The Guardian Raves About Le Marche...

7/28/2019 The Guardian Raves About Le Marche...

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Stretching for around 100 miles along the Adriaticcoast, with hilltowns to rival those of Tuscany andUmbria, Le Marche is a gorgeous and affordable region

to exploreDonald StrachanFriday 29 March 2013The Guardianhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/mar/29/how-to-do-le-marche-italy-on-a-budget

If Le Marche seems like one of Italy's least known regions, that's probably because we'relooking at it from the outside. Because "the Marches" the historic borderlands of thePapal States more than pull their weight in the national psyche. Giacomo Leopardi,Italy's great 19th-century author, was marchigiano. So was revolutionary educator MariaMontessori. Le Marche brought back more gold medals per head from London 2012 than

any other Italian region two-thirds of an invincible female fencing team were from onesmall town, Jesi. Even Lionel Messi, the Argentinian footballer, has roots there: hisancestors emigrated from Recanati in the 19th century.


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The region stretches for around 100 miles along the Adriatic coast. The undulating hills ofits interior are rich farming terrain, and only sparsely peppered with market towns and one-street villages. The only fast road hugs the seaside, so choose your base well if you wantto take in both of the region's cultural blockbusters, Urbino and Ascoli Piceno, withoutblowing the budget on petrol (now around 1.85 a litre). It is doable: stay fairly close to themain A14 and somewhere around the midpoint between the two.

Urbino

An extract from St Francis Receiving the Stigmata, by Federico Barocci, in UrbinosPalazzo Ducale. Photograph: GettyUrbino is a steep stone hill town to rival anything in Tuscany or Umbria, and just as taxingon the calf muscles. Its grandiose architecture went up during a golden age underFederico da Montefeltro in the late 1400s, when it was the capital of a powerful dukedom.One year after the duke's death, Urbino was the birthplace of painter Raphael, whose firsthome still stands in via Raffaello. Local painter Federico Barocci is the star of an exhibitionin London's National Gallery until 19 May (see nationalgallery.org.uk/barocci-brilliance-and-grace). You can see a couple of his panels for free inside Urbino's neoclassical

cathedral. The economical way to see everything else is with the 12 Urbino tourist card(urbinoculturaturismo.it). Take in smaller art sites such as the frescoed Oratorio di SanGiovanni, but leave most of your time for one of Italy's best galleries, inside the PalazzoDucale. Duke Federico's haughty Renaissance palace houses Le Marche's art collection,which includes Piero della Francesca's weird Flagellation of Christ, works by Raphael andUccello, and a study decorated with intricate intarsia inlaid wood, some of it designed byBotticelli. Duke Federico didn't need to watch the budget he could afford the best.

You eat well and fairly cheaply in La Trattoria del Leone , where dishes such as tagliolini alpecorino di fossa(pasta with aged ewe's milk cheese) cost from 8. For an earthy whiff ofthe high life go to nearby Acqualagna, where the tartufo biancogrows. The truffle-huntingseason is short: it begins with a fair in November and runs until mid-December. Urbino's

most romantic affordable bolthole is the B&B Albornoz (rooms from 70 B&B), set into thecity walls by the castle.

Province of Macerata

To discover the quieter beauty of Le Marche, spend at least a day just driving thebackroads of its lovely interior. Hit the university city of Macerata for the Wednesday

market. Once you've shopped for a picnic, grab an outside table on Piazza della Libert.Finish up near the hill town of Filottrano around dinner-time for aperitivo or a meal atCa' Vecchia Vino e Sfizi. Dishes served at this isolated farmhouse offer a modern take onmarchigianoingredients, such as farro(spelt), and cost around 11, or a little more if you


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pair each with a different local wine. It's well worth the slight splurge for a seat on thepanoramic terrace, enjoying the drifting aroma of lavender and rosemary and watching thesun set over the farmland.

Ascoli Piceno

Caff Meletti in Ascoli Piceno. Photograph: AlamyThis "city of travertine" most of the set-piece buildings are built from this honey-coloured limestone is the highlight of the southern Marche. It's a place to wander, ratherthan check off sights from a list. Prize exhibit at the Museo Archeologico Statale on PiazzaArringo is a colourful Roman mosaic. Thanks to a mischievous optical illusion, its centralfigure seems to change from a young faun to an older figure as you walk around. It's wellworth the 2 admission price.

Menusaroundtownincludedelicaciesthat don'tget muchairtimeoutsidethe region,nevermindoutsideItaly. It's only a few euros for a paper cone loaded with filling olive all'ascolana(stuffed

olives, breaded and deep-fried). Local rosso picenowine is an affordable lunchtimepartner for red meat. Finish a meal with vino cotto, a potent (and cheaper) sherry-like riffon the Tuscan vin santo. You can buy them all at Gastronomia Migliori on Piazza Arringo .Meletti aniseed liqueur was also created here. Linger over one in the art nouveau interiorof Caff Meletti on Piazza del Popolo , looking out on Ascoli's prettiest square. The town'sbest budget meal is served at Trattoria da Middio (Via delle Canterine 53, +39 0736250867), a solidly working-class place that's not shy about its allegiances my bill camewith a little hammer-and-sickle imprint. Lunchtime mains are read aloud, rather thanwritten down, and they are cheap: around 7 for the likes of baccal(salt cod) in piquanttomato sauce or grilled pork steak.

