Forget Tuscany, visit Marche,
according to the Sunday Times.
"Avoid the crowds of Chiantishire and experience agritourism,
the medieval city of Urbino and dining on the sand in
Portonovo", reported Mia Aimaro Ogden in an article published
Sunday.
The report did not advise readers on a specific itinerary but
described the region's highlights, saying it has long been
neglected in favor of its more famous neighbors - Tuscany and
Umbria.
"Let's get the name straight: it's pronounced "lay-mar-kay"
(Le Marche), but the British call it the Marches", said the
report.
"This eastern region has always existed on the sidelines, at
one time the borderlands of the great Papal States and neglected
today in favor of Tuscany and Umbria, its showier neighbors.
Which is all the better for visitors".
The Sunday Times said the relative obscurity of the region
goes to the advantage of those who visit, who can discover its
110 miles of coast and the rocky Adriatic coastline, dotted with
wild beaches, describing it as the most authentic part of Italy.
"Hemmed in by mountains and sea, Le Marche is Italy at its
rawest, and the hills of the interior are fertile ground for
agritourism", according to the report.
Natural beauties include the Park of the Sibillini mountains
with its peaks, lakes and wildlife, which tourists should
explore with an authorized guide, and Mount Conero, the
newspaper noted.
For those who dislike altitudes, the caves of Frasassi are a
go-to place, it said.
The ancient cities of Urbino and Recanati are fascinating and
can offer in terms of art and architecture as much as many
Tuscan towns but at a lower price and with no crowds, said the
Sunday Times.
The newspaper also cited as an unforgettable location Urbino,
with its Palazzo Ducale and the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche,
as well as the botanical garden.
A 90-minute car drive south of Urbino and tourists can visit
Recanati, the native city of the great Italian poet Giacomo
Leopardi (1798-1837).
Quotes from his poems are everywhere in town, his native home
with his precious family library is a 20 minute walk from the
Museo Villa Colloredo Mels with paintings by Renaissance master
Lorenzo Lotto.
And visitors will certainly not be starving in the Marche,
the travel piece noted, listing a wide selection of agritourisms
on the Sibillini mountains, taverns in Recanati and, among
others, the top restaurants in Senigallia of Moreno Cedroni and
Mario Uliassi, whose "Re del Mare" has been awarded three stars
in the 2019 edition of the Michelin guide.
photo: morning mist on the Monti Sibillini
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