Urbino – a world heritage site and UNESCO town.  Urbino was the model renaissance city during the Italian Renaissance. , Urbino wrote the book on courtly behaviour during the 16th century. Ruled by Federico da Montefeltro, who brought Europe’s greatest architects and artists to build his model city. Today it’s an elegant, relaxed and very pleasant town, with good restaurants and fine museums and galleries.

Why not take some time out and explore this lovely area and I can recommend lovely accommodation at LOCANDA DELLA VALLE NUOVA which is located  in sight of Urbino itself and which is registered  in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.  The country house sits in 105 acres of an organically run farm and nestled in a landscape of gentle rolling hills , rich in wild flora and fauna, where ancient oaks are still protected as they were in the times of the Dukes of Montefeltro.

This thriving and elegant centre is one of the most beguiling towns in this stretch of the Marche and boasts a sophisticated old centre and lively cultural life that should not be missed.

Its most striking feature greets you as you arrive – a belt of massive 14thC walls (above), built on Roman foundations, strengthened with buttresses and impregnable towers, and topped by houses. The main streets of the walled historic centre run along a narrow ridge and there is much to tempt you to explore.

Start in Piazza Federico II which lies at the north-eastern end of the town where the Roman forum of Aesis once lay. Its name recalls the birth here of the fabled Medieval Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II in a tent on 26 December 1194. Frederick, known as Stupor Mundi for his stirring deeds, endeared himself even more to the city when he later called it his special city, its very name seeming to recall that of Jesus.

The 18thC face of the Duomo, the robust caryatids on the palace to the left of the church and the obelisk in the centre give the square a decidedly Late Baroque tone.

The beguiling town of Ascoli Piceno is the southern Marche’s major centre and, as its tourist brochure says, it is a place you can see in a day yet never forget. Along with its breathtaking main square, it has other outstanding sights that manage to leave their mark on even the most blasé of tourists.

Although it is a fairly large town with a population of some 60,000 people, the historic centre can easily be seen on foot.

Start at the Piazza del Popolo, the traffic-free, travertine-paved main square. This beautifully proportioned outdoor meeting place must be one of the most elegant provincial squares in all Italy. To one side of the square stands the Palazzo del Popolo, a splendid 13thC building guarded over by a monumental statue of Pope Paul III. Look inside to see the arcaded Renaissance courtyard.

Closing off one end of the piazza is the great Gothic church of San Francesco, a sober but pleasing building both inside and out.

The other main square, Piazza Arringo, is almost as impressive as its big sister and is flanked by the Duomo, or cathedral, and the town hall, or palazzo Comunale. Inside here you will find the Pinacoteca Civica, Ascoli’s art gallery, a carpet-bag collection of minor works by major artists and major works by minor artists. Best of all is the 13thC cope (piviale) of Pope Nicholas IV, a dazzling piece of embroidery work made in England.

Inside the Duomo look out for the colourful polyptch with the Madonna and Saints by Carlo Crivelli.

Wander round the old quarter of the town that stretches from the banks of the Tronto river to the city’s main street, Corso Mazzini – best streets are via Soderini and via di Solestà.

La Quintana , Ascoli’s jousting tournament, is one of the most authentic and exciting of these Medieval shows in the Marche and takes place in the main square on the first Sunday of August. The high point of the games is when riders from the city’s six districts tilt with lances for the target.

The day also includes a massive procession with around 1,400 town’s people dressed in 15thC costume and plenty of side-shows and open-air eating places. Maybe not quite as famous as the Palio at Siena but certainly worth seeing.

Historic lane in Serra de'Conti

The village is 216 metres above sea level and has a population of just over 3,600 and today has a thriving business and agricultural community, as well as a small amount of tourism, mainly by Italians, as it remains off the beaten track to most foreign visitors and tourists . But the coast is still only 30 minutes away by car and the beautiful and historic large town of Jesi just 20 minutes distant.

Serra de’Conti is a typical hilltop village in the central Le Marche province of Ancona.It is said to be one of the most beautiful of the larger hilltop villages in the whole of Le Marche and has mediaeval fortified walls and ten towers. There is also the famous historic fortified gate of Porta della Croce which is still used as one of the main entrances to the village, and has been recently restored to it‘s former glory. Anyone with an interest in visiting untouched and unspoilt mediaeval villages would do well to visit Serra de’Conti as the village is a masterpiece of Mediaeval architecture.In the middle ages Serra de’Conti became established as a leading trade and agricultural centre for the area and because of it’s relative wealth, many large and grand buildings were built within the town walls and even today there are many priceless works of art in the galleries and museum in the village.