Ancona and the Conero peninsula


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Ancona might be your gateway. Ryanair flies direct from Stansted, and an improved raillink with Milan opens next month. Ferries from Greece, Croatia and further afield pack itsport. It's tempting to head straight out of town: it was bombed in two world wars, andearthquakes had anyway already levelled much of the medieval architecture. But thatwould be a mistake. Ancona was founded by ancient Greeks as an outpost of Syracuse, inSicily, and its harbour thrived during the Roman era. The second-century Trajan's Arch stillguards the port. It also saw plenty of Crusader traffic in the middle ages. Pope Pius II died

here in 1464 trying (and failing) to launch a Crusade.

The Museo della Citt on Piazza del Plebiscito recounts the city's history from Romantimes to the 1960s. It is free to enter, and there's a free guided tour on the first Sunday ofevery month. But to see Ancona's real highlight, you'll need to head uphill. A steep climbfrom the old town ends at the cathedral of San Ciriaco. A couple of marble lions onegrappling a lamb, the other a serpent support its delicate Gothic porch. There's no majorart inside, but it feels instantly ancient; Corinthian nave columns were raided from a long-gone temple to Aphrodite. It's free to enter, and free to admire the view from the piazzaoutside.

For a fresh, cheap and tasty lunch, stop in at Da Morena, a seafood kiosk on CorsoMazzini (next to number 61). The drill is as simple as the food: grab a bread-basket and abottle of water or wine, and order from the cabinet. Dishes such as cold marinatedanchovies or warm razor clams with cherry tomatoes are sold by weight. You will eat wellfor under 10.

The best budget rooms close to the port are at Residence Vanvitelli, on a quiet courtyardoff the main drag, where a studio for two with kitchen costs from 60 a night. For a longerstay, head out of the centre to a silent hillside away from the traffic and narrow lanes.Rooms at Poggio agli Ulivi cost from 75 a night B&B and are decorated in farmhousestyle, with plain walls, high, beamed ceilings, terracotta floors and iron-framed beds.During July and August, stays are Saturday to Saturday only, but there is no minimum

outside peak season.

Just south of Ancona, the Conero peninsula is a dramatic, craggy coast that seems out ofplace on Le Marche's gentle riviera. Hike the clifftop paths, or ride them on a hiredmountain bike. The only way to reach the prettiest Conero beach, at Due Sorelle, is byferry from Numana. It costs a slightly budget-busting 15 for adults and 10 for kids; seetraghettatoridelconero.it for timetables.


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Beside the seaside

The medieval town of Sirolo, Ancona. Photograph: Francesco Iacobelli/CorbisFor a day trip, the Conero or nearby Portonovo are ideal. But if you want to base yourselfin a resort, Pesaro strikes the best balance between beach life and culture. It was the

birthplace of composer Gioachino Rossini in 1792, and stages a Rossini Opera Festivaleach August. It is smaller and less hectic than Rimini, 25 miles up the same stretch ofcoast, though it does have the tightly packed umbrellas and sun loungers typical of Italianresorts. The Levante is the best beach for young children an offshore tidal break andshallow shelf make bathing safe. It has a dozen or so private (fee-paying) beach services,but you can save by heading to the free section that begins opposite the southern end ofViale Trieste.

Now for some culture. Pesaro's San Terenzio cathedral has glass panels in the floor forviewing Roman and Byzantine mosaics; take a 1 coin for the subterranean lights. TheMusei Civici on Piazza Toschi Mosca have a small, high-quality art collection that includesa Bellini altarpiece and Guido Reni's muscular Fall of the Giants. It costs nothing to admireVilla Ruggeri, in Piazzale della Libert, an exuberant (and rare) example of domestic art

nouveau architecture, built for a pharmacist in the early 1900s.

Pesaro is a popular resort so food prices can be a little high, especially on the seafront. Agood bet is L'Angolo di Mario , right on the boardwalk, which has an excellent reputationfor sourcing seafood. Waiters happily recommend what's fresh and local which is usuallyeverything except prawns, which don't thrive locally. Mains cost from 11, and there's acheaper pizza list for the kids. In the town itself, hidden down a little alley off Piazza delPopolo, Osteria La Guercia is a stalwart of the local food scene: expect beamed ceilings,walls frescoed during the 1940s in antique style, and dishes such as gnocchi withgorgonzola and red piceno wine. Mains are 8 and there's a 20 tasting menu if you wantto get acquainted with a cross-section of local flavours at a sensible price.

Roaming inland

Brodetto, an Anconan speciality fish soup. Photograph: Francesco Iacobelli/ FrancescoIacobelli/JAI/Corbis

More information from:turismo.marche.it;urbinoculturaturismo.it;paradisepossible.com;conero.info. Osterie d'Italia 2013is the Slow Food movement's iconic affordable eatingguide, available as a location-aware iOS app (for iPhone or iPad, 6.99), with around 80places to eat across Le Marche. Donald's rail travel was provided by International Rail(0871 2310790, internationalrail.com) book long distance rail travel up to four months in

advance to secure cheaper super economy fares. Seetrenitalia.comfor timetables.

Donald Strachan is the co-author ofFrommer's Italy 2013, out last week, price 16.99. Tobuy a copy for 13.59 with free UK p&p go toguardian bookshop.co.uk

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