I VIAGGI DEL GUSTO - #Italy Made for me :: ONE DAY GUIDED EXPERIENCES TOURS :: * MARCHE

I Viaggi Del Gusto UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
MARCHE HIGHLIGHTS THE CONERO COASTLINE THE RENAISSANCE OF URBINO THE SMALL VILLAGES AND ITS CRAFT WORKS
LIST PRIVATE GUIDED TOURS : MARCHE AS YOU WANT
MARCHE AUTHENTIC LANDS:  ANCIENT TRADITIONS BETWEEN THE SEA AND THE HILLS Do you like traveling because discovering the past, origins and ancient traditions explains the present? Do you like having authentic experiences to detoxify yourself from the stressful everyday life? you are looking for a slow time off the tourist routes ... what you can't find by yourself ... .. FOLLOW YOUR RHYTHM and WE GUIDE YOU IN THE EXPERIENCE, THE ONE YOU CAN'T DO AND THAT WE ONLY DO ONLY FOR YOU !!!	CONTACT OUR EMOTIONS' SAILOR torreguelfa@torreguelfa.it
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MAIN CITIES

ANCONA THE CAPITAL 

Travellers who want the best of central Italy are now heading for Le Marche, the third region, alongside Tuscany and Umbria, that makes up the area. It is pronounced "lay markay", is plural (Le Marche) and is sometimes translated into English as "The Marches".The region lies on the eastern side of central Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the high Apennine mountains and much of it remains unspoilt by the ravages of mass tourism.True, the Adriatic coast has been a mecca for "sun n' sand" holiday makers for decades; but few venture far from the beaches. Inland, perhaps more so than anywhere else in central Italy, you will find places where time really has stood still. Compared to its central Italian sisters, here culture comes in more easily digestible proportions but quality, as at Urbino, is often of the very best.The administrative capital of Le Marche is Ancona, a city with less obvious attractions for the tourist. Give it time, however, and you may find you enjoy the salty charm of this bustling sea port. It's also one of Italy's principal ferry ports with boats to Croatia, Greece and Turkey. 

The Marche region has 180 kilometres of Adriatic coastline and a host of inviting seaside resorts if you want to spend a week or two al mare.There are basically two types of beach resort in the Marche. First there are the bigger centres with a lively atmosphere, busy nightlife, plenty of visitors from abroad and nose-to-tail hotels along the prom. Good examples include (from north to south) Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Senigallia, and San Benedetto del Tronto.Then there are the many more smaller resorts with less spectacular beaches and more rented villa/apartment accommodation rather than hotels. These places are often filled for the short summer season by Italian families, often inland marchigiani, who return each year. The adults will always sigh that they're doing it for the bambini but secretly love it. And there's always the mobile telefonino so they can pretend to be in the office.  A couple of places that don't fit into either category are the resorts nestling under the rocky peninsular of Monte Conero. Here you'll find rocky coves and white limestone cliffs totally unlike any other stretch of the Adriatic from Trieste in the north to Italy's "spur" at Gargano in the south.All the resorts in the region have a very short season; basically they're only crowded from mid-July to the third week of August. Come in mid-June or right at the end of August/early September and you'll have plenty of room with reasonably reliable weather. Most places are pretty well closed up from mid-September through to mid-May.Although all resorts have a stretch or two of free public beach (spiaggia libera), it's often at the least attractive end of the strand and is rarely as clean as the bits where you pay. Anyway, if you want the real Italian beach experience choose from one of the many pay sections with their ranks of umbrellas and sun beds. They're usually not that expensive, have all the facilities you could want and are the best place to see Italians up close. If you're staying at a hotel, free access to one of the beach concessions is usually included in the price.Le Marche can boast one of the highest number of Blue Flag beaches of any region in Italy. The prestigious Blue Flag is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education to environmentally well-kept beaches across Europe. The important "eco-label" is given to sites that meet strict criteria including water quality, environmental management, safety and other services. The region's eleven towns with Blue Flag beaches in 2006 are, from north to south, Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Sirolo, Numana, Porto Recanati, Civitanova Marche, Porto San Giorgio, Grottammare, and San Benedetto del Tronto. Many tourists visit Le Marche for its natural beauty and most of the spectacular inland mountain country remains unscathed by the worst excesses of the 20thC. See our nature page for a run-down of the region's nature parks.Here are the major sights that should not to be missed  You'll find some of the most impressive mountain scenery to the south of the region amidst the Monti Sibillini, whose peaks are often covered with snow until the late spring. The Frasassi caves are some of the most spectacular limestone caves you are every likely to visit. Limestone again is the leading player at the Furlo Gorge, a dramatic natural pass through the mountains that has been in use since prehistoric times. Most of Italy's Adriatic coastline is stubbornly flat. Monte Conero, just south of Ancona, is a rare exception - a high limestone mountain that plunges into the sea and guards a handful of delightful little bathing resorts.The best mountain views to be had in the north of the region, on the doorstep of Urbino, are around the giant Monte Catria. In spring the upland meadows are carpeted in alpine flowers.

