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: Marche
Regions of Italy
Many have written that the Marche can be considered a synthesis of Italian beauty. From Urbino to Ascoli, Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata and Fermo ‘one must deserve to be a native of the Marche’ (caldarelli, writer). The region, with its 1.538.000 inhabitants, is situated in the centre of Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. Sandy [...]
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Many have written that the Marche can be considered a synthesis of Italian beauty. From Urbino to Ascoli, Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata and Fermo ‘one must deserve to be a native of the Marche’ (caldarelli, writer). The region, with its 1.538.000 inhabitants, is situated in the centre of Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. Sandy coastline, hilly and mountainous hinterlands.
The economy is made of small and medium enterprises, and includes many sectors: footwear, furniture, automotive and naval industry, tourism, and trading (the ports of Ancona, Fano and Senigallia).
Ancona is the capital of the region (101.000 inhabitants) and is also the major port and financial centre of the region. In the Roman times the city was considered the main intersection for trade route with Dalmatia, Egypt and Asia. Since 1959 it has been an important university town.
Pesaro, second most densely-populated city in the Marche, forms a province with Urbino. It is the native town of Rossini, an important beach of the Adriatic, and the seat of the largest furniture company in Italy. It is also known as ‘city of the 4 Ms’: mare, monti, musiche, maioliche (sea, mountains, music and majolicas).
Urbino has very ancient origins. The city was dominated by the Senones in the IV century BC. The Roman domain is attested by the remains of massive town walls. The name of the city derived from the Latin word urvum, which was the curved handle of a plough.
The origins of Ascoli origins remain obscure. Perhaps it was populated in the Neolithic. According to an old legend, the city was founded by the Samnites, who reached the area by following a woodpecker (‘picchio’ in Italian, from which ‘piceno’). That is perhaps why woodpeckers were considered sacred animals for centuries. In the Middle Ages the city was sacked by the Goths and the Lombards. Now it is considered the most beautiful town in the Marche because of its shiny travertine monuments and striking medieval alleys. Visitors cannot miss the Renaissance Piazza del Popolo, Palazzo dei Capitani and, of course, the renowned Caffé Meletti.
Macerata and Fermo - yet a province in the Middle Ages – are also important towns. Fermo is embellished by a unique historical centre on the Sabulo hill.
