Le Marche Undiscovered Italy

A four-day tour of the Le Marche region in Italy finds Achal Dhruva shuttling between grand churches, exquisite beaches, astonishingly scenic countryside and Roman amphitheatres

Roman arena at Urbs Salvia

The first glimpse of Italy, the sight of dawn breaking over the snow capped peaks of the Alps adorned with a mellow golden hue as I stepped out of the Malpense airport in Milan left me rooted on the spot for a couple of minutes. When I first read Mario Puzo's, 'Godfather' I could not really relate to Michael Corleone being hit by what his Sicilian shepherd bodyguards described as a 'thunderbolt' when he first comes across the sheer innocent beauty of Apollina, a young country lass in Sicily. Well, I may not have been struck by a 'thunderbolt' but my four-day whirlwind sojourn of Le Marche organised by the Italian State Tourist Board (ENIT) at the end of September has certainly left me enamoured with the beauty of this region in central Italy.

A bird’s eye view of Urbino

Situated on the eastern side of central Italy between the Adriatic Sea and the high Apennine mountains, Le Marche is an idyllic region much of it still untouched by the ravages of mass tourism. While the Adriatic coastline with major ports and beach towns like Ancona, San Benedetto del Torro Pesaro etc have been a mecca for sun-n-sand holidaymakers, it is the countryside which has been attracting a steady influx of visitors in search of a peaceful relaxing holiday amidst nature. The fertile rolling hills near the coast to the picture perfect mountainous hinterland are dotted with quaint villages and towns, each a treasure trove of history, Renaissance art and culture. And getting more popular as an alternative to Tuscany and Umbria, its more celebrated neighbours.

Though we landed in Milan (after a comfortable and direct flight on Alitalia), the city was a blur. A quick stopover for lunch, a dekko of the Sabyasacchi Mukherji fashion show at the famous Milan International Fashion Week and we on our way speeding towards Le Marche or more specifically Le Foresteria, a country inn style of hotel situated 500 kms away, close to Ancona, a major port city and the administrative headquarters of the region. The next four days were a mad rush of kaleidoscopic images and experiences, which thanks to the efforts of our entertaining interpreter Leonardo and knowledgeable guide Mariela gave us an insight to the various facets of the region. With so many places to write about it was really difficult to pen them all and even what little I have dared to spell out is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. As they say, seeing is believing. But this much I am certain of now - there is more to Italy than Rome and Milan...there is Le Marche.

Day 1: Tolentino-Abbey Fiastra-Loro Piceno-San Ginesio-Civitanova Marche

Tolentino

Loreto

It was a dull overcast and chilly morning as we drove into Tolentino, a small thriving medieval town set on rolling hills, located about 11 kms from the hotel. Despite the light drizzle, the central square of the town, Piazza della Liberta bore a festive look and was crammed with townsfolk participating in an event felicitating the fire brigade. The brightly uniformed band, which included children, and bright red fire engines made a sharp contrast to the imposing old brick structures including one of the oddest medieval clock towers. The tower has three clocks, one showing the time, the other showing the days and months and the third displaying the phases of the moon.

An old timer confided with a wink, that women's behaviour is influenced greatly by the phases of the moon. "The moon clock helps us keep track of when we should not rub them the wrong way."

The other attraction of the square is the International Museum of Caricature and Humour in Art housed in Palazzo Sangallo. There are some 3,000 works by artists across the world. However, the main draw of the town is the beautiful Gothic basilica, Cappellone di San Nicola, shrine of Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas, born in 1245 AD, became a friar in the Order of St Augustine and entered the monastery in 1275 at Tolentino where he died in 1305. Although a noted preacher and pastoral worker, his fame rests on the numerous miracles attributed to his intercession, attracting pilgrims from all over the country. The basilica houses grandiose frescoes, vivid masterpieces of the 14th century. The embalmed body of the saint is housed in a finely engraved crypt.