PESARO URBINO 

Urbino remains one of the most important towns in the Marche - indeed in Italy - for the tourist in search of great Italian art and architecture and its beguiling streets well reward the curious traveller. Its centro storico now boasts the honour of being included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites

For the second half of the 15thC its windy hill was the setting for one of the most illustrious courts in Europe. Duke Federico da Montefeltro gathered around him the greatest painters, poets and scholars of his day and housed them in one of Italy's most beautiful Renaissance palaces, a palace that still stands as an eloquent memorial to this quintessential Renaissance man.For the best first impression approach the town from Arezzo to see the fairy-tale twin towers of the palace that give Urbino its unmistakable skyline; already you will see that it was built by a benevolent and secure ruler who had no need to intimidate or brag. The capital of the Marche's Pesaro & Urbino province, this appealing city is in turn an attractive seaside resort, a thriving fishing port and an important manufacturing centre. Its elegant broad streets have worthwhile sights to hold your attention and after a day on one of its uncrowded beaches, a fish supper by the sea is hard to beat.

MACERATA

Known across the world for its annual open-air opera festival, Macerata is a human-scaled provincial capital that also warrants a visit for its other charms.Its open-air opera festival in July has found an international following and takes place in the 7,000-seater Sferisterio - a monster of a Neoclassical arena erected by private subscription in the 1820's. As you swoon to a Verdi aria, you might care to know that it was originally built as a stadium for pallone, or Italian football.The centre has a measured dignity fitting the place's solid, if unostentatious wealth. Its centre was almost entirely built between the 16th and 19thC. The Renaissance two-tiered arcades of the Loggia dei Mercanti on central Piazza della Liberta' is the most striking piece of architecture.The alluring hilltown of Fermo is the capital of the newly-created province of Fermo and boasts a fine historic centre.Many of the smaller inland towns are well worth visiting and most make a good base for touring. These include Jesi, Cingoli, Recanati, Cagli, Camerino, San Leo, Sarnano and Offida. Of the many seaside resorts, the prettiest is Sirolo on the Conero peninsula. See our beach guide for details of having fun beside the seaside

ASCOLI PICENO

The provincial capital of Ascoli Piceno lies at the southern end of Le Marche. This beguiling old town is well worth at least an overnight stay. Its marble-paved main square is one of the most beautiful in Italy. The beguiling town of Ascoli Piceno is the southern Marche's major centre and, as its tourist brochure says, it is a place you can see in a day yet never forget. Along with its breathtaking main square, it has other outstanding sights that manage to leave their mark on even the most blasé of tourists.Although it is a fairly large town with a population of some 60,000 people, the historic centre can easily be seen on foot. Start at the Piazza del Popolo, the traffic-free, travertine-paved main square. This beautifully proportioned outdoor meeting place must be one of the most elegant provincial squares in all Italy. To one side of the square stands the Palazzo del Popolo, a splendid 13thC building guarded over by a monumental statue of Pope Paul III. Look inside to see the arcaded Renaissance courtyard.Closing off one end of the piazza is the great Gothic church of San Francesco, a sober but pleasing building both inside and out.