When I started travelling, I was mainly interested in foreign countries. Then, I gradually became aware of the fact that my hometown, Italy, has many unsung sights to discover. This is why I’m going to talk about the stunning Marche region, located in the centre of Italy. It’s home to beautiful mountains and beaches, which you can visit even in one day if you choose to, enjoying various underrated meals on the way. For instance, while exploring the south side of the region, you can stumble upon Ascoli Piceno and eat Ascolane olives, delicious pitted green olives, filled with ground meat, then battered and fried. In this article, I will talk about the 6 unmissable places in the Marche region!
Temple of Valadier
Located near Genga and the Frasassi caves, the temple stands at the entrance of a high mountain cave. Giuseppe Valadier, an italian architect from the Neoclassicism Era, built it at the request of Pope Leo XII. As a matter of fact, the building is quite alluring: it has an octagonal shape plan and a domed roof covered with lead plates. Entering, you will see a spectacular Madonna with child. Inside the temple, you will find a copy of it since the real one, sculpted by Canova, is kept in the Genga museum. Originally, the church was home to Christians asking for forgiveness and that is why its nickname is “refuge of sinners”. If you like walking in the mountains, this is the perfect place for you to visit.
The Marche region: Frasassi caves
Frasassi caves are one of the best caves in Italy to visit and the largest known cave system in Europe. It’s located in the province of Ancona, near Genga. Prepare to enjoy extraordinary stalagmites and stalactites strewed all over the massive caverns. The tour is open all year long and guides are available to the visitors. The most spectacular spot is the Ancona Abyss, with its vaulted 200m ceilings. An experience that you can’t miss indeed, but remember to bring your jacket! The temperature in the caves is around 14 degrees celsius.
The Marche region: Urbino
This small city in the hills is the perfect place for art seekers. In fact, the historic centre of Urbino holds a place in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. This wonderful top hill town is very suggestive and the view is amazing. Due to the important presence of art and literature, the city of Urbino is very popular among students. The famous painter Raphael was born here. In addition, you definitely need to visit the Ducal Palace and the National Gallery of Marche.
Mount Conero
Mount Conero is an amazing promontory located near the city of Ancona. This destination is ideal for plenty of reasons, starting with the fact that it has 18 different pathways for excursions. For this reason, Mount Conero is a real treasure for nature lovers and adventure seekers. You can find many different itineraries, depending on your level of expertise. The name “Conero” comes from Greek and indicates the strawberry trees (Corbezzolo in Italian) which are very common on the slope of the mountain. Moreover, there are also some historical paths, in which you will admire the beauty of the local Roman caves. Seems enough, right? Well, besides the Mount you can also admire the seaside, covered with stunning beaches that overlook the Adriatic sea.
The Marche region: Pilato lake
Inside the Monti Sibillini National Park, at 1.941 metres height, you will discover the spectacular Pilato lake. It’s the only natural lake in the Marche region, reachable on foot while admiring the breathtaking view. You can enjoy uncontaminated nature and lots of biological peculiarities. In fact, the lake is to admire but not to touch. The area is hosting a particular native species, the Chirocefalo of Marchesoni. For this reason, it is forbidden to enter the waters, in order to avoid damaging the eggs that lay on the beach.
Leopardi home and hill of Infinity
Literature scholar, this tidbit is for you. Leopardi was a famous poet who was born and lived almost all his life in Recanati. One of his greatest poems is written after the hill of Infinity. In fact, the poet used to take long walks there and search for inspiration. You will find many museums about his life and work, which I personally love. After the huge success of Mario Martone’s movie “Leopardi” (Il Giovane Favoloso in Italian) the place welcomed many tourists attracted by the fascinating landscape and notorious art.
Read on and have a look at our article about Florence’s top places to visit
