Marche (Marches in English) is an essentially mountainous and hilly region, facing the Adriatic Sea. The mountain area is rugged, with narrow valleys, deep gorges and numerous rushing, sometimes inaccessible, streams (Gorge of Furlo). The coastline presents a succession of gently rolling hills and flat plains crossed by rivers.
The regional capital is Ancona. Other important cities are Ascoli Piceno, Pesaro, Urbino and Macerata.
Sharing a common border with the miniscule republic of San Marino, we find the region of the Marches. Here the flatlands give way to vast green valleys ringed by snowy ridges. The slopes and summits are dotted with quaint hilltowns, formidable castles and revered shrines, many of which offer breathtaking views all the way to the shores of the Adriatic. The Marches have no reason to envy their more famous neighbors; if anything, they can boast of all the same glories, fewer tourists, less crowded restaurants and much lighter traffic, all of which add up to a host of good reasons to discover this little known part of Italy. |
