Marche • Tourism
Seaside + Taste + Art = Marche, Italy

With summer now in full swing, the desire to escape routine and set off in search of new destinations becomes stronger than ever. This time, our journey takes us to the heart of Italy, to a region rich in diversity and charm—from seaside towns to historic cities and hilltop villages nestled among forests and valleys. We're talking about the Marche region!

Lungomare di Senigallia con la Rotonda a Mare - foto credits: Tipicità - Grand Tour delle Marche

There are plenty of good reasons to explore this area all year round, but summer brings with it a host of festivals and events that celebrate local flavors and traditions.

Let's start with Ascoli Piceno, where the Ascoliva Festival takes place in August—an unmissable event for tourists and food lovers that honors the famous oliva ripiena ascolana (stuffed Ascolana olives). The city's monumental Piazza Arringo is transformed into the "Olive Village," featuring a rich schedule of tastings and themed events. It's the perfect excuse to visit the stunning city of Ascoli Piceno, almost entirely "sculpted" in its prized local travertine stone.

Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno, Piazza del Popolo - foto credits: Tipicità - Grand Tour delle Marche

The historic center boasts a remarkable urban layout, filled with charming narrow streets, churches, towers, and the elegant Piazza del Popolo, one of the most beautiful squares in Italy—a true open-air drawing room.

Next stop: Porto Recanati, a seaside town on the Adriatic known for its pedestrian waterfront, the Swabian Castle, and its proximity to the stunning Conero Riviera. This coastal destination combines the charm of a traditional fishing village with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere—perfect for a holiday filled with culture, good food, and laid-back vibes.
At the end of June, the town celebrates its official De.Co. Brodetto alla portorecanatese, a historic seafood stew born from the region's seafaring culture and refined culinary traditions. This specialty is the star of the Brodetto Show, an official stop of the Grand Tour of the Marche, and has become a cherished part of the region's summer food culture, attracting curious visitors and food enthusiasts alike.

About a 40-minute drive north lies one of the Marche's most charming destinations: Senigallia, where the pleasures of the sea meet a top-tier culinary scene.
Famous for its "velvet beach" and the iconic Rotonda a Mare, Senigallia is also home to five Michelin stars, thanks to renowned chefs Mauro Uliassi and Moreno Cedroni. But the local food scene goes well beyond haute cuisine.
At the end of August, the town comes alive with Senigallia Città Gourmet, another stop on the Grand Tour of the Marche. This event invites visitors to enjoy a unique tasting experience, spotlighting culinary gems from both land and sea.
If you're looking for a more tranquil experience—or simply want to enrich your weekend—nearby you'll find Azienda Agricola Mazzola, a winery offering Saturday evening picnics among organic vineyards and olive groves throughout the summer (find out more).

But the Marche region isn't just about the sea—it's also about historic villages set among rolling hills. Take Offagna, for example: a fascinating medieval town perched on the Conero hills, roughly halfway between Porto Recanati and Senigallia.... read more»

Rocca di Offagna

Rocca di Offagna: foto di Alessandro Vecchi - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0

If you're staying in the area for a few days, it's worth dedicating an evening to discover its impressive fortress. Every Monday and Thursday, you can take part in a guided tour of the Rocca di Offagna, followed by an aperitif with local specialties. It's a perfect way to immerse yourself in the history and flavors of the region (advance booking required).

For those eager to delve deeper into the Marche's inland treasures, full of history and traditional products, head about an hour's drive from Senigallia to Pergola, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino.
Located in the upper Cesano Valley at 265 meters above sea level, Pergola is especially known for its National Festival of the Precious White Truffle, held every autumn. Still, you can enjoy local dishes enhanced with this prized ingredient even during the summer.
At the end of July, the town also hosts the long-standing Wine Festival, with tastings, music, and entertainment.
But there's more to Pergola than great food and wine—its history and art are equally impressive. The town is home to the Gilded Bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. These are the only surviving gilded bronze sculptures from Ancient Rome.

Bronzi dorati - Pergola

You can find all the visitor info on the Pergola Museum's website.

From Pergola, a 50-kilometer drive (less than an hour) brings you to Urbino, home to the magnificent Ducal Palace and its museum, one of the most fascinating in central Italy.
The permanent collection alone is worth the visit—it includes the famous "Ideal City" painting and masterpieces by Piero della Francesca—but this summer you can also enjoy a temporary exhibition dedicated to Simone Cantarini, the most celebrated 17th-century painter from the Marche.
The exhibition, titled "Simone Cantarini (1612–1648). A Young Master between Pesaro, Bologna and Rome," showcases 56 works that highlight the artist's remarkably modern talent.

