Marche region of Italy. Marche Italy - region on the map, beaches. Castle of the Dukes of Urbino

Excellent cuisine, clean beaches, rich history - all this is in one of the most peaceful regions of Italy - Marche, where you can still relax without fuss.

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Excellent cuisine, clean beaches, historical heritage - all this is in the Italian region of Marche. While tourists prefer neighboring Emilia-Romagna, the Italians themselves choose Marche for its charming landscapes and silence. This is one of the quietest regions in Italy, where you can still relax without fuss.

Geography of Marche

The region is located in the east of Italy, in the center of the Adriatic coast. Its coastline stretches for 180 km, and the territory is a mixture of hills, plains and mountainous terrain. Marche borders Umbria, Emilia-Romagna, Abruzzo and Tuscany. The capital of the region is Ancona, a tourist and international port. There is an airport not far from the city, and Ancona also receives ferries from Albania, Greece and Croatia.

Region map Marche

Big cities

The capital and largest city of the region is Ancona. It has a long history, and in the Middle Ages it was an independent maritime republic. Much of the historic architecture has been destroyed, but there is plenty to do in Ancona. You can visit art galleries, ancient churches or go to the nearest resort towns. Modern Ancona will delight you with excellent infrastructure and a rich selection of hotels.

Another Big City- Pesaro. This is the resort center of the Marche, the coastal strip of which is dotted with hotels. However, Pesaro has a calm atmosphere. Vacationers leisurely walk around the historical center and enjoy the cultural life of the city. And it is very stormy in Pesaro: there are regular international exhibitions, Opera Festival and Theater Arts Festival.

Climate Marche

The south of the region is characterized by a typical Mediterranean climate with warm winters (+8 °C) and dry hot summers (+32 °C). Precipitation here is rare - only in the low season. In the northern regions, the climate is more capricious. Wet and cool days are not uncommon here. In summer, the temperature is kept at +28 °C, in winter - at +2 °C. Marche has an average of 200 sunny days.

Attractions Marche

The most famous landmark of the region is the Palazzo Ducale, or the residence of the Dukes of Urbino. This is a prime example of Renaissance palace architecture. Palazzo Ducale is located on a rock and today serves as a building for the National Gallery. It also features Renaissance masterpieces, but the interiors themselves are no less attractive. The rooms of the palace have preserved original furniture, sculptures, books and frescoes.

Near Ancona, in the town of Loreto, is the greatest Catholic shrine - the Holy Hut. According to legend, a basilica was once built in Nazareth. It was Elena Equal-to-the-Apostles herself who ordered to erect it on this place. But in order to prevent the destruction of the church under the onslaught of the Saracens, the Holy Hut was mysteriously transferred from Palestine to the vicinity of Ancona. The authenticity of the shrine was confirmed twice by the popes. The basilica itself impresses with its architecture, but the content is not inferior either: valuable frescoes, mosaics and sculptural groups are kept inside.

You can spend a few days in Ancona looking at the heritage of the city. First, attention should be paid to the Cathedral. It is a mixture of three styles at once: Gothic, Roman and Byzantine. The cathedral has a difficult past. Erected on the foundations of the Greek acropolis, it was destroyed and rebuilt again. Today, the cathedral attracts with a Romanesque portal of the 13th century, figures of lions made of Verona marble and a bell tower of the 14th century. The dome of the cathedral is one of the oldest in Italy. It was erected in the 13th century, and 300 years later a copper coating was applied.

Inside the Cathedral, you can bow to revered icons, see ancient sculptures and paintings. Also in Ancona, the 500-year-old Sangallo fortress and the luxurious Mercanti Palace, an example of Venetian Gothic, are well preserved. And in the port part of the city is the island of Lazaretto. In a huge pentagonal building, museums and cultural events are held on its territory.

Holidays in Marche

The main advantage of the Marche is its coast, which has many resorts for different styles of recreation. One of the most popular is Gabbice Mare. People come here for the sake of cozy azure bays and vibrant nightlife. Its opposite is Pesaro. This resort seems to be created for relaxing on deserted beaches. In parallel, here you can enjoy fresh seafood in coastal restaurants.

Many tourists prefer Fano. This is a lively port city with a promenade and many shops, but its beaches are not crowded. Senigallia is also distinguished by the quality of water and tourist services. Its pure sandy beaches often referred to as "velvet".