Tolentino town with a population of about 20,000 is typical of Le Marche region with a maze of narrow cobbled streets and one- or two-storied brick buildings with tiled roofs and shuttered windows. Wandering through the lanes I noticed plastic bottles of water placed outside most doors. On questioning, Mariela said the practice was not some local superstition but rather a practical way of keeping cats from littering the doorstep. The highlight of the visit was a sumptuous lunch with the mayor of Tolentino, Lucano Ruffini who summed up the lure of Le Marche. "It's a more beautiful countryside, less expensive and people are warm and hospitable than the neighbouring and popular Tuscany region. Le Marche is a very peaceful place where one can discover many unknowns," he said. The last was reinforced on many occasions over the next three days of our explorations.

San Ginesio

The countryside beauty of Le Marche

We drove up a winding path to San Ginesio, a delightful small town with a strong medieval stamp and were treated to some breathtaking views in the fading light. The town retains its original medieval plan and walls as well as many early buildings including two churches, the 10th century church of San Michele and the 13th century church of San Francesco. The Romanesque portal of the church is topped by a highly unusual Gothic brick facade while the tower to one side has an oddly-shaped onion dome sitting on it. Since it was nightfall by the time we reached we missed out on the chance to see the town but were able to witness a medieval dance performance in the church by young local girls before dinner. The highlight of the dinner was Leonardo regaling us with a few songs in Italian on the piano and his tales about devil worship. "San Ginesio is known as the village of the devil. A long time ago a famous archbishop refused to enter the village claiming that it housed the devil. People used to make masks to invite the devil and hang them in one corner of the roof and also conduct animal sacrifice. The archbishop called an exorcist to cleanse the village. You can find such masks even today," Leonardo divulged with a serious deadpan expression. When all of us jumped upon him with questions regarding the holes in his story, he said with a wide grin, "My cousin told me this…" and then mischievously challenged, "we can go right now and search for the mask on the roof." After a long tiring day we did not end up verifying Leonardo's story but it certainly added to the Gothic ambience and spiced up a wonderful dinner.

Day 2: Camerino-Visso-Fiastra-Sarnano-Urbisaglia

Camerino

Our first stop was Camerino, most of which was built between the 14th and 16th century. The highpoint of the visit literally was the portico courtyard of the Ducal Palace. The splendid balcony leading from the palace offers some breathtaking views of the Sibillini mountains. It was a mesmerising sight to watch rays of sunlight break through the cloud cover lighting up a small patch of mist covered mountainscape.

Fiastra

Our lunch halt was at Fiastra, a small mountain village in the heart of Monti Sibillini, the mountain range which includes one of the highest peaks on the Italian mainland - Monte Vettore (2,476 metres). The wild tarns and windswept high plains of the Monti Sibillini provide some of the Marche's most spectacular landscapes. This mountainous region is highly picturesque and its beauty is enhanced by the fact that it is still well off the usual tourist beat apart from winter skiers and intrepid ramblers in high summer. The roads are fantastic making this region very accessible and a treat for long drives. The 30 kilometres odd drive down from Fiastra, where we had some exotic homemade cheese and rabbit meat at a family run restaurant, to Sarnano was simply mind-blowing. The mountains chiseled by glaciers and limestone erosion, possess some outstanding natural sights. The lower slopes are thickly forested with upland plains, which are a mass of flowers in spring ending in snow-capped peaks. The combination of sheer beauty and feeling of isolation has to be experienced to be believed. Despite several entreaties on my part to park along the road to absorb the breathtaking valley view, Alberto our driver made just a two minute stop for us to click pictures all the while promising that I would get a better view further down the road. As it turned out before I knew it we were winding our way down on the other side to Sarnano. Though I must admit that the peeping view of Sarnano, a bustling spa town, through a thin veil of mist in the valley below was also stunning but not in the league of the towering snow-capped peaks we had left behind.

