foot of Monte Conero.(Information: Monastero di Fonte Avel-lana, tel. 0721730261).

A DANTEAN LOCATION: THE MONASTERY OF FONTE AVELLANA

The Marches were hea-vily influenced by StFrancis of Assisi, hispresence can be tracedback to 1208. In 1282,the province of Marcahad 85 monasteries.Following St Francis hasmarked the cultural andreligious history of theMarches. (www.francescanesimomarche.it)

FRANCISCAN MARCHES

The Camaldolese monastery of Fonte Avellana

A centre of pilgrimage: Sanctuary of the Santa Casa, Loreto

THE “ROUTES OF FAITH” IN THE MARCHES

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

The historic towns and citiesIn the Marches, the historic towns and cities – about ahundred, out a total of 246 municipalities – are evidenceof the cultural pluralism that has evolved over the cen-turies as a result of the fragmented historical develop-

ment of the region. Inthe province of Pesaroand Urbino, the largesttowns were at theheight of their power inthe Renaissance peri-od: Fano and Gradarawere governed by theMalatesta; Urbino wasthe scene of the hu-manist ambitions ofFederico da Montefel-tro; Pesaro, Urbania(formerly known asCastel Durante, it wasfamous for its produc-tion of maiolica) and

Senigallia were ruled by the Della Rovere family. The his-tory of Ancona has always been closely linked to its port,the secondin impor-tance toVenice onthe Italianside of theA d r i a t i c . The old partof the city isdomina tedby the Ro-m a n e s q u ecathedral ofSan Ciriaco,while impor-tant buil -dings bearwitness tothe city’sprosperityand growthin the 15thc e n t u r y . Just a fewmiles fromAncona, inthe town ofLoreto thereis one of the

most visi tedsanc tua riesin the world,where thea r t i s t sMelozzo daForlì , LucaSigno rel l i ,Bramante ,Andrea San -sovino andLo ren zo Lot-to worked.Near Loretois Osi mo, atown withRoman ori-gins. Inlandfrom Anco na is the Esino valley dominated by Jesi, withits ancient walls. Further up the valley, the city of Fa -briano, world famous for its paper production, has keptits medieval appearance intact. In the province of Mac-erata is Camerino, which enjoyed a period of great eco-nomic and artistic importance in the 15th century underthe Da Varano family. From Camerino it is only a few milesto Tolentino, where the chapel of the Basi lica of San Nico-la contains some of the most outstanding frescoes by the14th-century Riminese School. Nearby is the small townof San Severino Marche which, in the 14th and 15th cen-turies, became one of the European centres of interna-tional Gothic thanks to the brothers Lorenzo and Ja-copo Salimbeni. Macerata is rich in Renaissance, Baroqueand 18th-century architecture. Southwards is Fermo,

an important Romancolony and flourishing me-dieval city. Still furthersouth is Ripatransone, asmall but delightful town,with numerous archaeo-logical relics and historicbuildings. A few milesaway Offida, with its in-tact walls, still has afortress and the splendidabbey of S. Maria dellaRocca. In Ascoli Piceno,Roman remains and me-dieval buildings in weath-ered travertine, the localstone, testify to the city’sglorious past, as does theVia Salaria, traces ofwhich have survived, of-ten incorporated into themedieval structures.

In the former Duchy of Urbino, ruled by the Monte-feltro and, from 1508 onwards, by the Della Rovere,there are various routes that allow the visitor to dis-cover the places associated with the political and cul-tural history of the ducal family. Urbino, Pesaro, Ur-bania, Fossombrone and Senigallia still have theirducal palaces. Cagli, Mondavio and Sassocorvaroare on the route devoted to the fortresses built to de-fend the duchy, largely rebuilt by the architectFrancesco di Giorgio Martini for Fe derico da Monte-feltro. The museums of Urbino, Pesaro, Urbania andFossombrone and religious buildings, such as themonastery of Montefiorentino, where there is thesplendid 15th-century chapel of the Oliva family, andthe collegiate church of Mercatello sul Metauro, con-tain works of art c ommissioned to satisfy the refinedtastes of the dukes. (Information: IAT Urbino, tel.07222613; IAT Fano, tel. 0721803534).Ducal Palace, Urbino