Marche is good for gastronomic tourism. The basis of its dishes is seafood, and the prices in the region not spoiled by tourists remain acceptable. It is customary to accompany the meal with cheeses and local wine Verdicchio, which has been produced here since the Middle Ages.

shopping

Speaking of shopping in Marche, one cannot ignore the regional delicacies. Tourists stock up on local sausages and cheeses. The cheeses Ricotta, Cachotta, Vino Rosso (with the addition of red wine), as well as lemon cheese from the Metauro Valley are especially appreciated. Since the region has long been an agricultural center, Marche's products are organic and incredibly tasty.

Ascoli Piceno is a town that tourists deprive of attention. However, it is attractive for shopping. There is an old market with original antiques (monthly, on the third weekend). Also in the vicinity of the town there are small wineries, and local workshops are famous for high-quality leather shoes.

In Ancona you can buy wine from all areas of the Marche. In the center of the city, shops are concentrated, which mainly represent Italian brands. It is worth coming to the town of Fermo for products of local artisans and souvenirs - there are many shops in the Old Town. And in Pesaro and Macerata, excellent olive oil and quality wines are sold.

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Italy has long been facing the following problem: crowds of tourists stubbornly rush to the same places, “going wild” in prices in Rome, creating traffic jams in Florence and even gradually trampling Venice.

While on the “boot” there is enough space, and endless beaches, and such cultural sites that you do not need to sign up ahead of time on the Internet or choke in the queues of the same suffering. And all this is almost in the heart of Italy.

One of the areas that is not geographically related to the Italian "bear corner", but undeservedly (relative to its potential) overlooked by tourists, can be called Marche region. It is located in the central part of Italy, with access to the coast Adriatic Sea. So that you do not immediately look at Google maps and imagine its location, I will say that it borders on Emilia Romagna, San Marino, Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo and Lazio.

The Marche region consists of five provinces: the capital Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno. All the names of the regions of Italy exist in the singular, and only Marche - in the plural. The Italians say that this expresses its essence - the diversity and variety of cultural, natural, historical and gastronomic attractions.

By tradition, in the summer season, Russians are considered primarily as a direction beach holiday, based on the coast and short (due to the rather hot climate) trips to the surrounding area. In Marche, this component is all right: sandy and pebble beaches, 16 of which have blue flags, stretch for 180 kilometers, in total there are 26 towns of the region on the coast.

Marche beaches

Among the seaside resorts of the Marche, I would highlight San Benedetto del Tronto, located in the southern part of the region, which is also called the Riviera of Palms. A long, neat promenade lined with palm trees stretches along the sea, and other features include wide beaches with fine golden sand, which makes it a very popular family holiday destination. What is important, in Marche you can always find free public areas of the beach (in some other regions of Italy, as you know, merchants are greedy and force all possible territory with paid sunbeds). Joggers and cyclists are also not indifferent to the long promenade here, for whom in Europe in general and in Italy in particular there is always a green light and an obligatory path to boot. Other seaside resorts Marche is Porto Recanati, Porto San Giorgio, Lido di Fermo, Grottammare, Cupra Marittima.

As for cultural recreation, here too the Marche is ready to compete with much more eminent regions. It is known that Italy has the largest number of attractions included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, namely 49. At the same time, 80% of them are located away from the most popular cities and mass tourist routes. Marche, one might say, carefully stores real treasures on its territory. The tourist offices of the region have counted and documented how many objects of cultural and historical heritage there are: 500 squares, more than 1000 monuments, 106 castles, 15 fortresses and 170 towers, thousands of ancient churches and temples, 96 abbeys and 73 theaters. The Marche is also distinguished by a huge number of museums (about 400), art galleries and libraries, some of which are repositories of ancient unique tomes, for example, the library of the aristocratic Leopardi family.

The names of many prominent Italians are associated with these lands: the composers Gioachino Rossini, Giovan Battista Pergolesi and Gaspare Spontini, the poet Giacomo Leopardi, the great artist Raphael, who was born in Urbino, and others.

Ancona, the capital of the Marche region, got its name from the Greek word ankon ("elbow"), because of its similar shape. The city, located on a hill near the Adriatic Sea, is the main seaport of the region (and there are 9 ports in Marche, from where you can go on boat trips or cruises). Ancona is literally "stuffed" with sights, churches, museums and galleries that keep evidence of history from the time of the Roman Empire to the present day.