Day 3: Urbs Salvia-Mogliano-Fermo-Ascoli Piceno- San Benedetto del Tronto

Urbs Salvia

Cobbled street in Tolentino

It was a bright sunny day and the warm weather raised our spirits as we set out for Urbs Salvia to step back in time, way back to Roman times. At the foothill of a small village Urbisaglia, lie the remains of Urbs Salvia, a town founded in 1st century BC. The remains at this archaeological site comprise of the amphitheatre built in the 1st century AD and is one of the region's most conspicuous Roman ruins. It was built by Luccio Flavio Silva Nonio Basso, a general who was born in the village and led a legion to Massada in Israel. After he retired he built the amphitheatre or Anfiteatro in order to win public opinion. At the inauguration of the amphitheatre 40 pairs of gladiators fought. Two kinds of fights used to take place here, one between gladiators and the other, gladiators pitched against wild animals. Mostly bears and boars were used as lions were too expensive. Also water battles were fought in the arena. Water pipes were laid from the water tank on the hill to fill the arena, the level rising to about one and half metres. This sport was meant for the lords where the objective was to overturn the opponent's boat. The slaves rowing the boat were tied and generally died when a boat overturned. After that I lost the train of Leonardo's translation of Mariela's explanation as I slipped into a daydream of the arena filled with frenzied spectators baying for blood as I took on ten hefty armoured gladiators al la Russell Crowe style.

Mogliano

Fermo town

The only reason for including Mogliano, a small unassuming town which strings a series of small, red-brick piazzas, as our next stop was for its weekly market. Rows of stalls had been set up on the main street selling everything from vegetables to household utensils to shoes and clothes. A scheduled 20 minute stopover turned into a nearly two hour romp thanks to the ladies who went on a shopping spree. The town has one star attraction, Lorenzo Lotto's magnificent painting of the Assumption (1548) in the church of Santa Maria Assunta. Also worth a look is the small town theatre made completely from wood. It seats 210 people and has a three-tiered balcony on the sides and frescoes on the ceiling. The theatre was destroyed in a fire 20 years ago and was reopened last February. The subscription cost is 50 Euros and entitles one for three performances. Tickets are priced at 14 Euros. This is yet another typical feature of Marche region. Even a small town has its own theatre. The atmosphere was very lively with ladies bargaining and the men soaking in the sunlight on street side cafes sipping wine and smoking. To my surprise I spied a few Indian faces among the crowd. They did not appear to be tourists. Leonardo informed that quite a few Indians had settled in Marche region.

Ascoli Piceno

Dome in St Nicholas Church in Tolentino

Ascoli Piceno is a major centre in southern Marche which tourist brochures describe as a place you can see in a day yet never forget. We spent slightly over an hour and visited the two main squares to get a flavour of the place. Piazza del Popolo, the traffic-free, main square lined with street side cafes is perhaps one of the most elegant provincial squares in Italy. To one side of the square stands the Palazzo del Popolo, a splendid 13th century building guarded over by a monumental statue of Pope Paul III. A peep inside and you get a view of a beautiful arcaded Renaissance courtyard. San Francesco, a great Gothic church, towers at one end of the square presenting a sobering but pleasing effect. The other main square, Piazza Arringo, is almost as impressive as its big sister and is flanked by the Duomo or cathedral, and the town hall or Palazzo Comunale. Inside here you will find the Pinacoteca Civica, Ascoli's art gallery, a carpet-bag collection of minor works by major artists and major works by minor artists. The main square of Ascoli bears a festive air on the first Sunday of August when it plays host to La Quintana, a jousting tournament, one of the most exciting of medieval shows in the Marche. The high point of the games is when riders from the city's six districts tilt with lances for the target.

