SPECIAL ITALY 2019
Forget Tuscany: discover the hills and beaches of Le Marche, Italy’s secret region
Avoid the Chiantishire crowds and experience agritourism, the medieval town of Urbino and dinner on the sand in Portonovo
Mia Aimaro Ogden
January 13, 2019, 12:01 PM, The Sunday Times
Paradise and Hill: Medieval Urbino
Let’s clarify the name: it’s pronounced “lay-mar-kay”, but the English call it Marche. This eastern region has always existed on the fringes, once the frontier of the great Papal States and now overlooked in favour of its more flashy neighbours, Tuscany and Umbria. Which is all the better for visitors.
Surrounded by mountains and sea, Le Marche is Italy at its rawest, and the inland hills are fertile ground for agriturismo. At Il Tiglio, at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains, you’ll dine on hand-reared chicken and garden-fresh vegetables, served by local farmers (£27 per person, B&B; iltiglioagriturismo.it). Or you can explore the best of the Adriatic’s 110 miles of rocky coastline, dotted with wild beaches in Conero and San Bartolo state parks. The medieval cities of Urbino and Recanati are among the most fascinating in Tuscany: they offer refined art and architecture, low prices and not a queue in sight.
Missing Peace: The Quiet Beach of Fiorenzuola di Focara
What to do
Start in Urbino, the cultural capital of Le Marche. Its grandeur is all thanks to Federico da Montefeltro, soldier, scholar and true Renaissance man: his elegant Palazzo Ducale houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche’s exceptional collection, including works by Titian and Raphael (£8; gallerianazionalemarche.it).
The city’s cobbled streets, grand palaces and hidden courtyards occasionally give you surprising views of the hills beyond. Seek out Pierina Scaramella’s 200-year-old botanical gardens, an exotic urban oasis, or take your pick of the churches: the highlights are the oratories of San Giovanni Battista, with frescoes of the life of John the Baptist by the Salimbeni brothers, and San Giuseppe, where Federico Brandani’s sculpted Nativity is a delight. Stop for an espresso at Camera a Sud, a small bar with a big chandelier and an even bigger welcome (Via Bramante Donato 14).
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A 90-minute drive south is Recanati, the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, one of Italy’s greatest poets. Start with a drink on the stools outside the Café de la Paix in the pretty piazza that bears his name (aperitifs from £3; facebook.com). Extracts from the poet’s works are printed all over town. His home, Casa Leopardi, with its 19th-century library, is open to visitors (£6; giacomoleopardi.it).
While you’re here, don’t miss the museum at Villa Colloredo Mels, a 20-minute walk away. The centerpiece is a polyptych by Renaissance portraitist Lorenzo Lotto, a moving Pietà (£9; villacolloredomels.it).
The Marche’s splendor extends beyond its cultural heritage, though. Monti Sibillini National Park, a 90-minute drive south, is part of the Apennines, with peaks up to 8,000ft, glacial lakes, and glimpses of eagles, wolves, and wildcats. It’s best to take an official guide, because it’s wild up there (from £18 per person; quattropassi.org).
Nativity scene by Federico Brandani at the Oratory of San Giuseppe, Urbino
The trails around Monte Conero on the coast are much easier. No. 301 is a two-hour hike to the summit, at nearly 1,900 feet, with views of the coastal town of Portonovo and Mezzavalle beach, as well as the turquoise Adriatic beyond. If you’re not afraid of heights, try the Frasassi Caves, an otherworldly cave complex southwest of Ancona (guided tour £16; frasassi.com).
If beaches are more your thing, you’ll have to work a bit harder to get to the best of Le Marche. Those with young children may prefer the comfort of the beach clubs in the resort town of Senigallia, but for something a little wilder, head north to Pesaro and San Bartolo State Park (parcosanbartolo.it). Fiorenzuola di Focara has a wildflower meadow a 20-minute walk from the center along the Sentiero dell’Amore. Outside of July and August, you might be alone here.
Sibillini Mountains National Park, in the Apennines
Back in the Monte Conero nature reserve, try the beaches around Sirolo. Walk through the woods of Parco della Repubblica to the sands of San Michele. From here, you can take a boat to Le Due Sorelle, named after the white sea stacks that jut out of the sea at the end of the bay. Stop here or swim around the corner to Cava Davanzali, for magnificent views and solitude (£23 return; traghettatoridelconero.it).
What to eat
You certainly won’t starve in Le Marche. In the small coastal town of Senigallia, there’s Moreno Cedroni’s excellent Madonnina del Pescatore (tasting menu from £110; morenocedroni.it), as well as the three-Michelin-starred Uliassi on the beach, with an exquisite “laboratory” tasting menu (£136; uliassi.it).
La Bottega del Villaggio, in Recanati, is the pet project of a hungry hunter, Giuseppe Clementoni, whose small osteria serves local classics (mains from £9; facebook.com).
On the beach: Clandestino by chef Moreno Cedroni
In the small bay of Portonovo, Il Laghetto serves fresh clams, octopus and prawns at tables on the sand (mains from £10; illaghetto.com). Alternatively, paddle across the shallows from here to Moreno Cedroni’s Clandestino, a shack-style “sushi” bar with roots in the Marche region. Try the pizzetta with mackerel and burrata (mains from £14; morenocedroni.it).
In Bargni di Serrungarina, a village east of Urbino, Da Gustin is the 12-seat outpost of Virginio and Catia Baldelli’s B&B dining room: they honour the slow-food, zero-mile ethos, producing tasty treats such as beef carpaccio with white truffle (mains from £6; dagustin.it).
Walks on the Wild Side at San Bartolo State Park
Where to stay
Gallery Hotel Recanati is a 17th-century former seminary with sweeping views (doubles from £67, B&B; ghr.it).
For a night in Urbino, try SanPolo 1544, a 16th-century-style room to rent in an elegant palazzo (doubles from £108, B&B; sanpolo1544.it).
Or head to the coast: the seven-room Locanda Rocco, on the edge of medieval Sirolo in Conero State Park, has fun decor and friendly service (doubles from £106, B&B; locandarocco.it). In nearby Portonovo, the 30-room Hotel Emilia is family-run, with a cliffside garden and pool (doubles from £124, B&B; hotelemilia.com).
How to get there
Ryanair flies to Ancona from Stansted. Or try easyJet.
Mia Aimaro Ogden stayed at Gallery Hotel Recanati and Kirker Holidays, which offers seven nights in Le Marche from £1,198 per person, including return flights and car hire (kirkerholidays.com)
ITALY SPECIAL 2019
Forget Tuscany – discover the hills and beaches of Le Marche, Italy’s secret region
Avoid the crowds of Chiantishire and experience agritourism, the medieval city of Urbino and dining on the sand in Portonovo
Mia Aimaro Ogden
January 13 2019, 12:01am, The Sunday Times
Heaven and hill: medieval UrbinoGETTY
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Let’s get the name straight: it’s pronounced “lay-mar-kay”, but the British call it the Marches. This eastern region has always existed on the sidelines, at one time the borderlands of the great Papal States and neglected today in favour of Tuscany and Umbria, its showier neighbours. Which is all the better for visitors.
Hemmed in by mountains and sea, Le Marche is Italy at its rawest, and the hills of the interior are fertile ground for agritourism. At Il Tiglio, at the foot of the Monti Sibillini, you’ll dine on hand-reared chicken and vegetables fresh from the garden, served by marchigianifarmers (£27pp, B&B; iltiglioagriturismo.it). Or you can explore the best of the 110 miles of rocky Adriatic coastline, dotted with wild beaches in the Conero and San Bartolo state parks. The medieval hill towns of Urbino and Recanati are as charming as anything Tuscany can offer, with fine art and architecture, low prices and nary a queue in sight.
Missing peace: Fiorenzuola di Focara’s tranquil beachALAMY
What to do
Begin in Urbino, Le Marche’s cultural capital. Its splendour is all down to Federico da Montefeltro, soldier, scholar and true Renaissance man: his elegant Palazzo Ducale hosts the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche’s exceptional collection, including works by Titian and Raphael (£8; gallerianazionalemarche.it).
The cobbled streets, grand palazzos and hidden courtyards of the town occasionally grant you startling views to the hills beyond. Seek out the 200-year-old botanical gardens of Pierina Scaramella, an exotic urban oasis, or take your pick of the churches: the best are the oratories of San Giovanni Battista, with frescoes of the life of John the Baptist by the brothers Salimbeni, and San Giuseppe, where the sculpted Nativity by Federico Brandani is a delight. Stop for an espresso at Camera a Sud, a little bar with a big chandelier and an even bigger welcome (Via Bramante Donato 14).
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A 90-minute drive south is Recanati, the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, one of Italy’s greatest poets. Start with a snifter on the stools outside Cafe de la Paix, on the pretty piazza that bears his name (aperitivi from £3; facebook.com). Excerpts from the poet’s works are printed all over town. His home, Casa Leopardi, with its 19th-century library, is open to visitors (£6; giacomoleopardi.it).
While you’re here, don’t miss the museum in Villa Colloredo Mels, a 20-minute walk away. The highlight of the Renaissance portraitist Lorenzo Lotto’s polyptych here is a moving pietà (£9; villacolloredomels.it).
The splendour of Le Marche extends beyond its cultural heritage, though. The Monti Sibillini National Park, a 90-minute drive to the south, is part of the Apennine Mountains, with peaks up to 8,000ft, glacial lakes and glimpses of eagles, wolves and wildcats. It’s best to take an official guide, as it’s wild up there (from £18pp; quattropassi.org).
Federico Brandani’s Nativity scene at the oratory of San Giuseppe, UrbinoMARKA/UIG
The trails that wind around Monte Conero, on the coast, are a lot easier. No 301 is a two-hour trek to the top, at a height of nearly 1,900ft, with views of the seaside town of Portonovo and Mezzavalle beach, as well as the turquoise Adriatic beyond. If you don’t have a head for heights, try the Grotte di Frasassi, an otherworldly cave complex southwest of Ancona (guided tour £16; frasassi.com).
If beaches are more your thing, you’ll need to put in some effort to get to Le Marche’s best. Those with small children might prefer the ease of the beach clubs in the resort town of Senigallia, but for something a bit wilder, head north to Pesaro and the San Bartolo state park (parcosanbartolo.it). Fiorenzuola di Focara has a wildflower-strewn strand a 20-minute walk from the centre along the Sentiero dell’Amore. Outside July and August, you might well be alone here.
Monti Sibillini National Park, in the Apennine MountainsDANITA DELIMONT/GETTY
Back in the nature reserve of Monte Conero, try the beaches around Sirolo. Walk down through the woods of Parco della Repubblica to the sands of San Michele. From here, you can pick up a boat to Le Due Sorelle (the Two Sisters), named after the white stacks jutting from the sea at the end of the cove. Stop here or swim round the corner to the Cava Davanzali, for glorious views and solitude (£23 return; traghettatoridelconero.it).
What to eat
You certainly won’t starve in Le Marche. In the small coastal town of Senigallia, there’s Moreno Cedroni’s top-notch Madonnina del Pescatore (tasting menu from £110; morenocedroni.it), as well as the three-Michelin-starred Uliassi, on the beach, with an exquisite “laboratory” tasting menu (£136; uliassi.it).
The Bottega del Villaggio, in Recanati, is the pet project of a hungry hunter, Giuseppe Clementoni, whose tiny osteria serves local classics (mains from £9; facebook.com).
On the beach: chef Moreno Cedroni’s Clandestino
On the beach: chef Moreno Cedroni’s ClandestinoGIORGIO FILIPPINI
In Portonovo’s tiny bay, Il Laghetto offers fresh clams, octopus and crayfish at tables on the sand (mains from £10; illaghetto.com). Alternatively, paddle through the shallows from here to Moreno Cedroni’s Clandestino, a shack-style “sushi” bar with marchigianiroots. Try the pizzetta with mackerel and burrata (mains from £14; morenocedroni.it).
In Bargni di Serrungarina, a village east of Urbino, Da Gustin is the 12-cover outpost of Virginio and Catia Baldelli’s B&B dining room: they honour the slow-food, zero-mile philosophy, producing tasty treats such as beef carpaccio with white truffles (mains from £6; dagustin.it).
Walk on the wild side in San Bartolo state parkFRANK KRAHMER/GETTY
Where to stay
The Gallery Hotel Recanati is a 17th-century former seminary with huge views (doubles from £67, B&B; ghr.it).
For a night in Urbino, try SanPolo 1544, a 16th-century-style bedroom for hire in an elegant palazzo (double from £108, B&B; sanpolo1544.it).
Or head to the coast: at the seven-room Locanda Rocco, on the edge of medieval Sirolo, in the Conero state park, the decor is fun and the service is friendly (doubles from £106, B&B; locandarocco.it). In nearby Portonovo, the 30-room Hotel Emilia is family-run, with a clifftop garden and pool (doubles from £124, B&B; hotelemilia.com).
Getting there
Ryanair flies to Ancona from Stansted. Or try easyJet.
Mia Aimaro Ogden was a guest of the Gallery Hotel Recanati and Kirker Holidays, which has seven nights in Le Marche from £1,198pp, including return flights and car hire (kirkerholidays.com)