In short, whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a longer summer stay, the Marche region offers an irresistible mix of flavors, history, and beauty—perfect for discovering (or rediscovering) a truly unique part of Italy.

By the editorial staff - June 24, 2025

Marche • Tourism
Seaside + Taste + Art = Marche, Italy

After having explored the north east between Veneto and Trentino, in this early summer 2021, we begin to turn to other areas of the Bel Paese, descending towards central Italy, in a region rich as few for its variety of tourist proposals, from the seaside resorts, cities of art, small historic villages surrounded by woods and valleys. Let's talk about the Marche!
There are good reasons to explore this region at any time of the year, but for the second weekend of July the first stop is a must in the city of Senigallia, on the Adriatic coast of the province of Ancona.

Rotonda a Mare - Senigallia Lungomare di Senigallia con la Rotonda a Mare - foto credits: Tipicità - Grand Tour delle Marche

Senigallia, a town also known for its "velvet beach" and for the Rotonda a Mare, can boast 5 Michelin stars, thanks to the chefs Mauro Uliassi and Moreno Cedroni, but its gastronomic offer is not limited to high-end cuisine. for few. On Sunday 10 July in particular, the Senigallia Città Gourmet event (event details) comes to life, one of the stages of the Grand Tour of the Marche that awaits tourists right at the Rotonda, at 6.30 pm, with a tasting-show to discover precious "gems" gastronomic products of sea and land. The conductor Tinto, from Rai Decanter, will lead the trip in the company of the chefs of the Academy of Typicality and the producers-authors. Final at 9.00 pm with an innovative performance by Tinto himself.

If you prefer an experience in a quieter setting or to complete your weekend on Friday or Saturday, a winery, Azienda Agricola Mazzola, will come to your aid in the Senigallia area, which can host you for an aperitif or for a street food experience in the vineyard, to complete the tasting of its organic wines.

It was said not only the sea, but also historic villages perched in splendid hills. This is the case of Offagna, a medieval village in the Marche region located on the Conero hills. Just south of Ancona, it can be reached from Senigallia in about forty minutes by car. If your stay in this area extends to a week's holiday, the Rocca di Offagna awaits you every Tuesday and Wednesday for a guided tour of the Rocca followed by an aperitif of Marche specialties (reservations required).

Rocca di Offagna: foto di Alessandro Vecchi - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0

For more information on the proposals of Offagna and the Mazzola winery, here is the events details.... read more»

For those wishing to continue the exploration of the hinterland of the Marche, to discover its history and its typical products, we move decidedly inland, but less than an hour's drive from Senigallia, and precisely in Pergola, in province of Pesaro and Urbino. Pergola is located in the upper Cesano Valley, at an altitude of 265 m a.s.l., it is known among other things for its National Fair of the White Truffle. The event is traditionally held in the autumn period, but you can enjoy one of the culinary specialties embellished by the precious tubebro even in this period. The element on which we want to draw attention, in addition to the splendid historic center of the village, however, concerns history and art. Here, in fact, the gilded bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola are kept, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century, being the only existing gilded bronze group in the world that has come from the Roman age to the present day.

I Bronzi dorati di Pergola I Bronzi dorati da Cartoceto di Pergola

You can find all the information on how to visit the Golden Bronzes on museu of Pergola website.

From Pergola with a journey of about fifty kilometers and less than an hour by car it is also possible to reach Urbino with the splendid Palazzo Ducale and its Museum, among the most beautiful and interesting in central Italy. The permanent collection alone deserves more than a visit (let's remember that the famous Renaissance painting "The ideal city" and some masterpieces by Piero della Francesca are on display here), but in this period it is also possible to visit a temporary exhibition dedicated to Raphael, which was born here in 1483, and precisely to the tapestries made to reproduce his frescoes, in particular the Roman ones that made him famous and immortal. The title of the exhibition is "Sul Filo di Raffaello. Impresa e fortuna nell’arte dell’arazzo".

There is therefore an embarrassment of choice, to spend a weekend between taste and beauty, or to embellish your holiday week if you have already chosen the Marche as your destination!

By the editorial staff - July 6, 2021