The village is 216 metres above sea level and has a population of just over 3,600 in the village and surrounding area. Today Serra has a thriving business and agricultural community, as well as a small amount of tourism, mainly by Italian vistors. Even though it is only a few kilometres inland from the Adriatic coast it  still remains off the beaten track to most foreign visitors and tourists . But the coast is still only 30 minutes away by car and the beautiful and historic large town of Jesi just 20 minutes distant.

The village is well placed in southern Le Marche, situated equidistant between the coast and the Sibillini Mountains and has become very popular with British nationals buying property in this area of le Marche.There is also a large museum, an imposing town hall and a civic picture gallery in the village and these have become very popular with both locals and tourists visiting the area.

There are several small cafés, small local shops, bars and a few restaurants in the central village and in the surrounding area many small wine and olive oil producers. The village is very vibrant with an active Pro Loco and the main historic centre has undergone extensive restoration over the past few years.

Montalto delle Marche has two small fractions or hamlets in close proximity, Porchia and Patrignone. Patrignone is the closer of the two and is especially beautiful with an outstanding church tower and small narrow lanes. Porchia is situated to the east of Montalto and is a busy and vibrant hamlet of just a few hundred persons.

The town has a thriving University which was founded in 1290 and it is now very popular with students from abroad as well as native Italians.

The town has many lovely mediaeval streets and there are also many beautiful Palazzi in the centro storico. Macerata has many museums and art galleries and the famous Madonna and Child by Carlo Crivelli are on display in the Palazzo Ricci. The large and imposing Cathedral in the centro storico dates from the 1100s.

In each July and August the world famous Macerata Opera festival is held in the 3,500 to 4,500 seat Sferisterio arena. The large arena was erected in the 1820s by the architect Ireneo Aleandri and the orchestra pit is so wide that musicians at each end cannot hear one another.

It is a truly wonderful experience to hear Opera in the warm night air in the summer in the arena with candles flickering in the darkness.

The ancient Firmum Picenum was founded in 264BC and was the local headquarters of the Roman powers. In 1199 it became a free City and remained independent until 1550 when it was annexed to the Papal States.

Today Fermo has a population of over 35,000 and is a busy and prosperous town with a full range of shops, restaurants, galleries and museums. It has a vibrant nightlife and throughout the year there are many outdoor events including music festivals and sagras staged in the central Piazza, the Piazza del Popolo.

Above this on the commanding Rocca is the commanding 13th century Cathedral and open park area around which are small bars and play area for children. In the summer many outdoor events are also held here and it is a wonderful place to spend a hot summers evening.

It features the best preserved town or village walls in the whole of Le Marche at 912 metres in length. Their maximum height is 18 metres and they enclose the entire historic centre of the Town. The current walls date back to 1367 and were enlarged between 1484 and 1490 by the architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini.

The walls along with the many churches, palaces and other ancient historic buildings make Corinaldo a fascinating place to visit.

Corinaldo does not have a famous Piazza, but instead has a massive stairway with one hundred steps , called the Piaggia and the surrounding houses converge on it in a herringbone pattern. Also in the centre of the town is is the lovely neo classical Town hall andd the oldest house in the town, dating from the 13th Century.

There are two ancient castles, the old medieval castle and the second castle built in the 15th Century. Near to the new castle can be found the 14th and 15th century fortified walls, now called the Military trenches or Military walks.

Only 4km from Carassai is the impressive and fully preserved castle, the Rocca Monte Varmine. It has an impressive stone tower and walls and even the archer slits are still intact. In fact it is hard to find such a historically intact castle in the whole of Le Marche and it is believed that the first hand firing weapons were used here.

Carassai is now closely associated with the production of Rosso Piceno and Falerio wines and also fine Olive oils.

Being just a couple of kilometres from the Adriatic means that Campofilone has always been popular with Italian tourists as shown by the array of luxury villas and apartments in the area outside the walls of the old medieval village.

Campofilone today is a beautiful and popular village and the main gate in the medieval walls are approached along a tree-lined avenue. The village is in the heart of a very fertile agricultural area that has allowed its inhabitants to flourish throughout its long history.

At the centre of the village is the Piazza del Comune that replaced the old Abbey of St Bartolomeo which was originally built there in the 11th century.

Campofilone is now world famous for its exquisite, thin egg pasta, Maccheroncini. This type of very fine egg pasta is thought to date back to the 15th century and is even mentioned in Benedictine documents from that time. The recipe was a close guarded secret and was handed down over the centuries from mother to daughter in the village and surrounding area.

In August every year the village attracts thousands of visitors to its world famous festival of Maccheroncini, where the pasta can be tasted with a wide variety of sauces and different ingredients.