Porta Malatesta, Camerino

A view of Ascoli Piceno

Loggiato of S. Francesco opening onto thepiazza del Comune, Fabriano

In the 15th century Ascoli Piceno had a distinguishedcitizen, the Venetian artist Carlo Crivelli, who, with hisfollowers, executed superb paintings animated bysplendidly arrayed saints that are to be found in theareas around Fermo, Ascoli and Macerata. From AscoliPiceno, with its cathedral, Pinacoteca and Museo dioce-sano our search for Crivelli’s works takes us to ancient,unspoilt towns and villages such as Montefiore del-l’Aso in the province of Ascoli Piceno, and MassaFermana in the province of Fermo, continuing MonteSan Martino (church of S. Martino) and Corridonia(parish picture gallery), Macerata (civic picturegallery) and Ancona (civic picture gallery). (Information: www.cultura.marche.it).

IN THE SEARCH OF CARLO CRIVELLI

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Fortresses and castlesIn the Marches – which, as its name implies, is a border area– the distance from the centre of imperial power favoured thedevelopment of self-governing communes that subsequen -tly, in the 14th and 15th centuries, became independentstates ruled by families that were continuously in conflict witheach other. These origins explain why there are so manyfortresses and castles in the area, where there was a lively cul-tural milieu conducive to the experimentation of the leadingmilitary architects of the day. In the area corresponding to thepresent-day province of Pesaro and Urbino, the Malatestawere the first to take an interest in the new defensiveschemes, availing themselves of the suggestions of FilippoBrunelleschi and the experience of Matteo Nuti for thefortress of Fano. Their example was followed by the Sforza atGradara and Pesaro (the Rocca Costanza, built by LucianoLaurana). The Montefeltro, on the other hand, employed the

the Papal State, dominates the valleys of the rivers Cesanoand Misa with its external wall intact. Further up the Misa val-ley, Arcevia and its castles exude a medieval atmosphere. Inthe next valley going southwards are Jesi, with its castles ofVerdicchio, and Fabriano, surrounded by its forts. Some of the

most fascinating castles inthe region are close to eachother in the province ofMacera ta: surrounded theircity with an imposing se-ries of castles of which atCamerino the Rocca d’Aiel-lo and the Rocca Varano; atCastelraimondo the Castel-lo di Lanciano; at Caldaro-la the Castello Pallotta andthe Palazzo dei Cardinali(town hall), at Tolentinothe Castello della Ranciaand at Urbisaglia the mas-sive fortress. In theprovince of Ascoli Piceno –on or near the Via Salaria –are Arquata del Tronto

PASSION IN GRADARA

Many of the castles and palaces in the Marches host events and house exhibitions orpermanent museums. Cagli’s Torrione contains a Centro di scultura contemporanea (con-temporary art works by E. Mattiacci, J. Kounellis, H. Nagasawa etc.), while the fortressof Sassocorvaro houses “L’ Arca dell’Art e” a museum commemorating the rescuing ofthousands works of art during the Second World War. The fortress at Gradara boasts Re-naissance paintings, while its counterpart at Mondavio contains a Museo di rievocazionestorica and the Armeria. The Ducal Palace at Urbino houses the Galleria Nazionale delleMarche and at Piobbico there is a Museo geo-paleontologico, naturalistico, antropico e orni-tologico with a permanent exhibition devoted to the costumes and jewels of a noble housein Palazzo Brancaleoni. The fortress at Senigallia has a permanent exhibition on the Del-la Rovere family, while Offagna’s fortress hosts a Museo delle armi antiche and stages amedieval festival in July. The Castello della Rancia at Tolentino houses the Museo civicoarcheologico dedicated to Aristide Gentiloni Silverj and temporary exhibitions. The Paliodel Duca is held in the fortress of Acquaviva Picena, which also has a museum of ancientweapons, as does the fortress of Urbisaglia. Castel di Luco is now a restaurant.

ART IN A HISTORICAL SETTING

The fortress built by Francesco di Giorgio Martini at Mondavio

Castello della Rancia in the heart of the Chienti valley

The imposing fortress at Offagna

Arquata del Tronto dominated by its fortress

Gradara, with its castle andold medieval centre, com-bines the past with the pre-sent thanks to the presenceof major contemporary ex-hibitions. The city – the Me-dieval Capital – is one ofItaly's “Most Beautiful Ham-lets” and has been awardedthe Bandiera Arancione (Or-ange Flag). An ideal placeto celebrate Valentine's Day,it remains shrouded in themystery of the love betweenPaolo and Francesca thatDante Alighieri told us about in Inferno.

The village of Gradara

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

A region studded with museumsArt treasures, bearing witness to the gloriouscultural past of this region are kept in the400 museums and art collections in boththe larger historic cities and smalltowns and villages of the Marches. Themost outstanding of these is the Galle-ria Nazionale delle Marche, situated inthe Ducal Palace in Urbino. This archi-tectural masterpiece contains magnifi-cent pictures painted at the time of theMontefeltro (works by Agostino di Duc-cio, Luca Della Robbia, Luciano Lau-rana, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uc-cello, Giusto di Gand and Raphael) andthe Della Rovere (works by Titian, Fed-erico Barocci and Claudio Ridolfi). AtUrbania the Museo civico houses thelargest collection of drawings by Fede -rico Barocci after that in the Uffizi andtwo rare globes by Gerardo Mercatore.In Pesaro, the Musei civici contain apivotal work of the Italian Quattrocen-to, Giovanni Bellini’s monumental Coro-nation of the Virgin; in addition to Ro-man relics, at the Museo archeologicooliveriano artefacts of the Picene culture are on display, in-cluding the celebrated Stela of Novilara. The Museo civicoand Pinacoteca in Fano, in the historic Palazzo Malatesta,house the magnificent Madonna della Rosa by Michele Gi-ambono and a splendid series of paintings by leading 17th-century artists: Guido Reni, Guercino, Dome ni chino, Si-

mone Cantarini,Mattia Preti andCorrado Giaquinto.In Ancona theMuseo archeologi-co nazionale delleMarche contains avast range of ex-hibits relating tothe early settle-ment of the regionand its develop-ment until the Mid-

dle Ages, while the Pinacoteca civica houses masterpiecesby Olivuccio di Ciccarello, Carlo Crivelli, Sebastiano del Pi-ombo, Titian, Lorenzo Lotto, Orazio Gentileschi, Andrea Lil-li, Guercino, Carlo Maratta and Francesco Podesti. While thePinacoteca in Jesi is of fundamental importance for its

paintings by Lorenzo Lotto, in Fabriano thePinacoteca civica reflects the lively artistic

climate of the city that was the birth-place of Gentile da Fabriano, the great-est exponent of international Gothic. AtMatelica, not far from Fabriano, the re-markable Museo Piersanti houses arttreasures from the 13th to the 19th cen-turies, objects of sacred art and periodfurniture. From Camerino, where themuseums house wood paintings andsculptures of the 15th century, it iseasy to reach San Seve rino Marche,where the Pinacoteca contains a polyp-tych by Paolo Veneziano, splendid pan-el paintings and frescoes by the broth-ers Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni anda large polyptych by Vittore Crivelli.The Pinacoteca at Fermo has one ofthe few paintings by Rubens in Italy, theAdoration of the Shepherds (1601) andStories of St Lucy – eight of the smallpanels by Jacobello del Fiore, a mas-terpiece of international Gothic. ThePinacoteca Civica in Ascoli Piceno has

an wide range of works by Italian artists: Simone de Magi -stris, Titian, Guido Reni, Orazio de Ferrari, Luca Giordano,Carlo Maratta, Guercino and Pelizza da Volpedo.

At Recanati, the artist, who was born in Venice in 1480 and died at Loreto around 1556,painted the Polyptych of San Domenico (1508) and other splendid masterpieces, suchas the Transfiguration (c. 1512) and the Annunciation (c. 1528), which are displayedin the Pinacoteca Civica. From Recanati, the visitor in search of paintings by Lotto cancontinue to the various towns and villages in the region where the artist worked un-til his last days: Jesi, where, in the Pinacoteca, there are works of outstanding im-portance for the Italian Renaissance, the Deposition (1512), the St. Lucy Altarpiece(1538), the Visitation (1531-1534) and the Madonna of the Roses (1526); Loreto, wherehis last works, such as the poignant Presentation at the Temple, are kept; Ancona, wherethe Pinacoteca houses the imposing Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints (1532); Cin-goli, where the Madonna of the Rosary, painted in 1539, is now kept in the Pinacote-ca. Numerous works by Lotto are still to be found in the churches for which they werecommissioned: in the province of Macerata, at Monte San Giusto, where the churchof Santa Maria in Telusiano contains a spectacular Crucifixion and, just a few miles away,at Mogliano, the parish church houses the Assumption (1548); another painting of thissubject, dating from 1555, is on the high altar of the church of San Francesco alle Scalein Ancona. Lotto’s long stay in the Marches preceded that of another Venetianartist, Claudio Ridolfi, who, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, lived in Corinaldo,in the province of Ancona, and painted a large number of works for towns and villagessuch as Ostra, Pergola, Arcevia, Mondolfo and Fabriano. (Information: www.lorenzolotto.info).Lorenzo Lotto: The Archangel Gabriel. Church of S. Domenico, Jesi

