The Marche (also known as the Marches in English) form the eastern seaboard of central Italy with the regions of Emilia-Romagna to the north and Abruzzo to the south. From the relatively narrow coastal plains the land rises sharply to the peaks of the Appennines which form a natural boundary with Umbria and Tuscany to the west. Sea and countryside, mountains and hills sloping down to the coast: The inland mountainous zones are mostly limestone and are noted for bare peaks, rushing torrents, dramatic gorges and many complexes of caves. In contrast, the areas nearer the coastal plain are celebrated for their fertile rounded hills topped by ancient fortified towns. So,in the Marches it is possible to find a large variety of such enchanting landscapes that many writers and poets, such as Dante, Leopardi and Carducci were inspired by them. Along the 180 Kilometres of sandy coast, i.e. of beaches, the only promontory existing from Trieste to the Gargano area is included: the Mount Conero (572 metres), in the surroundings of Ancona, which falls sheer to the sea. At just 100 Kilometres inland, it is possible to find peaks meeting the requirements of the most demanding mountain lovers: Mount Vettore is the highest peak of the Apennines (2478 metres) and it is located in the Sibillini chain. This mountain chain is one of the two National Parks of the Marches, together with the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. Nonetheless, in the province of Pesaro, the Sasso Simone e Simoncello Regional Park and southward the Mount Catria, and then the Mount San Vicino are remarkable places too. Whether you want to admire masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, trek across wild uncharted mountains or hunt out the best of the catch in a Mediterranean fishing port, Le Marche has enough to keep you busy for years. And you will rarely have to jostle with hoardes of other foreign tourists.

The Marches, thanks to their favourable position along the Mid Adriatic Sea, have always been a centre where different civilizations and cultures merged. Inhabited since the “Early” Palaeolithic Age, this land was later invaded by the Picenes, whose symbol, the woodpecker, is nowadays used as the regional logo. Later on, under the Roman civilization , many municipia (Roman towns) were founded and important consular roads like Flaminia and Salaria were built. The creation of the former “Marches ” of Fermo and Camerino witnesses the occupation of the region by the Barbarians. At the beginning of the year 1000 many local states were established and were supported both by the Empire and by the Church. The age of the city-states was very eventful; the statutes of Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata, Fano, Jesi, Fermo and Ascoli Piceno were promulgated. During the 13th century the monastic orders spread; in the 14th century outstanding families started to rule over the region: the “Montelfeltro”, the “Della Rovere” in the ducky of Urbino and the “Da Varano” from Camerino. The Papal States were joined together in the 17th century whereas the urban town became an economic and power centre during the 18th century. Napoleon’s arrival marked the beginning of modern times whereas the nineteenth century was the time of the Risorgimento (battle of Castelfidardo) and the following process of national unification.