Art and architecture in the Marche
Art and architecture in Le Marche
Raphael and Lotto - Romanesque, Gothic or the Romans?
Le Marche are a region whose art and cultural treasures are not limited to a few places. Rather, it is THE region that has the most museums, pilgrimage sites, Romanesque churches and many superlatives in all of Italy. Excellent artists and unique cultural treasures enchant the guests who know that a landscape can not only be concentrated on a single area, but that it always represents a coexistence of history - culture - nature - food and drink. This journey combines these fundamental elements in a pleasant way, so that at the end the visitor can say: I got to know the whole variety of the Marche
Program:
Day 1: Benvenuti nelle Marche
Arrival at the hotel near Pesaro in the afternoon (around 4 p.m.). The tour guide awaits you here for the entire duration of your trip. Pick-up at the airport of Ancona - Falconara on request. In the evening you will have your first menu with Marchigian specialties in the nearby restaurant.
Day 2: Renaissance par excellence and spectacular history!
In the morning visit of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino. During a guided tour you will be fascinated by the impressive and enormous palace of Federico II, Lord of Montefeltro, one of the cornerstones of the Italian Renaissance and the works of art that can be seen here, including “The Mute” by Raphael. The oratory of S. Giovanni with its splendid frescoes by Salimbeni is also on the list of visits, because it is of outstanding beauty. After the culture and a lunch of your choice in one of the many restaurants, which are all based on the traditional Marchigian food culture, it is very relaxed in the afternoon in Pesaro. This seaside town is the birthplace of Rossini. There is time not only for a visit to the cathedral with its late Roman mosaics or the Rossini Museum. At the Lungomare, in the shadow of the Art Nouveau Villa Ruggieri, you can sit down for an espresso or an aperitif, because despite all the cultural assets, the Italian joie de vivre should also have its place. The day ends with a menu in a well-known, cozy restaurant in Pesaro, before returning to the hotel.
Day 3: Back to the ancient Romans
Our goal this morning is a step back to the ancient Romans, because we visit Pergola. This tiny place is sure to be a highlight because of the group of gilded bronzes on display in the museum. Incidentally, it is the only group of gilded bronzes from Roman times that still exists! You will then have lunch in a small osteria. In the afternoon we continue on ancient tracks. The Domus dei Coiedii from the 2nd century awaits you in Castelleone di Suasa from 200 B.C. with embellishments up to the 2nd century A.D. From antiquity we are now diving into modern times. After this day with a lot of things to see, the evening should be relaxing and also culinary uplifting. Therefore, take the evening menu again in the restaurant near the hotel.
Day 4: Journey into the Middle Ages
Today you leave Trebbiantico to explore the Picenofor the next few days, the enchanting southern part of the Marche, which is more like a postcard than a region in the 21st century. It is not for nothing that it is called “the land of harmony”.
On your onward journey, it is almost a must to see Jesi. Jesi, birthplace of Friedrich II of Hohenstaufen, the Stupor Mundi, the amazement of the world, as he is still called today, was not only a child of Apulia, he was born in Jesi on the piazza, so that it could be attested that he was was a true descendant of the Norman heiress and the Hohenstaufen. In a small, fine museum that is unique of its kind, you will get to know the life of this famous emperor better. First, however, the Palazzo Pianetti invites you to visit the famous stucco gallery and works by one of Italy's most important painters, Lorenzo Lotto, painters of the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. Opportunity to take a lunch break in Jesi before the journey continues to your second hotel near Ascoli Piceno.
You will arrive at Villa Picena in the late afternoon. After checking in and taking a breather, it's time for the evening menu. Thanks to the excellent cuisine, the way to the evening menu from the hotel room to the hotel restaurant is very short!
Day 5: The mysterious mountain world of the Sibillines
After these many impressions of the past few days, today is a day of relaxation. Where is that better than in the silence of the mountain landscape. In the morning you drive to the "Monti Azzurri", as the Sibillini Mountains are affectionately known. Nature lovers, and not only they, will find their paradise here, because the landscape of this area transmits iffts all expectations. Even the best painters would find it difficult to capture these panoramas in pictures. The destination of this trip is Lake Fiastra, located in an area known for its truffles. We will of course use this opportunity to enjoy this specialty in an osteria, the owner is a truffle hunter. The onward journey takes you through this postcard landscape and will remain in your mind and heart for a long time. Let yourself be surprised at various stops with small jewels that no one would suspect in the mountains!
Day 6: 100 towers and fine drops
In the morning you will get to know the "city of 100 towers", Ascoli Piceno, the jewel of all Marchigian places. The Piazza del Popolo is one of the 10 most beautiful squares in Italy! After a guided tour of the most impressive cultural assets, you will have the opportunity to have an aperitif in the famous Art Nouveau café Meletti, where Rossini supposedly composed and was the location of many films. It is hardly surprising that the Meletti is considered one of the 10 most beautiful “Stile Liberty” cafes in Italy.
You must not miss out on enjoying a specialty that is only available in the original in this province: the anisetta. For lunch you are invited to Offida, the city of lace makers and the Rosso Piceno Superiore. In the wonderfully equipped tasting rooms of one of the renowned wineries of the southern Marche, you will taste the excellent wines of the area in conjunction with the food. This is how you will get to know one of the most imposing monuments of the southern Marche, the church of Santa Maria della Rocca, in this small town with its medieval architecture, which is as versatile as it is impressive. You don't have to be a passionate churchgoer to be fascinated by the history and the building and to meet an artist of whom we don't even know the real name! You can look forward to surprises. After this varied day you return to the hotel to enjoy dinner there.
Day 7: Palazzi, art gallery and a Roman legacy
In the morning you drive to Fermo, a historical, impressive city, rich in palazzi and villas, whose roots go back to the time of the Romans. Here you will visit the cisterns, a water system from Roman times, which are still fully preserved today, 1900 years after their creation and which were the second largest of the Roman Empire, one of the most beautiful theaters of the Marche, as well as one of the oldest and most famous libraries in Italy, connected with the museum, in which even a Rubens is not missing! A delicious little lunch will end your stay in Fermo. Through the gentle hills towards the sea it goes to Recanati. Birthplace of the great Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi and the great tenor Beniamino Gigli. During your visit, you will find an extensive collection of the works of Lorenzo Lotto in the Villa Colloredo Mels and you will get to know the "Colle dell’Infinito" Park. A nice end to the day then again with dinner in the Villa Picena.
Day 8: Places of Beauty and Faith
The Marche is rich in old villas and wonderful gardens. The most beautiful of these is the Villa Buonaccorsi near Potenza Picena. Grotesque stone figures, water features, flower borders, ... one almost thinks of Villa Rufolo in Campania, only that the villa is not as well known here. After the guided tour of the villa and the park, you can feel transported back to the time when lavish celebrations took place here, because
even if it's not a ball, you will at least have a lunch menu here, just for this group alone (only with +10 partecipants).
In the early afternoon you will continue your journey and will soon reach Loreto. You will visit the second most important place of pilgrimage for Catholic Christians to Rome, the basilica with the Holy House, surrounded by one of the largest marble reliefs in Italy (600 m⊃2;), on which the greatest artists of Italy, f.ex. Sangallo, the chapels of different nations as well as many art treasures from various artists.
You don't have to be a Christian, the abundance of works of art is breathtaking for any visitor.
In the late afternoon it goes back to the hotel.
Day 9: monks and saints
Today the journey leads to one of the best preserved Cistercian abbeys in Italy, the Abbazia di Fiastra between Tolentino and Urbisaglia. In the midst of greenery, in a spacious area, the rooms of this magnificent abbey will be opened to you. Already in the 12th century. Construction began and over the centuries it has been extended and rebuilt many times. This abbey still serves the Cistercian community today.
Only a few kilometers away there is a basilica in Tolentino, which is a popular and famous in Italy The place of pilgrimage is the Basilica of San Nicola da Tolentino
After the terrible earthquake in 2016, the building and, above all, the interior were badly damaged. Now most of the parts have been repaired, so that visitors can appreciate the grace of the church and the cloister again.
Before visiting the basilica, however, a small lunch in an osteria is indicated.
On the way back we should take a little time for a short visit to a magnificent Romanesque church, S. Maria a Pie di Chienti.
Great final dinner in the evening.
Day 10: An Arrivederci in the land of harmony
In the morning you set off for home. Hopefully the suitcase will be full of new impressions from an area where you can still find the real Italy. Arrivederci nelle Marche?
© ulla kastner
Min. 6 participants, max. 16
Travel dates:
18 - 26 March 2023
24 Sept. - 02 Oct. 2023
Services included:
3 x B&B in Trebbiantico near Pesaro, Villa Cattani Stuart
5 x HB in Colli del Tronto Villa Picena
3 x dinners near Pesaro
1 x lunch in Pergola
1 x lunch in Offida incl. wine tasting
1 x lunch in Fermo
1 x lunch at Lake Fiastra
1 x lunch at the Abbazia di Fiastra
Guided city tours with local guide in Ascoli, Urbino and Pesaro
Permanent German tour guide
All transfers from/to hotel in air-conditioned coach
Not included
Travel
Entrance fees and drinks not listed
Tips
RRV
Tourist tax in Trebbiantico € 3,00/p.p./night to be paid on spot
Drinks, except at the wine tasting
Price per person in double room: € 2.180,00 for 6 or more participants
Price per person in double room: € 1.990,00 for 10 or more participants
Price per person in double room as single: + € 240,00