Ascoli Piceno called the "city of a hundred towers", it is interesting for its heritage of the ancient Roman period, the city has an art gallery with works by Carlo Crivelli, Titian, Guido Reni, as well as an interesting Gallery of Modern Art, the Roman Theater.

City Macerata rises on a hill, from where a great view of the surroundings opens up and from where you can admire the traditional Italian landscape, captured so many times on the canvases of painters. Macerata is surrounded by bastions of the 15th century, its center is Piazza della Liberta, several palaces that house the administrative structures of the city, the city theater of the 18th century and several ancient churches.

Fermo is also distinguished by its majestic panorama from the sea to the mountains. On its territory there are evidence of the life of ancient people in the Iron Age, as well as large underground caves Roman period. Of particular note is the elegant Piazza del Popolo, as well as a whole museum complex, which includes the Palace of the Priori, the Cisterns I have already mentioned, the Teatro del Aquila, Villa Vitali and the Diocesan Museum.

Pesaro gained wide popularity thanks to the annual Rossini Opera Festival. In this city, it is worth seeing the Ducal Palace, Piazza della Liberta (with a monument of modern art in the center - the work of 1998 by the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro), Rossini's house.

Urbino, another significant city of the Marche, is called the capital of the Renaissance, the famous painter Raphael was born here. The museums of Urbino, perhaps, concentrate the largest number of masterpieces of painting - the works of Raphael, Titian, Piero della Francesca, Federico Barocci and others.

The Marches are also associated with the names of Francis of Assisi, a Catholic saint, founder of the medieval monastic order of the Franciscans, and Saint Benedetto di Norcia. A network of routes has been created in the region, including abbeys, monasteries and other objects of Franciscan culture.

They say about the Marche that it is Italy in one region. Everything you would like to see on a trip is here: blue sea surface, mountain peaks, architectural unique pieces, the best food and wine.

In Marche, you can connect all the desires for Italian life and culture.

If you need to find the Marche region on a map of Italy, you need to pay attention to the East coast of the Adriatic Sea in Italy. Closer to the middle of the "boot", a little to the south.

Marche location on Italy map

The capital of the Marche region is a major port city in Italy.

There is something to see in the Marche region:

You will learn more about the region and its attractions from the video:

The brightest cities for tourism in the Marche, such as:

Local kitchen

The cuisine of the Marche region, thanks to the special structure of the territory, dominated by mountains, but also by the sea, is very diverse. A cuisine that alternates between meat dishes typical of the mountainous areas with dishes based on shellfish, oily fish and seafood.

The cuisine of the Marche region is very diverse.

We should not forget the famous stuffed olives of the region, one of the symbols of Marche products.

Typical dishes often found in Marche restaurants:

• As an appetizer - antipasti on the coast, various variations of fish broth from 13 types of fish with saffron are served;
• Moving deeper into the Marche region, dishes are served more often, which include mushrooms and truffles;
• Pasta with squid and mushrooms(calamari e funghi);
• stuffed lasagna(lasagne all´ascolana);
• Chickpea soup with pork(la minestra di ceci);
• classic for Marche - tagliatelle with truffles(tagliatelle al tartufo).

In the mountains, you can often find polenta with sausage, a salad of mushrooms and truffles.

Desserts in Marche, as in all of Italy, are given a special place.
You can try here:

• "Becutte" (beccute)- buns decorated with pine nuts and raisins;
• "Kachiuni" (caciuni)- ravioli stuffed with cheese, eggs, sugar and lemon zest;
• "castagnole" (castagnole)- sweet dough balls sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Castagnole - sweet dough balls

Among the wines of Marche are more valuable:

• "Maceratesi Black Hills"- dry and harmonious taste;
• "Rosso Conero"- dry, rich wine;
• Rosso Piceno, Sangiovese- delicate bouquet and harmonious taste;
• "Lacrima di Morro d'Alba" with an intense fruity aroma and rich taste.

Climate

In the Marche region of Italy, climatic conditions have a wide range due to the difference in elevation. The mountainous areas of the Marche have cool summers and cold winters with snow that is quite frequent and plentiful.

In addition, in inland mountainous areas, temperatures can be very low.

