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History The name Marche comes from the ancient Germanic term marka meaning “borderline”. Since ancient times, the region was always on the margins of economical development due to its distant geographical position connecting the north with the south. From the 2nd century, the Romans conquered the territory realising its strategic position on the Adriatic, and with time the port of Ancona became one of the most important coastal trading centres facing the East. The most important tribes who first inhabited the region were the Umbri in the mountains and the Piceni towards the sea. The Piceni tribe used the woodpecker or picus as their totem. The picus was the sacred bird of Mars, the god of war. Their name lives on today in the city of Ascoli Piceno. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the region took its name, when several areas became the feudal lands of the marquises of the region. These lands were called Marche (marca in the singular and marche in the plural). Thus the whole region took the name meaning the land compound of several “ marche”. These zones of land were very much regarded as the private property of the Papal State. It wasn’t until 1869, after the Pope’s army had been overrun and Ancona was conquered, that the Marche was joined to the Italian state. Being a “border” zone with the rest of Italy throughout its history, there are many fortresses and castles in the Marche. Two of the most notable being the superbly-maintained medieval Castle of Caldarola, surrounded by a beautiful park, and Gradara, the castle-city. Legend has it that whoever sleeps within its walls will die a violent death (Mussolini being one of its guests).
The Marche, home to more than seventy-one historical theatres, also takes pride in its literary culture. One of the greatest Italian poets of all time (reminiscent of our Keats), Giacomo Leopardi, was born here in the hill town of Recanati. The expansive landscape of the area inspired him to write his famous L’Infinito, from whose title the Marche is often called the Lands of Infinity. Near to Recanati is the hill town of Loreto, home to one of the most frequently visited sanctuaries in the world. The shrine, protected by a fine Renaissance church decorated by Piero della Francesca, is said to be the house of the Virgin Mary, borne to this spot by angels. In June each year many undertake an all-night 16 mile pilgrimage on foot, leaving Macerata at dusk and arriving in Loreto as the sun rises. vv As well as thousands of churches, you will find many monasteries and abbeys in the region. The Santa Maria del Monte, founded in the 12th century, boasts fine frescoes, a charming cloister and beautiful views of the sea. The 22 monks who live here sell their own wine, liqueurs and honey. In the mountainous area of the Furlo Gorge, lies the tiny Romanesque Abbey of San Vicenzo. Built before 970, it is one of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in the Marche region. Perhaps the most atmospheric, in a secluded place deep in the woods on the slopes of Monte Catria, is the Fonte Avellana monastery. Founded in 980 and visited by Dante in 1310, it still retains its medieval monastic form. Once an important centre for the production of illuminated manuscripts, you can still go on a guided tour of the scriptorium and see the rows of rare 16th century books in the Dante Alighieri library. (Photos by Gabriele Rossi)
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Secret Marche
[AUT.REG.17181 REA 159488 CEA 147085] |
