f you are trying to find a great European tourist destination, why don't you consider the Marche region of central Italy? Depending on your specific interests, it is an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And the Marche region remains undiscovered by tourists. There's a tradeoff; you won't have to push aside the crowds to see what you want to see. But you will have a hard time finding fancy hotels. And the roads leave something to be desired, hardly a surprise when you consider the region's hilly terrain. We'll start our tour of this region in the north and work our way south.
The little town of Urbino is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once a great center of learning. The University has about twenty thousand students, considerably more than Urbino's resident population of approximately fifteen thousand. How do you say town and gown in Italian?
Given that the great Renaissance painter Raphael was an Urbino native, it's not very surprising that this town is home to the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (National Gallery of The Marche) located in the Palazzo Ducale (Duke's Palace). Would you believe that this beautiful Renaissance building doesn't contain much of his work? On the other hand, you can find Titian's Resurrection and Last Supper there. The Casa Natale di Raffaello (Birthplace of Raphael) includes a Madonna fresco that is definitely associated with Raphael. But experts don't know whether he painted it himself or if in fact his father painted it and Raphael and his mother sat as models. The city also contains several Renaissance churches worth visiting.
Ancona is a port city that was largely destroyed during World War II. But there still are some sights worth seeing including alleys, streets, and city squares. The Duomo di San Ciriaco (Saint Ciriaco Cathedral) was built during the Twelfth Century on the remains of a Greek Temple. The Romanesque Santa Maria della Piazza also dates from the Twelfth Century but includes mosaics from a Fifth Century church that it replaced. All these structures are modern compared to the Second Century Arco di Triano (Trajan's Arch) which announced to all and sundry that they were approaching Rome's most important port on the Adriatic Sea.
Loreto on the Adriatic Sea is home to a popular shrine, the Santuario della Santa Casa (House of the Virgin Mary) which some say was transported from the city of Nazareth in 1295 to keep it out the hands of the Muslim invaders. The peak pilgrimage periods are Easter week and the Feast of the Holy House on December 10th.
Ascoli Piceno is a valley town of about fifty thousand people. It's great for pedestrians because cars are forbidden in a large part of the city center. You'll want to see the Piazza del Populo (Square of the People) and the Thirteenth Century Palazzo dei Capitani del Populo (Palace of the People's Captains) that now serves as a Town Hall. and the Gothic church San Franceso (Saint Francis). There are several other historic churches. Try to get to Ascoli Piceno for the first Sunday in August. That's the day the local residents celebrate the city's patron saint, Saint Emidio, with a parade of over 900 people dressed in Renaissance costume. After the parade there's a jousting tournament, Giastra della Quintana, in which six richly costumed knights, representing the city's six neighborhoods, compete one after the other facing the effigy of a Moor warrior.
What about food? The Marches has many regional specialties, for example Prosciutto di Carpegna, a ham produced near the border of Tuscany, and Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale (White Veal of the Central Appenines). The Adriatic coast brings its bounty. One local brodetto (fish soup) calls for thirteen kinds of fish and seafood.
Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Minestra (Chickpea Soup with Pork Ribs and grated Pecorino Cheese). Then try Quaglie in Tegame (Braised Quails with White Wine and Salt Pork). For dessert indulge yourself with Fristenga (Cake with Figs, Raisins, and Walnuts). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
We'll conclude with a quick look at Marche wine. The Marche ranks 12th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 10th for total annual wine production. When you read between the lines these numbers indicate that the Marche's wine output per acre is heavier than the Italian average, not a promising sign for fine wine. A bit more than a third of the local wine is red. Almost one fifth of all Marche wine is classified as DOC or DOCG wine, described below. The Marche produces thirteen DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. It is the home of two DOCG (the G stands for Guarantita) red wines, the Montepulciano-Sangiovese based Rosso Conero Riserva and the Vernaccia di Serrapetrona based on a local grape. Don't confuse the red Vernaccia wine with the white Verdicchio wine.
If you are lucky enough to be taking a European vacation be sure to consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Emilia-Romagna is probably the only Italian region named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans well over two thousand years ago. This article describes the Romagna subregion, including a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Emilia, the inland western "half" of the region that borders the Lombardy, Liguria, and Tuscany regions of Italy.
Our Romagna tour is very straightforward; basically we follow the highway from east to west, turning a bit southward along the way. Start by visiting Rocca Sforzesca (Sforza Castle) in the village of Dozza whose wine shop, Enoteco Regionale, has a great collection of local wines. If you like Formula One auto racing you'll want to visit the town of Imola in mid-April. Otherwise, you'll pretty well have to be satisfied with shopping for fancy ceramics and eating at San Domenico's, a world class restaurant with a three thousand item wine list.
Pottery lovers will enjoy the city of Faenza, since the Twelfth Century a center for faience pottery. Guess what's on display at the Museo delle Ceramiche. I don't think you'll need a translation. If you like spas be sure to visit the neighboring city of Bagno di Romagna with its hot springs.
Ravenna, north of the highway, was once the capital of the Roman Empire. But before long it was captured by the Ostrogoths and then the Byzantines who left their mark, for example in the Basilica di San Vitale (Church of Saint Vitale) with its famous mosaics. You may also wish to visit the Mauselo di Galla Placida (Galla Placida Mausoleum) next door. In spite of its name, Galla Placida, the sister of the Roman Emperor who moved the capital to Ravenna is not buried here. The Battistero Neoniano (Neonian Baptistery), probably once a Roman bath, is also known for its mosaics. Depending on the season, reservations are required or recommended for these sights. Talking about tombs, Ravenna contains the Tomba di Dante (Tomb of Dante) with a small museum. The Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (Home of the Stone Carpets) is an underground site containing the remains of a Sixth Century Byzantine palace with among other things, lots of mosaics. Would you believe that this site was discovered by accident? I am tempted to dig in my own backyard.
Our Romagna tour ends at Rimini on the Adriatic coast. It's a major European holiday destination, crowded during the high season. Make sure to visit the Grand Hotel one of the stars of Fellini's 1973 movie Amaracord. Rimini is also home to the oldest surviving Roman arch, the Arco d'Augusto erected in 27 BC.
What about food? Romagna shares many foods with its neighbor Emilia. You won't have to go very far to find Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, and balsamic vinegar. Perhaps it is no accident that the founder of Italian cuisine Pellegrino Artusi was born here. In the interest of historical accuracy he did move to Tuscany before publishing his cookbook in 1891 that is still one of Italy's most popular books. Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Tagliatelle alla Duchesa (Chicken Livers and Tagliatelle Noodles). Then try Brodetto (Adriatic Seafood Stew). For dessert indulge yourself with Crostata (Raspberry Tart). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
We'll conclude with a quick look at Romagna wine. Emilia-Romagna ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 4th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 57% and 43% white wine. Emilia-Romagna produces about twenty DOC wines about half of which come from Romagna. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. It is the home of Albana di Romagna DOCG, Italy's first white DOCG wine. The G stands for Garantita. While one can guess what that word is supposed to mean, many feel that this honor was far from deserved. I have never tasted this particular wine, but from my readings I have no great desire to do so, except to set the matter straight. Romagna's major white grape is the fairly pedestrian Trebbiano, perhaps surprisingly the source of its famous balsamic vinegar. The red Sangiovese grape that can be so excellent in Tuscany wines is usually not so great here. Look for the red Barbarossa variety often found near the town of Bertino east of Bologna. Frankly in Emilia-Romagna the wine isn't as good as the food.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. In his younger days Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books. Now he prefers drinking fine Italian, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for th. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.