Day 4: Urbino-Portonovo-Loreto-Macerata

Urbino

The final day of our Italian sojourn started at 7 am when we departed for Urbino, a University township. The local population is 15,000 while the student population is pegged at 20,000. While this gives the town an air of youthful exuberance, the town is steeped in history and is billed as a seat of great Italian art and architecture with its centro storico listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The hub of the town is the animated triangle of Piazza della Republica situated in a hollow between two hills. Palace Ducale of Duke Federico da Montefeltro houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, a remarkable collection of paintings including one of the world's greatest and most enigmatic images, Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca.

Almost the entire town is a maze of pink-bricked alleys within fortified walls dating from the 15th and 16th century. The full grandeur of the town juxtaposed against the surrounding countryside can be experienced from the summit of the hill.

Portonovo

View of the Adriatic coastline before Portonovo

Just south of Ancona, the administrative headquarters and major port of the region, rises the solitary limestone peak of Monte Conero, whose steep slopes slide down to the sea and the prettiest beaches on the whole of the Northern Adriatic shore. Portonovo is the first port of call and the smallest retreat on the Conero Rivera. It is a picture postcard view of a white wisp of beach wedged between the craggy cliffs and light blue sea. You wind down the road to this collection of hotels, restaurants, campsites and makeshift beach huts on a narrow strip of beach, one of the most scenic and idyllic that I ever saw.

Loreto

The striking hill town of Loreto lies just inland from the Adriatic Sea and is one of the world's most famous and important shrines to the cult of the Virgin Mary. The town exists to service the thousands of pilgrims who travel here from around the world. The great dome of the Sanctuario della Santa Casa dominates the countryside for miles around. The curious statue within the walls of the Santa Casa of the Black Madonna of Loreto is a modern copy of the original destroyed in a fire in 1921. Despite the milling crowds there is a very tranquil atmosphere pervading the church and one can't help being overcome by a feeling of reverence before the grandeur and exquisite beauty of the interiors, especially the altar and the intricately carved marble house of the Madonna.

Macerata

En route to Fiastra in Sibillini mountains

It was night when we reached, Macerata, a major town of the Marche region. We did however manage a glimpse under moonlight of the 7,000 seater Sferisterio, a monster of a neoclassical arena used for the annual open air opera festival. And even in moonlight it was an awe-inspiring sight. The arena was erected by private subscription in the 1820s and was originally built as a football stadium. Macerata was almost entirely built between the 16th century and 19th century. The two-tiered arcades of the Loggia dei Mercanti on Central Piazza della Libertia in Renaissance style is the most striking piece of architecture of this town, which has emerged as one of the most prosperous centres in the region. However, it was the view of Macerata from the bell tower of the church in the main square, twinkling like a fairytale town, which has left a lasting impression and the wish to visit not only Macerata but explore the entire Le Marche region at a more leisurely pace.

Fact File Getting There Alitalia has direct daily flights to Milan from Mumbai and Delhi. From Milan it is a one-hour flight to Ancona, the major port city of the region. Rome is three hours drive from Ancona. The no frills airline Ryan Air flies daily from London to Ancona. Bologna airport (two to three hours drive from Ancona) is also another option with British Airways, Alitalia and Easy Jet offering daily flights from London. Getting Around By Rail: Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), the Italian State Railways, has two main lines in the Marche - the coastal Milan-Bari line that links up most of the seaside resorts and the trans-Italy Ancona-Rome line that joins up a few larger towns in the central part of the region. By Car: It is a key to discovering the region and if you can't get your own, hiring a vehicle is a very good idea. Metered taxis are available in most larger towns though like most of Europe they are expensive. For long journeys in the countryside decide the price beforehand. By Bus: Much of rural Marche has a good network of private bus service with comfortable modern coaches though the fares are more expensive than trains. Time tables and routes are available from tourist information offices or local town halls. Clothing Lightweight clothing is essential in high summer and you require a good sweater or jersey plus a raincoat in the spring and autumn. Winters are very cold so pack a lot of woollens. Summer (June-August) is the best season and is also the peak tourist season in towns and resorts along the Adriatic coastline. Currency: Euro