Le Marche remains largely unexplored and offers spectacular scenery and hilltop towns and villages, as well as ski resorts and miles of beautiful coastline.

From May to September the small towns of Le Marche celebrate their bounty with a wide range of festivals. The town squares see marquees, open air dinners and plenty of merrymaking. We recommend Sassoferato for wild boar, Staffoli for prosciuto. 

Cingoli - a 1.5 hour drive from one of our villas in Le Marche has the most festivals of all with one a month dedicated to polenta, Verdicchio wine, pecorino cheese & ham and melon. Norcia is renowned for its truffles but smaller Acqualagna is easier to get to, easier to park in and has an equally large supply of restaurants featuring the local black truffle!

The rich and famous head for the beaches of Rimini, then south for Pesaro and the Riviera del Conero. Dining at the exclusive restaurants of Porto Recanati and Senigallia. Macerata may not be the capital of the region but it is centrally located and has a real love of opera. The open-air opera festival at Macerata's Sferisterio stadium (rated as one of the finest open amphitheatres in the world) with a seating capacity of 3000 presents an annual festival at the end of July. Recent years have seen performances of Turandot, Aida and Mozart’s Magic Flute.

Just 70 kms from one of our villas in Le Marche is the capital, Ancona. The city’s art museum houses works by Titian, Lotto and Crivelli although it is better known for its modern art collection. Not to be missed is the cathedral which was built on the site of a 3rd Century BC temple dedicated to Venus and is an ornate blend of Byzantine, Roman and Gothic styles. 

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