Along the coastal zone, north of the Marche capital, Ancona, the climate is subcontinental. The hot summers are usually cooled by the sea breeze, and there are also quite cold winters (in Pesaro, the average temperature in January is 3.8 °C).

Average temperature readings:

• Winter temperature on the coast: 7-12C;
• Winter temperature in mountainous areas: 0-3.9C;
• Summer temperatures on the coast: 24-28C;
• Summer temperatures in the mountains: 15-22C.

best season for sightseeing holiday Marche - May, beginning of June. For the beach - the end of June - September.

From the end of June to September in the Marche region you can enjoy a beach holiday

Something else

For lovers of relaxation and SPA:

• not far from the Marche capital - Ancona (60 km), in Pergola, at 16 Localita ’ Bellisio Solfare, located thermal spa - Bellisio Solfare Terme Srl. Site suasanus.it
• 106 km from Ancona, on via San Gianno, 7, in the town of Petriano, thermal spa - Terme Di Raffaello Di Riccione Terme. Site termediraffaello.it
• Another thermal source— Terme Santa Lucia, 76 km from Ancona, on Viale Terme Santa Lucia, in the city of Tolentino. Site termesantalucia.it

Millions of tourists come to Italy, but in Marche, in Civitanova, all the same, with one goal - to visit the wonderful beaches.

The best of them: Promontorio di Conero (Promontorio del Conero) and Gargano (Gargano). In addition to these the most beautiful beaches with "postcard" views, there are 17 other beaches in the Marche region that have received the prestigious Blue Flag award.

How to get there

The main motorway in the Marche region is the A14, linking major roads with those leading to small villages and towns. Those, in turn, are connected by an efficient bus network.

Automobile

• From the Adriatic side: Highway A14;
• C (direction Florence): motorway A1. Then, to Val di Chiana, - A1;
• To Perugia - - Foligno - motorway SP 75;
• To Foligno - Loreto - SS 3 Flaminia, exit onto SP 77;
• From the Tyrrhenian coast (towards Rome): Motorway A1, take the E45 exit (Orte - ) in the direction of Terni;
• SS 3 Flaminia, on Foligno - Loreto;
• SP 77 at Serravalle del Chienti, Muccia, La Maddalena, Macerata.

Airplane

Marche International Airport - Falconara Marittima (http://www.marcheairport.com/)
From airport:

• by car;
• by bus, there are two lines, Line J (Falconara - Ancona) on ConeroBus (website http://www.conerobus.it/)
  Farabollini lines (Ancona - Macerata), site http://www.farabollini.it/

Train

From the station at the airport - Castelferretti, choose the direction and on suburban train, buy a ticket at the box office / terminal / on-line and get to the desired point. Website: trenitalia.it

Conclusion

Clean sea, mountain peaks, care and concern for the environment and historical heritage, the best food and all this - good prices.

This is the Marche region.

The Italian Marche region in the east of the country is an area that brings together cities with very different histories and cultures.

This administrative region owes its name to the tribes of the Franks, who appeared here in the 10th century and called the border lands “mark”. Marche is on east coast Central Italy and is one of the smallest regions of the country.

Geographic location and climate

The administrative Marche region in the central part of the Adriatic coast, covering an area of ​​9366 km². In fact, this is the 15th place in terms of area among all 20 Italian regions. The warm Adriatic Sea washes Marche from the east, in the north the region borders on San Marino and, in the west - on Umbria, in the north-west - with, and in the south - with.

The administrative center and, in fact, the only major port in the region is Ancona. Except for a narrow coastal strip, the territory of the region has a mountainous relief. All the local rivers (Esino, Metauro, Cesano, Potenza and Tronto) flow into the Adriatic Sea.

Conventionally, the region can be divided into two climatic zones. In its southern cities the climate is dry and mild, in the northern cities it is humid and cool. The most comfortable climate, of course, is on the coast. Thus, the average temperature in Ancona in summer is 20.7°C, and in winter - 3°C. The time zone is UTC+1. In summer, the time differs from Moscow by 2 hours, and in winter - by 3 hours.

General information and features of the administrative division

An area of ​​​​9366 km² is about 3.2% of all of Italy. The population according to the situation for 2013 is 1,545,155 people, of which 100,000 live in the administrative center of Ancona. The region consists of five provinces: Ancona, Fermo, Macerato and Pesaro e Urbino.

For many years, the Marche region lagged behind other Italian regions in economic development due to the lack of roads connecting it with the central part of the country. Today, the region's GDP is 2.6% of Italy. The predominance of small landed property and the lack of fertile land causes the slow development of agriculture. At the same time, Marche remains one of the main centers of shipbuilding in the country.

Marche region. A bit of history

The settlement of the territories of the Marche region took place as early as the 9th-3rd centuries BC. e. during the Iron Age. In ancient times, the Adriatic coast was under the control of the powerful Senon tribe, which was constantly in conflict with the Romans. At the end of the 3rd century, the area known as Pisenum came under the control of the Romans. Later there were the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the wars with the Goths in 535-554, the entry into the Ravenna Exarchate of Byzantium, the Lombards, the conquest in 724-814 by Charles I the Great and inclusion in the Holy Roman Empire.

Over time, the territory was transferred under the control of the Pope. But staying in the Papal States turned out to be a formality, since the real management of the region was carried out by local clans. In 1796, Pius was forced by Napoleon to allow Ancona to be occupied. Then there was a short period of independence and entry in 1798 into the Roman Republic. The territory became part of the united state in 1869.

The current capital of the region Ancona in 390 BC. e. founded by the Greeks. The name is translated from Greek as “elbow” and is due to external similarity: the city harbor protected by a cape resembles an elbow. Long enough in use local residents there were coins with palm branches and Greek.

Cities and sights of the Marche

Perhaps one of the most interesting from a tourist point of view is the city Urbino. This locality numbering about 15,000 people, spread out on the hills of Foglia and Metauro in the center of the region, has not changed much since the Middle Ages. From afar, the city resembles a large-scale theatrical scenery in a medieval theater: a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture grows among a large number of tiled roofs Palazzo Ducale.

The construction of this palace was initiated by Duke Federico II and lasted a whole century from the middle of the 15th century until 1563. A few years after the start of construction work, the task of building the palace city was transferred to the Italian Luciano Laurano. The architect developed a project that combined new buildings and old buildings. It was he who became the author of the famous "Tower Garden", the courtyard and the main staircase. In 1472 Laurano was replaced by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, whose main merit was the interiors of the palace. In addition to the Palazzo Ducale, in Urbino it is worth visiting the church of St. Bernardino degli Zoccolanti, built in 1472.

By the way, it was in this city that the famous treatise "Fundamentals of Arithmetic" by Luca Pacioli was born in 1494, in which he considered some accounting issues. Perhaps that is why the Italian Urbino is considered the "cradle" of accounting.

The administrative center of the region is the city Ancona attractive for tourists as a balneological resort. Among the numerous monuments of antiquity and the Middle Ages, the Romanesque cathedral of the 11th-13th centuries and the Arc de Triomphe of Trajan of the 2nd century are worthy of special mention. And, of course, the scale of the speleological complex of the Frassassi caves will not leave anyone indifferent. One of the oldest European universities, which appeared in 1290, is located in the town Macerata, but picturesque Pesaro glorious as the birthplace of the great Gioacchino Rossini. AT Loreto you can also see the earthly home of the Virgin Mary.

View available Marche hotels on a map

Culture and art

It's no secret that cultural heritage any power is not limited to monuments of architecture and art. And in Mark they even know how to make the prose of life into art. Thus, the traditions of craftsmanship in the manufacture of textiles, leather products and paper are not only passed down from generation to generation, but also formed the basis of the production capacities of enterprises. The world-famous company Indesit, which produces household appliances, and manufacturers of musical instruments from Castelfidaro.

It just so happened that Marche gave the planet many Italian composers, musicians and cultural figures, including Maria Montessori, Donato Bramante, Giacomo Leopardi, Rafael Sabbatini, Gioacchino Rossini and Valentino Rossi. But the most famous native of this area is Rafael Santi. On the street Contrada del Monte in Urbino, the house in which the artist was born is still preserved.

Of course, comparing the Marche with the major tourist centers of Italy would be incorrect. But every year more and more tourists come to the region, preferring a relaxing holiday against the backdrop of nature.

The entire territory of the Marche is covered with hills and mountains, the flat areas are limited by the coastal strip. The highest mountain range in the region, one of the first four in height in all the Apennines, is called Monti Sibillini and is located in the middle of the provinces of Fermo, Ascoli Piceno and Macerata. The coast is interrupted approximately in the middle by Cape Conero, which divides it into two sections. On the cape is Mount Conero, whose limestone cliffs spectacularly hang over the sea - this is the most high point the entire coast of the Adriatic Sea, the height of the rocks exceeds 500 meters above sea level. Conero protects the Gulf of Ancona from the north, where the port of the same name is located.

Urbino Historic Center / Shutterstock.com

The climate on the coast is temperate: summers are hot here, but it is refreshed by a pleasant sea breeze, and winters are cold. In mountainous regions, summers are warm and winters are harsh, with a high probability of snowfalls. The main cities of the Marche are the capital of Ancona, Pesaro, Urbino, Macerata, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno.

Tourism

Marche is a real discovery for lovers of diverse natural landscapes, man-made and miraculous beauties, which are concentrated on an area of ​​just under 10,000 square meters. It is a region with a thousand faces and colors: the yellow of sunflower fields, the green of hills and parks, the red of tradition, folklore and culture, and finally the blue, the rich color of the sea, lakes and rivers.

As many as 180 kilometers of coastline with 26 beach resorts, magnificent beaches, picturesque bays, 9 tourist ports and 18 "blue flags" that guarantee the quality of services and water. In this region it is possible to choose a beach with the finest sand, pebbles or rocky coast, with palm trees or cliffs. The variety of beach landscapes allows you to practice many sports.

Teatro Sferisterio in Macerata © Photo: Marche region

The deep part of the region is distinguished by an exceptionally beautiful landscape, which is formed by green and golden hills with patches of forests and meadows, harmoniously alternating with neat wheat fields and olive groves.

In the west, the Apennines confidently keep their watch, gently descending in parallel valleys to the sea, and in the south - the proud peaks of Monti Sibillini, exceeding 2,000 meters and attracting lovers of botany, mountain walks and trekking.

Cathedral San Ciriaco in Ancona / Shutterstock.com

Marche is one of the richest regions of the country in terms of cultural heritage: 500 squares, more than 1000 major monuments, 37 fortresses, 106 castles, 15 citadels and 170 towers, thousands of churches (200 Romanesque, 96 abbeys, 183 sanctuaries), 72 ancient theaters , restored and operating. It also has the highest density of museums and art galleries, as well as many libraries (as many as 315), some of which hold ancient volumes.

So the Marche is a real museum region, consisting of a rich network of cities of art and ancient towns scattered over soft green hills, where unique masterpieces are kept - paintings by Piero della Francesca and Lorenzo Lotto, Raphael and Carlo Crivelli, Rubens and Titian, and there are also many ancient theaters and ancient Roman roads, testifying to the remarkable past of these lands.

In addition to museums, libraries, archives and theaters, the cultural heritage includes numerous religious monuments, abbeys, monasteries, churches distributed throughout the territory, and secular buildings - castles, stronghold cities, fortresses.

food and wine

In terms of enogastronomy, the Marche is a unique land; we can say that in this region there are all the main Italian delicacies. Due to the diverse and complex configuration of the natural landscape, one can meet various culinary traditions here - the result of a harmonious combination of nature, traditions and culture. The gastronomic tradition of Marche is based on simple and healthy ingredients. Dishes with a strong taste, mainly meat, alternate here with fish, crustaceans and seafood.

Truffle. Marche is one of the few regions in Italy where high-quality truffles of both types - black and white - are produced. Mushroom picking is very common in the mountains.

Salami. The history of salami is closely connected with the peasant history of the local population: almost all parts of the pig's body were used on the farm, nothing was thrown away. So there were two main types of salami in the Marche - Fabriano and chauscolo, especially popular in the vicinity of Macerata. This is a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) product. In its manufacture, lard is threshed and mixed with meat, forming a single mass that can be spread on bread.

Other types of salami are coppa di testa, mazafegato, fegatelli, and salsiccia matta. Sausages londza, lonzino, capocollo, bacon pancetta-arrotolata and roast suckling pig (porchetta) are also valued. The prosciutto leg, one of the most valuable parts of the pork carcass, is produced throughout the region. Prosciutto from Carpegna is very popular both in Italy and around the world: in 2006 it received the status of an appellation of origin (DOP) in Europe.