LORENZO LOTTO IN THE MARCHES

Carlo Crivelli: Polyptych. Ascoli Piceno

Titian: Virgin in Glory known as GozziAltarpiece

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Perhaps not everybodyknows that in the March-es there are 500 piazzasin the centres of the his-toric towns and ancientvillages; thousands ofchurches, including 200Romanesque ones, 90abbeys and importantsanctuaries, 7 archaeo-logical parks; 400 muse-ums and art collections(the total number of mu-nicipalities is 239); morethen 70 historical the-atres; 180 km of coastwith 26 resorts on the Adriatic Sea. And a large num-ber of famous people come from this region. Freder-ick II Hohenstaufen was born in Jesi on 26 December1194. Between 1508 and 1516 Baldassare Castiglionewrote “Il Cortegiano” here, one of the most importantRenaissance works, it is set at the court of the Dukeof Urbino; Father Matteo Ricci, who spearheadedwestern culture in China, was born in Macerata on 6October 1552. Three great composers: Giovanni Bat-tista Pergolesi, (Jesi 1710–Pozzuoli 1736), GaspareSpontini (Maiolati 1774–1851) and Gioachino Rossini(Pesaro 1792–Paris 1868). Then there is the poet Gi-a como Leopardi (1798–1837), who was a native of Re-canati, Ugo Betti (1892–1953), the greatest Italiandramatist after Luigi Piran dello, was born at Cameri-no; the novelist Libero Bi gia ret ti (1906–1993) camefrom Mateli ca; the home town of the writer PaoloVol poni (1924–1994) was Urbino; and Luigi Bartolini(1892–1963), a poet and, together with Giorgio Moran-di, the greatest Italian engraver of the 20th century,was from Cupramontana. A number of leading con-temporary poets come from the Marches: Eugenio DeSignoribus, Umberto Piersanti, Gianni D’Elia, GuidoGarufi and Franco Scataglini (1930–1994). A great lit-erary heritage is kept in the region’s 315 libraries,some of them centuries old, such as the one at themonastery of Fonte Avellana in the province of Pesaroand Urbino, the Biblioteca Oliveriana in Pesaro andthe library in the Palazzo Leopardi at Recanati.As regards the fine arts, in addition to the great mas-ters of the past, such as Gentile da Fabriano, Bra-mante and Raphael, a number of outstanding 20th-century artists were born in the Marches: Scipione(1904–1933); Osvaldo Licini (1894–1958); CorradoCagli (1910–1976); Edgardo Mannucci (1904–1986).

