Landscapes of Marche
3 minutes
The hills are the fullest expression of the plurality of the Marches, where the work and knowledge of the land have become a solid civilisation, capable of confronting the most refined arts of its masters, the most enlightened literature of its poets and writers, the elegant forms and thoughts of its cities. Hills that follow one another with their own order, sharper in the centre-south of the region, more 'primitive' towards the north. Scenic or discreet promontories, cultivated or wild, inhabited or solitary. And then there are ancient and new vineyards, which yield white and red wines that are now recognised as the finest in Italy. The hills of the Marches are dotted with splendid villages, inviting to a slow and natural rhythm, and majestic fortresses and strongholds, such as those of Francesco di Giorgio Martini in Montefeltro, the Albornoz Fortress in Sassoferrato, the Rocca di Offagna and the Rocca Roveresca in Senigallia.
Be amazed by the wonders of the Marche Apennines
The Italian Apennines are quite unexpected, but the one in the Marches leaves you truly amazed: peaks such as the Vettore, which at 2476 m towers above the Sibillini Mountains and their magical legends; mountains in which the wonder of some of the largest and most important caves in the world, such as the Frasassi caves, opens up; walls of brightly coloured rocks where, as far back as Roman times, tunnels were dug and roads were built that have made history, such as at Furlo. And more peaks that chase each other in dewlaps like those of Catria, Monte Acuto and Nerone, wild and mysterious reliefs like those of the Alpe della Luna. Fragrances of woods and meadows that invite regenerating walks and hikes, snow-capped peaks that await you among ski slopes and refuges, food of refined simplicity, atmospheres where the intensity of mountain life and memory hovers together with the smoke of the last charcoal kilns.
From sheer headlands to 'velvet' beaches: this is the Marche coastline
A coastline that varies in shape and colour, the one in the Marches opens with a mountain: from the promontory of Gabicce you can enjoy the view of a sea that you would not expect, with the eye wandering out to sea and over the entire coastline. From here Monte San Bartolo takes shape, reaching as far as Pesaro with its spectacular views, made to offer a wild and surprising Adriatic after hundreds of kilometres of flat and crowded coastline. Once the heights have faded away, the soft, expansive beaches return at Fano, becoming 'velvet' at Senigallia. Then, close to Ancona, there is a mountain again, the Conero, with the delightful Numana and Sirolo: a true mountain for its peculiar nature, despite its only 572 metres, all of them, however, overlooking the sea. Then, for a long stretch, again wide and quiet beaches like those of Civitanova, Sant'Elpidio, Porto San Giorgio, Pedaso, which towards the south become 'exotic' with the 'palm Riviera' of Cupra Marittima, San Benedetto del Tronto and Grottammare.
In Leopardi's verses: when poetry and landscape become one extraordinary heritage
One of the highest voices of poetry of all time could not fail to deeply mark the spaces where it was born and took shape. A voice, that of Giacomo Leopardi, that drew inspiration from these places and, almost in contrast to their discretion, made them the protagonists of some of the most powerful reflections ever written on the meaning of living. Indelible images of joys both small and immense, of consolations both difficult and sublime, of poignant and lyrical awarenesses that, immersed in the Marche landscape, have become the unique heritage of this land. Losing oneself in its uncontaminated landscapes, the meaning of the Infinite perhaps becomes more comprehensible. On the other hand, Leopardi's verses accompany us in the discovery of this region, starting from Recanati, his home and the places that marked his life - such as Silvia's house and Mount Tabor - that we learnt about from his words even before visiting them.
Urbino and Montefeltro: in the realm of beauty and elegance
The Duchy of Urbino, the city of Raphael Sanzio and a World Heritage Site, and the ancient region of Montefeltro, which border and in some parts overlap, carry the echoes of a vision that constantly looks to quality: of the landscapes, architecture and historical residences that make this land unique, of daily life, of the poetic sense of things, of the dreams and realities that today make it a privileged environment of nature and culture. Montefeltro and Urbino are not just a place, but first and foremost a feeling. There is no doubt that there is a true Montefeltro style, a well-defined way of being, of appreciating elegance and beauty, of bringing together the right flavours and fragrances (think of the truffle, which sees some of its importance here). A way that fully captures the highest arts and thoughts of the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance.
