How can one tell the thousand nuances of Italy’s only plural region? The Marche, located on the Adriatic Sea in the centre of Italy, already hints at the many souls that populate it. From the sea to the mountains, passing through ancient villages and cities of art, the Marche remains in the heart of the traveller and invites him to move unhurriedly, to discover enchanting villages nestled on harmonious and ancient hills, to discover that ‘distillate of Italy’ that this territory represents.
“Italy, with its landscapes, is a distillate of the world; Le Marche of Italy…”. (Guido Piovene)
The only Italian region to have kept its plural name, Le Marche is the expression of a plurality of identity that is also expressed in terms of landscape, with snow-capped peaks (those of the Apennine ridge, in winter and fine sandy beaches (Senigallia and Riviera delle Palme) in summer, but Le Marche is also an open-air museum, with villages and cities of art (Urbino, Ancona and Senigallia) that evoke the region’s Renaissance splendour.
Cradle of Italian culture (Giacomo Leopardi was born and raised in Recanati) and a popular destination for pilgrims, the Marche region is a nerve centre of Christian spirituality, thanks to the presence of Loreto, the largest Marian shrine in Italy.
One of the reasons for its great charm is that you can explore at your leisure and in relative solitude, majestic Roman ruins, soaring Gothic architecture, massive medieval castles and sublime Renaissance palaces that house some of the richest art collections in Italy. All of this is nestled between high wooded mountains and the tranquil Adriatic coastline and topped off with mouth-watering gastronomic festivals.
The discreet charm of Le Marche conquers Lonely Planet, one of the most famous travel guides in the world. The region is ranked second among the destinations to visit in 2020. This is the traditional ‘Best in travel 2020 – Top ten regions’ ranking, in which Le Marche is Italy’s standard-bearer.
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