The monument to Enrico Cialdini, Castelfidardo

The huge sphere sculpted by Arnaldo Pomodoro, Pesaro

Did you know…

The Mole Vanvitelliana, in the port area of Ancona

SPORT AT THE SEASIDE

which is about 40km (25 miles) in length and extends intoUmbria. From the summits of Monte Vettore (2,476 m),Monte Sibilla and Monte Priora – described by the poet Gi-acomo Leopardi as the “blue mountains” – to the valley ofthe Fia strone and the Gole dell’Infernaccio, nature is com-bined with the legends of the Sibyl, a soothsayer who wassaid to have lived in a cave on Monte Sibilla, GuerrinMeschino (a character from the Ca rolingian epos) and Pon-tius Pilate, after whom the only natural lake in the March-es (Lago di Pilato, high up on Monte Vettore) is named. Andat the foot of the mountains are scattered numerous townsand villages, each with its own church and, in many cases,a museum containing relics of its eventful past. A small partof the Marches, comprising the communes of AcquasantaTerme and Arquata del Tronto, lies within the borders of theGran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. On theborder with Tuscany, the Regional Park of Sasso Simoneand Simoncello, in the Montefeltro region, is well knownfor the large beechwood of Pianacquadio. In the 16th cen-tury, on the rock of Sasso Simone, the Medici built a forti-fied town that was later abandoned because it was not eas-ily accessible. There are many areas of outstanding na turalbeauty in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, such as theCesane pinewood between Urbi no and Fossom brone. Notfar away is the massif of the Furlo, with its sugge stivegorge, recently reco gnized as a national natural reserve; theAlpe della Luna, after Mercatello sul Metauro; and thearea of Monte Catria and Monte Nerone, with its manygorges and natural arches. The province of Ancona alsoboasts the Gola Rossa and Frasassi Regional Park, withmany rocky areas crossed by the two gorges of the samename, the habitat of golden eagles, peregrine falcons andeagle owls. Nearby Fabriano there is the Centre of Envi-

mio del Biciclo Ottocentesco. At Serra Sant’Abbondio the sec-ond Sunday of September the famous Palio della Rocca. In theprovince of Ancona the most famous pageants held in Julyare: Corinaldo on the third Sunday with the Contesa del Poz-zo della Polenta with a parade in costume; Filottrano, wherethe Contesa dello Stivale commemorates an episode of the warbetween the town and the nearby city of Osimo; Offagna,where, during the medieval festival of the Contesa della Cres-cia, there is a contest involving a challenge with the crossbow,bow, mace and spear. Fabriano, where on 24 June – during thecommemoration of the city’s patron saint, John the Baptist,to whom the Palio is dedicated – the local craft of wrought ironis celebrated in the final Sfida del Maglio; Jesi, where, inMay, the Palio di San Floriano recalls the subjection of the cityto the nearby castles on the hills where Verdicchio wine isproduced. In the province of Macerata, at Ca merino, the Cor-

THE LAND OF THE DUKES

with its 13th-century fortress dominating the valley and theold Roman road, on the southern slopes of the Monti Sibilli-ni, near Acquasanta Terme the Ca stel di Luco with its unusualcircular plan, Ascoli Piceno with the imposing Forte Mala -testa, and the Castello di Acquaviva Picena, rebuilt in the 15thcentury by Baccio Pontelli.

zo Lotto, Titian, Pasqualino Rossi and Giovan Bat-tista Tiepolo. At Fermo there is also a painting byRubens, the Adoration of the Shepherds, commis-sioned in 1601 by the Congregation of the Oratoryof that town. The whole region is, moreover, studdedwith oratories and churches built by this order, of-ten in an exuberant Baroque style. Numerous im-portant battles were fought in the Marches: the bat-tle of Sentinum (295 B.C.), in which the Romans de-feated the Gallic tribes called the Senones, markedthe beginning of the Roman occupation of the region;in 207 B.C. the Romans overcame the Carthaginiansunder the command of Hasdrubal in the battle of theMetauro. And in more recent times, the Savoy troopsgot the better of those of the Papal State in the bat-tle of Castelfidardo (1860) – event remembered bythe monument to Enrico Cialdini. One of the mostmagnificent Renaissance villas in Italy is to be foundin the region: in the hills near Pesaro is the Villa Im-periale, which was rebuilt and extended around1530 by the architect, stage designer and painterGirolamo Genga for Francesco Maria I Della Rovere.Finally, mention must be made of another, quiteunique architectural complex: the Mole Vanvitel-liana. Designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli ona pentagonal plan (work began 1733) and located inthe port area of Ancona.(Information: www.cultura.marche.it).

Archaeological sites

The Carta Musei Marche is a new solution that providesgreater regional integration for museums, allowing vis-itors access to over a hundred archaeological sites andmuseums, with discounts and other facilitations inopening hours, including for events and exhibitions. (www.cultura.marche.it, www.cartamusei.marche.it).

MUSEUM CARD FOR THE MARCHES

In the Marches, the museum houses provide a way tospread regional culture and identity. The residencesonce used by leading local citizens, people who broughtinternational recognition to these lands, are now open tothose visitors who are interested in exploring the placeswhere leading lights once lived. (Iinformation: www.cultura.marche.it).

MUSEUM HOUSES