The Marche is the region that best combines art, sea and mountains in a contained area — Urbino (UNESCO), the Conero on the Adriatic and the Apennine Sibillini. It is not yet discovered by mass tourism: food is good (ascolane olives, vincisgrasso, Adriatic fish brodetto), costs less than Tuscany, space is available. From Bologna by car: 2h. From Rome: 3h. From Florence: 2h 30'. Airports: Ancona-Falconara (AOI) and Pescara (PSR, for southern Marche).
Urbino and the Palazzo Ducale
Urbino (UNESCO 1998) is Federico da Montefeltro's Renaissance city — the most cultured condottiere of the Italian Renaissance, who transformed a medieval village into one of Europe's most important cultural centres. Palazzo Ducale (National Gallery of the Marche, €8) contains Piero della Francesca's Flagellation of Christ (one of the most studied paintings in art history, main room), the Ideal City (attributed to Piero's circle), Federico's portraits by Pedro Berruguete. The palace itself (Luciano Laurana, 1468-1472) is among Italy's most refined Renaissance buildings. Raphael's House (Via Raffaello, €4) is the painter's birthplace — small but authentically medieval. The city has remained frozen in the 15th century.
Conero and Sibillini
Monte Conero (572m, Regional Natural Park) is the only limestone promontory on the Adriatic — Portonovo (white pebbles, crystal water), Mezzavalle (only on foot 30 min from Portonovo, the Marche's most beautiful beach), Sirolo and Numana (beach clubs and sandy beach). Ancona (regional capital, 20km from the Conero) has the Romanesque Cathedral of San Ciriaco (11th century, on the hill above the harbour) and the Arch of Trajan (115 AD, the Roman harbour). The Sibillini (National Park, on the Umbria border) have the Castelluccio plains (1,452m, lentil flowering in May-June). Ascoli Piceno (southern Marche) has Italy's most beautiful travertine square (Piazza del Popolo) and ascolane olives (olives filled with meat, fried — invented here in the 19th century).
Practical tips
Mezzavalle (Conero) is the Marche's most beautiful beach — only on foot (30 min from Portonovo), worth every step
Ascolane olives in Ascoli Piceno are eaten hot fried from city centre friggitorie — not the frozen kind
