Luxury Villas in Le Marche

About Le Marche

Marche is a relatively unknown Italian regi0n. Situated in central Italy, its capital and largest city is Ancona. Its eastern border hits the Adriatic Sea. Inland, it is bordered by Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo. It also has a border with the republic of San Marino. Much of its landscape is characterised by undulating rolling hills, peppered with picturesque Medieval hilltop tops, row upon row of vines and olive trees, all leading down to its breathtaking eastern coastline.

It is a region that remains undiscovered by mass tourism. Le Marche is where you can very much enjoy a crowd-free holiday in Italy. It really is an opportunity to discover a truly unspoilt, authentic side to the country.

Cities, towns and villages of Le Marche

Le Marche’s capital city, Ancona, is not actually one of the first places we would suggest you visit in Le Marche. Sadly, much was destroyed by bombing during WWII. But, nevertheless it is still worthy of a visit.

That said, we would instead suggest you head first to Urbino. This city was of huge cultural significance during the Renaissance period. The birthplace of Raphael, it is still viewed today as the perfect example of an ‘ideal city’, with its perfectly preserved and extremely attractive centre set inside historic walls. It is home to a number of important religious buildings and museums, some of which can be found in the Palazzo Ducale which dominates the city.

Other towns and villages in Le Marche well worth exploring include the Roman town of Fermo, Offida, San Ginesio, Gradara, Grottamare, Loreto, Ripatransone, Mondavio, Corinaldo, Ascoli Piceno, Amandola and Sirolo. Six of these have also earned themselves the title of borghi piu belli.

Discover more about the towns and villages of Le Marche in our A to Z guide to Le Marche.

What to see and do in Le Marche

There are so many things to do in Le Marche. Of course, there are so many wonderful towns and cities in Le Marche to explore. However, much of the enjoyment is also the drive to get you from one to another. Marche is a wonderfully rural region and has an abundance of spectacular landscapes to admire.

The first of these is the Furlo Gorge. This is a rather spectacular ravine that has been cut through the Apennine Mountains by the River Candigliano. The favourite spot Italian dictator, Mussolini, he liked it so much that he had an enormous profile of his face carved into the cliffs on the northern side of the gorge. Following his death, his stone face was blown up by partisans, however, parts are still distinctly visible.

Marche also boasts four main national parks – the Sibillini Mountains National Park, the Conero National Park, the Monte San Bartolo Regional Park and the Gola della Rossa and Frasassi Regional Park. The region really is beautiful with an abundance of mountains, streams, woods, forests, hills, rivers and gorges to explore. In short, it’s perfect for those who love the great outdoors. Whether you choose to explore on foot, on two wheels, on horseback or via other means, you won’t be disappointed!

This rural backdrop has also ensured that, like its neighbours Tuscany and Umbria, Le Marche is similarly renowned for its food. For example, this is another Italian region where you can enjoy truffles. Acqualagna’s annual Autumn truffle fair is second only to that in Alba in Piedmont.

Le Marche is also a region renowned for its traditional craftsmanship. Fabriano was once the most important centre for paper production in Europe. And a visit to the town today will still provide you with an opportunity to learn about how the paper is produced and the history of paper making here. Similarly, the region is also famous for its pottery and the centre of the Italian maiolica pottery production in Marche is Urbania. And Offida is famous for its lace production.

But we must not forget about Le Marche’s stunning coastline either. The region can boast approximately 180 km of coastline along its Eastern border and this is home to the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in Italy. Some of our favourite beaches include Mezzavalle, Due Sorelle (which is part of a nature reserve and accessible only by sea), Spiaggia del Passetto in Ancona and Grottammare.

Finally, there is plenty to explore beneath your feet when you visit Le Marche too. The Grotte di Frasassi is the third largest underground cave system in the world. It’s a fascinating collection of caves, underground lakes, stalactites and pillars. Just to put some perspective on it, its largest cave – Grotto Grande del Vento – is cavernous enough to accommodate the Duomo of Milan. And in Osimo, there are 9 km of underground tunnels, parts of which can be explored. These originated in pre Roman times but the evidence of their use by Franciscan monks is what is more interesting to see today.

Get inspired about what to see and do on your next Le Marche holiday in our guide to the top 60 things to do in Le Marche on our blog.

When to visit Le Marche

We love Le Marche in every season. Whatever time of year you visit, there are plenty of events and festivals to enjoy. One of those that takes place in the Summer is in Senigallia. Here the Summer Jamboree, a two-week event celebrating American culture from the forties and fifties, sees people dressed in vintage clothing, dancing and singing into the early hours. Also in peak Summer, is the Quintana of Ascoli Piceno, a much more traditional jousting festival.

These particular festivals certainly provide plenty of reasons to enjoy a holiday in Le Marche in the Summer. The abundance of Summer sunshine is another reason to visit in July or August so that you can enjoy the wonderful beaches and water sports on offer.

However, if you are looking to be more active inland, you may prefer to visit in the shoulder season. Temperatures in the Spring and Autumn are perfect for sightseeing, hiking and other outdoor pursuits.

There is equally something special about Le Marche in the Winter months too. The run up to Christmas it is certainly particularly special, with some wonderful events worth participating in. The first is in Candelara which hosts ‘Candles in Candelara’ each year whilst the second is in Genga. Here, at the Tempietto del Valadier, a small church dug into the side of the cliffs, locals host a live nativity. This has grown over the past 30 years. With over 300 actors taking part to bring this miraculous event to life, it now claims to be the largest living nativity anywhere in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Marche famous for?

Le Marche is possibly our favourite region in Italy. And yet, for most, it’s a little known Italian holiday destination that, despite its beauty, sits under the radar. Marche is famous for its stunning rural landscape. Home to four national parks, it is a rich tapestry of rolling hills and mountains. Marche is also famous for its breathtakingly beautiful coastline. However, like so much of Italy, Marche is also famous for its long and rich history. Marche can certainly give Tuscany a run for its money when it comes to its artistic heritage. In Urbino, the National Gallery of Marche displays Renaissance artworks by artists such as Piera della Francesca, Titian and Raphael, who was actually born in the city. And the region also has a rich cultural heritage too. Marche is the birthplace of shoe-making in Italy. Brands such as Tods still have their headquarters here. And it’s also an important centre for paper production and ceramics. Fabriano was once the most important centre for paper production in Europe, Urbania is still famous today for its maiolica and Offida has been the centre of lace production since the 1400s.

How do I get to Le Marche?

Le Marche actually has its own airport – Rafaello Sanzio Airport – near Ancona. For a greater choice of flights, you can also opt to fly into Bologna Giglielmo Marconi airport. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to drive from here to Ancona. Alternatively, you could also fly into Florence or Rome (both 3.5 hours away) or into either Milan or Pisa, which are each around 4 hours drive from Ancona.

You could also opt to reach Le Marche by train. A fast Frecciarossa train will take you from Milan to Ancona in as little as 3 hours. And, of course, with the Adriatic coast making up one of Le Marche’s borders, you can also get to Le Marche by boat. There are regular crossings to the port of Ancona in Marche from Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.

However you get to Marche, once there, we do recommend you hire a car for your Marche villa holiday. Much of Marche is rural and, whilst there is a bus service, connections can be unreliable and infrequent. Therefore, if you truly want to explore the most beautiful parts of the region, we do recommend you have your own transport at hand.

What are the top towns and villages in Marche?

Our favourite towns in Marche are Urbino, Recanati and Ascoli Piceno, whose central square – the Piazza del Popolo – is one of the most beautiful in Italy. You can find more information in our guide to the top towns and villages of Marche. To on our list of our favourite coastal towns in Marche would be Senigallia, Fano, Ancona, Grottamare, San Benedetto del Tronto and Pesaro. However, one of the most visited towns in Marche is Loreto. This attracts thousands of pilgrims annually, all flocking to see the simple house of Mary and Joseph inside the Basilica della Santa Casa, believed to have been brought here at the end of the 13th century.

What are the top things to do in Le Marche?

No Le Marche villa holiday would be complete without a visit to the region’s only UNESCO heritage site – Urbino. This is home to the Palazzo Ducale, an incredibly beautiful Renaissance palace. However, this is by no means the only city in Marche worth visiting. Marche has a wealth of villages, towns and cities worth discovering. Many, such as Gradara, Monadvio or Corinaldo, are among some of the best preserved Medieval villages anywhere in Italy.

Inland, there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy in the beautiful rolling hills of Le Marche, including hiking and mountain biking. We definitely recommend a hike through the Furlo Gorge, stopping en route to visit the Frasassi Caves and to admire the Tempio del Valadier in Genga.

And, of course, with a coastline that stretches for over 170 km, anyone visiting during the warmer months of the year, will also want to spend time on the beach.

What is the traditional food in Le Marche?

We can’t get enough of the food in Le Marche whenever we’re visiting our Marche villa rentals. Probably our favourite Marche speciality are Ascolana olives. These are olives that have been stuffed and then fried. Trust me – they are incredibly more-ish! The region is also famous for its wine production. This region is the home of Verdicchio wine.