Spotlight on Italy’s Marche region

The Marche region of Italy lies in the centre of the country on the Adriatic coast, bordering Tuscany and Umbria to the west.

Ancona

The port city of Ancona is the capital of the Marche region. You can take a ferry to Greece, Croatia or Albania from here. The 2nd century marble arch on the harbour wall was built in honour of the Roman Emperor Trajan. The regional archaeological museum is in Ancona. The Cathedral of San Ciriaco, built in Romanesque style, is close to the port.

Pesaro

You can enjoy the coastline at Pesaro.

Look out for the beautiful Art Nouveau Villa Ruggeri which is situated on the seafront.

Urbino

The Ducal Palace in Urbino is very impressive. It was built in the 15th century for Frederico III the Duke of Montefeltro.  The National Gallery of Marche is in this palace.

Moresco

This town’s name means Moorish, as it’s said that a group of Moors came inland from the coast to build a fortress here. The 12th century seven sided tower is quite distinctive.

Monti Sibillini National Park

Legend tells that the mountain here was home to the prophet Sybill, who was visited by many noblemen seeking guidance. There are many historic paths within the park including the 120 kilometer Sybilline ring. There are also lots of opportunities for mountain biking.

Montefortino

The annual Truffle Festival of Monte Sibillini is held in the town of Montefortino.

Sarnano

The spa town of Sarnano has a medieval old town. You can do some skiing in Winter at the nearby resort which has nine slopes.

Image credits: simonsimages, pizzodisevo, linz_ellinas, Lino M, lartnouveauenfrance, Yannick Anne

Karen Bryan is the founding editor of the UK based, multi author Europe a la Carte Blog which features Europe travel tips about the best places to visit in Europe.