Halfway down the 'leg' of Italy, Le Marche is the eastern chunk of central Italy, with Tuscany in the west and Umbria in between them. Le Marche (pronounced 'Lay Markay') lies between the beautiful Sibillini Mountains and the Adriatic Sea.
Le Marche has been 'discovered' by the travel writers many times in recent years. It has starred in countless TV programmes and magazine articles and has been portrayed as 'the new Tuscany'. But, inland at least, there is no sign yet of the tourist influx that has so altered Tuscany's character.
'Turistico' restaurants and hotels simply do not exist here, other than in one or two of the larger coastal resorts. Inland, the taste of rural Italy is an authentic one, with inexpensive, high-quality, locally produced food and wine. The locals rarely see a foreigner and few speak English, but they are warm, friendly people who go out of their way to help.
The climate of Le Marche is less extreme than that of Tuscany and the countryside is more lush. Temperatures in July and August can top 40ºC, but the nights are less sweltering than further west and sleep comes more easily. Spring and autumn months are especially beautiful, with warm sunny days and balmy evenings the norm. Winter usually arrives late.
Le Marche is all about glorious, breathtaking landscape. Ancient villages are perched on almost every hilltop. The countryside is a rich patchwork of colours, undulating like a glorious rumpled quilt that characterises this truly beautiful part of Italy.
Property values in Le Marche have climbed quite sharply in recent years as more incomers appreciate the gentle appeal of the region as an idyllic, away-from-it-all holiday destination and a sound financial investment.
The regional centres are cities steeped in history but never swamped by tourists, with the notable exception of Urbino in the north and the shrine city of Loreto further south.
Fermo is Le Marche’s most recently created regional capital and boasts a fine cathedral, a majestic main piazza and a fascinating network of underground Roman waterways, open to the public. Macerata is a handsome city well-known for its summer opera series, while the most southerly centre, Ascoli Piceno, still bears tantalising traces of its Roman past.
Le Marche is famous, too, for its 70 miles of clean, sandy beaches along the Adriatic coast, while to the west, the Sibillini Mountains (part of the Apennine chain that forms Italy's central spine) are wonderful for walking or picnicking. The Sibillini ski resorts are popular winter destinations, while the national park is home to an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna.
If local culture and colour are more appealing, there are busy outdoor markets virtually every day of the week in one or other of Le Marche’s towns and cities. But the region teems with historic churches, whisper-quiet villages and fascinating small towns.
Umbria's great cities of Perugia, Assisi and Gubbio are close enough for a day trip, and a few hours' drive can get you north to Bologna or Ravenna, west to Florence or Siena, or even south-west to Rome. For the more adventure-hungry, the port of Ancona is a departure point for ferries across to Croatia.
The advent of low-cost air travel has made most of Italy far more accessible for the holidaymaker. Le Marche's civil airport is Falconara, just north of the regional capital Ancona. Ryanair currently operates a daily service from London Stansted, and has recently started regular flights from Liverpool.
With this new accessibility, this gem of central Italy is set to become an even more popular destination for overseas visitors, whether for tourism or for investment.
