Marche is famous primarily for its coast with its marvellous beaches of sand, pebbles and rocks.
Near Cupra Marittima is Grottammare, with its medieval old-town and a climate so mild as to allow the flowering of orange trees. Then San Benedetto del Tronto, the “Queen” of the Riviera, with its beautiful promenade, the elegant pedestrian center and a busy schedule of events throughout the summer. A visit to the fishing port is a must-do to see the boats take off or unload their catch.

 

Besides the sea, Marche has a rich historical and artistic heritage: in this region are Fermo, a Roman city that still has monumental cisterns; Ripatransone with its charming old town and the narrowest alley in Italy; Offida, known for the ancient tradition of bobbin lace dating from the fifteenth century (even today there are women sitting outside in the alleys of the old town, creating authentic masterpieces); Acquaviva Picena, dominated by the imposing fortress of Montefortino, which still maintains the medieval atmosphere of narrow streets, stone houses and bricks; Sant ‘Elpidio a Mare, surrounded by medieval walls with the ancient tower Gerosolimitana erected by the Knights of Malta; Arquata del Tronto, Italy’s only town sitting between two national parks, the Monti Sibillini and Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga ones.

 

Ascoli Piceno, characterized by the newly burnished travertine with which houses, squares and monuments are built, and each August in the beautiful Piazza del Popolo there is the famous Quintana, one of the most extraordinary historical reenactments in Italy: six knights challenge each other in the name of six city districts! Do not miss the parade with over a thousand people dressed up to represent ancient social classes and districts.

 

A few kilometres to the north are Corinaldo, with the most spectacular fortified walls of the region; Fabriano, a medieval town famous since 1200 for paper processing, and Camerino, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe.
Finally, Loreto: the major sanctuary in Italy, where millions of pilgrims come from all over the world to visit the Holy House of Nazareth which, according to tradition, was brought here by the angels to be saved from the Mohammedans who invaded Palestine in 1294.