Olive oil. The olive groves in Marche cover an area of ​​7,200 hectares, and the oil produced here has excellent organoleptic properties. The quality of the oil is inextricably linked with the quality of the fruits themselves: the tender olives from Ascoli are highly valued, which are considered the best olives to serve; they are also available in brine, stuffed or fried "ascolan".

Cheeses. This is a land rich in pastures, where livestock feed on natural forage and give rich and healthy milk. Therefore, there are many cheeses made from cow, sheep, goat and mixed milk - casecci, caprino, zlattato, raviggiolo, quark, ricottine and kacho in the form of a lemon. Unusual sheep cheeses are typical for all mountain regions: they are flavored with marjoram, thyme, blackberry shoots, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, olive oil and yolk are added. Pecorino cheese is also found in the northern part of the region, which is aged in oak barrels for three months, wrapped in walnut leaves or laid out in layers along with fragrant herbs or grape pomace. Also famous is Caciotta from Urbino (DOP), one of Michelangelo's favorite cheeses; it has been produced here since the 16th century.

Verdicchio vineyards in the Castelli di Jesi area / Shutterstock.com

Wine. The hills of the Marche region are ideal for viticulture and the production of sugary and aromatic grapes from which wines of excellent quality are made. The variety of wine products in the region is really great: 15 DOC wines (Bianchello del Metauro, Colli Maceratesi, Colli Pesaresi, Esino, Falerio, I Terreni di San Severino, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, Terre di Offida, Pergola, Rosso Conero, Serrapetrona, Rosso Piceno, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi e Verdicchio di Matelica) and 5 DOCGs (Conero, Offida, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva). There are many holidays dedicated to wine, as well as routes through the region, allowing you to simultaneously get acquainted with its art, traditions and culture. Be sure to visit the enoteca of the Marche region in Jesi and Offida.

Desserts. The authenticity of Marche cuisine finds its expression in the dessert part of the menu. Local sweets are distinguished by the use of local products and ease of preparation. Almost all of them belong to the peasant tradition and are associated with the carnival, religious holidays or turning points of the various seasons. The list is endless: castagnole, biscuits with wine, morocchini, shughetti or polenta from musta, bostrengos, salami from figs, frustingo, chambellone, pizza sbattuta, chicherchiata, chestnut ravioli, funghetti di Offida, calcioni or piconi, frappe , almond or walnut cookies, Cavallucci di Cingoli and others.

How to get there

By plane
Marche's main airport is international Airport Ancona Falconara (www.marcheairport.com), named after the great Renaissance painter Rafael Santi, who was born in the nearby city of Urbino. This airport links Marche with Rome, Naples, Alghero, Cagliari, Catania and Trapani. There are also direct flights to some cities in Europe and the Middle East: Munich, Brussels, London, Dusseldorf, Barcelona, ​​Tirana, Marsa El Alam, Sharm El Sheikh.

By car
Whether you are coming to Marche from the north or the south, there are two options: the A14 Bologna-Taranto motorway or the SS16 parallel highway. The largest and most interesting cities connected by roads that fan out from the coast to the continental part of the region: SS3 "Flaminia" from Rome crosses Umbria and ends in Fano, SS76 from Fabriano goes to Jesi and Ancona, SS77 connects Foligno with Civitanova Marche, passing through Tolentino and Macerata, SS4 The Salaria connects Rome and Rieti with Ascoli Piceno and San Benedetto del Tronto.

By train
The main railway lines of the region are the Adriatic from north to south (Milan-Bologna-Ancona-Pescara-Bari-Lecce) and the Transappennine (Ancona-Fabriano-Foligno-Orte-Rome). The neighborhood of Macerata is crossed by the Civitanova-Fabriano line, the neighborhood of Fabriano - by the Fabriano-Pergola line, the area around Piceno - San Benedetto del Tronto-Ascoli Piceno. Ancona and Pesaro, on the line that continues the Milan-Reggio Emilia-Bologna branch towards Rimini, Pesaro and Ancona, are served by Freccia Rossa high-speed trains.

By sea
Ancona is one of the most important ports in the Adriatic, both in terms of tourism and trade. From here there are flights to Greece, Croatia, Albania and Montenegro. In the port of Ancona moored and cruise ships, and from the port of Pesaro you can get to Croatia by catamaran.
Nine Marche tourist ports are available for mooring yachts: Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Numana, Civitanova Marche, Porto San Giorgio and San Benedetto del Tronto.

Official website of the tourist department of the Marche region: