t The sun rising over the medieval town of Gubbio
t The sun rising over the medieval town of Gubbio
Europe’s oldest republic, San Marino was reputedly founded by St Marinus, a 4th-century monk. On the slopes of Monte Titano, this tiny country has its own Mint, stamps, football team – even its own army.
There are no customs formalities in San Marino, whose borders are just 12 km (7 miles) apart at the widest point. The town of Borgomaggiore, at the foot of Monte Titano, has a cable car to the medieval citadel of San Marino, which is now sadly overrun with visitors and souvenir stalls.
One of the Adriatic’s larger seaside resorts, Pèsaro has managed to retain a stylish air. Behind the promenade and the wall of white stucco hotels is a lively, attractive medieval area.
The Musei Civici contains Giovanni Bellini’s sumptuous Coronation of the Virgin (c.1470) polyptych and a collection of Renaissance ceramics.
The Museo Archeologico Oliveriano presents a range of historical artifacts, including Roman remains and Iron Age finds from the necropolis of nearby Novilara.
The church of Sant’Agostino, on Corso XI Settembre, is known for its choir stalls, each a patchwork of inlaid landscapes and narrative scenes.
The composer Gioacchino Rossini was born in Pèsaro in 1792. His home, Casa Rossini, contains memorabilia, while his piano and some original manuscripts lie in the Conservatorio Rossini. His operas are performed in Teatro Rossini during the annual August music festival.
Gradara, about 13 km (8 miles) from Pesaro, is a well-preserved hilltop village dominated by a majestic 14th-century castle, the Rocca, which was the scene of the tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, mentioned by Dante in his Divine Comedy.
" ⌂ Piazza Mosca 29 § 0721 38 75 41 & 199 152 123 # Tue–Sun ¢ 1 Jan, 25 Dec
⌂ Via Mazza 97 § 0721 333 44 # Mon–Sat
" ⌂ Via Rossini 34 § 0721 38 75 41 # Tue–Sun
⌂ Piazza Olivieri 5 § 0721 336 71 # Mon–Fri, but phone first to arrange ¢ Public hols
At 60 sq km (23 sq miles), San Marino is the world's smallest republic.
Named after Fanum Fortunae, a pagan temple to the goddess Fortuna, Fano became the terminus of the Via Flaminia (an important consular road from Rome) and the largest Roman colony on the Adriatic coast. The Arco d’Augusto (AD 2), on Via Arco d’Augusto, is Fano’s most significant ancient monument. In 1463 Federico da Montefeltro destroyed its upper section while besieging the town as a papal condottiere.
The 16th-century Fontana della Fortuna, in Piazza XX Settembre, is dedicated to the goddess Fortuna. Also on the square, the imposing Palazzo Malatesta was built around 1420 and enlarged in 1544 for Fano’s rulers, the Rimini-based Malatesta family. Inside is the small Museo Civico and the Pinacoteca Malatestiana, with works by Guercino and Guido Reni.
" ⌂ Piazza XX Settembre § 0721 88 78 44 # Tue–Sun ¢ 1 Jan, 25 & 26 Dec
The elegant walled town of Macerata is best known for its Sferisterio, an open-air arena that hosts concerts and an annual opera festival.
Palazzo Buonaccorsi houses a museum of carriages and collections of modern and ancient art, including a Madonna and Child by Carlo Crivelli (1470). The Basilica della Misericordia, built by Luigi Vanvitelli (1736–41), is set over a votive chapel erected in 1447 to celebrate the end of the plague. It has a richly decorated interior.
" ⌂ Via Don Minzoni 24 # 10am–6pm daily (Jul–Aug: to 7pm) ∑ maceratamusei.it
" ⌂ Piazza San Vincenzo Strambi # 7:30am–12:30pm & 3–6pm daily ∑ basilicamisericordia.it
Urbania, with its elegant arcaded centre, takes its name from Pope Urban VIII (1623–44), who entertained the notion of converting an old medieval village into a model Renaissance town.
Its chief attraction is the huge Palazzo Ducale, built by the dukes of Montefeltro as a residential alternative to the Palazzo Ducale in nearby Urbino. It was begun in the 13th century, and then rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries. Situated alongside the River Metauro, it houses a small art gallery, a modest museum, old maps and globes, and the remnants of Duke Federico’s famous library.
" § 0722 31 31 51 # Tue–Sun ¢ Public hols
Experience Le Marche
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Some of Europe’s largest publicly accessible caverns lie in the cave network gouged out by the River Sentino southwest of Jesi. The colossal Grotta del Vento is large enough to contain Milan cathedral – its ceiling extends to a height of 240 m (787 ft). This cavern has been used for a range of experiments, from sensory deprivation to an exploration of the social consequences of leaving a group of people alone in its depths for long periods.
Experience Le Marche
t The fortress at Acquaviva Picena
Charming medieval towns and villages – many of them walled and incorporating castles – dot the hillsides of Le Marche. Sarnano, for one, is a medley of narrow lanes, steps and archways arranged in concentric circles; from the nearby ski area in the Monti Sibillini, you can see the coast on a clear day. A 14th-century castle with stunning views dominates Acquaviva Picena. Offida, famous both for lace and winemaking, is surrounded by vine-covered hills. Just inland from Senigallia, Corinaldo is centred on the striking Piaggia, a flight of 109 steps with a well halfway up, and has particularly well-preserved walls.
Famous for its sandy beach, Senigallia also has some fascinating sights. On pedestrianized Piazza del Duca are the imposing Rocca Roveresca, a 14th- and 15th-century castle, and Palazzetto Baviera, featuring some remarkable stucco decoration by Federico Brandani (16th century). Nearby, the Baroque Chiesa della Croce (1608) has a richly decorated interior, including an altarpiece with the Entombment of Christ by Federico Barocci (1592). The elegant Foro Annonario is a circular colonnaded piazza and marketplace.
" ' ⌂ Piazza del Duca 2 § 071 63 258 # 8:30am–7:30pm
" ⌂ Via Manni 1 § 071 63 258 # 10am–1pm & 3–7pm
⌂ Via Fagnani 1 # 11am–noon Mon–Sat, 4–5pm Sun
The capital of Le Marche and its largest port, Ancona dates back to at least the 5th century BC, when it was settled by the Greeks. Its name derives from ankon (Greek for “elbow”), a reference to the rocky spur that juts into the sea to form the town’s fine natural harbour.
Heavy bombing during World War II destroyed much of the medieval town, but the 15th-century Loggia dei Mercanti (Merchants’ Exchange) on Via della Loggia survives.
Just north of the loggia is the Pinacoteca Comunale F Podesti e Galleria d’Arte Moderna, with canvases by Titian and Lorenzo Lotto. In the Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche there are displays of Greek, Gallic and Roman art. The Arco di Traiano, by the harbour, was erected in AD 115 and is one of Italy’s better-preserved Roman arches.
" ⌂ Via Pizzecolli 17 § 071 222 50 41 # Tue–Sun ¢ Public hols
" ⌂ Via Ferretti 1 § 071 20 26 02 # Tue–Sun ¢ 1 Jan, 1 May, 15 Aug, 25 Dec
t Dramatic coastline around the Conero Peninsula
Easily accessible from Ancona to the north, the beautiful cliff-edged Conero Peninsula is a semi-wild area known for its scenery, its wines (notably Rosso del Conero) and for a collection of coves, beaches and little resorts.
The best of these resorts is Portonovo, above whose beach stands Santa Maria di Portonovo, a pretty 11th-century Romanesque church mentioned by Dante in Canto XXI of Paradiso. Sirolo and Numana are busier, but you can escape the crowds by hiking the flower-swathed slopes of Monte Conero, or by taking a boat trip to the smaller beaches.
Legend has it that in 1294 the house of the Virgin Mary (Santa Casa) miraculously uprooted itself from the Holy Land and was brought by angels to a laurel grove (loreto) south of Ancona. Each year millions of pilgrims visit the Santa Casa in Loreto and its Basilica. Begun in 1468, the latter was designed by architects Bramante, Sansovino and Giuliano da Sangallo. Its paintings include works by Luca Signorelli. The Museo-Pinacoteca has 16th-century art by Lorenzo Lotto.
⌂ Piazza Santuario § 071 97 01 04 # Daily
" ⌂ Palazzo Apostolico § 071 974 71 98 # Apr–Oct: Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: Fri–Sun
This alluring town takes its name from the Piceni, a tribe eventually conquered by the Romans in 89 BC. The gridiron plan of Roman Asculum Picenum is visible in the streets today, but it is the town’s medieval heritage that attracts most visitors.
The enchanting Piazza del Popolo is dominated by the 13th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo and the church of San Francesco, a large and faintly austere Gothic ensemble built between 1262 and 1549.
Around Piazza dell’Arringo is the 12th-century Duomo. Its Cappella del Sacramento contains a polyptych by the 15th-century artist Carlo Crivelli. The Pinacoteca Civica has more works by Crivelli and by Guido Reni, Titian and Alemanno. The Museo Archeologico contains Roman, Piceni and Lombard artifacts.
" ⌂ Palazzo Comunale, Piazza Arringo § 0736 29 82 13 # Tue–Sun
" ⌂ Piazza Arringo 28 § 0736 25 35 62 # Tue–Sun ¢ 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec