The Marche, Neighbor of Tuscany
The Italian state of The Marche is not much known – all the attention goes to the neighboring state of Tuscany to the West. The Marche lays to the East, on the Adriatic Sea, with just as many vineyards, beautiful beaches and old towns with picturesque centers.
Sangiovese grapes hang ready for the picking
We stayed on a vineyard estate, Tenuta San Giacomo e Filippo in a comfortable, but rustic suite.
As we experienced some rainy days, it was a cozy break from all that traveling around. We could relax and work on our computers in our spacious room. We had a wonderful time visiting the Tenuta (estate), of course, as well as enjoying their excellent cuisine. They truly had an amazing chef on the property. We also experienced an incredible tour of their winery ending in a luxurious wine tasting with the estate’s owner, a rather unusual bit of luck for us as she normally doesn’t involve herself in such activities.
On one of the two sunny days we ventured out to see the surrounding villages: Cagli, Fabriano, Ascona, and Urbino
Fabriano is known for its paper company and annual festival celebrating watercolor artists.
Beach time at Spiaggia di San Michele, right next to Monte Conero.
Ancona – beautiful town on the Adriatic Sea! We stopped here on our way back to our Tenuta for some dinner and fresh sea air.
Before leaving The Marche, we visited the capital city of the area, Urbino, and enjoyed a surprisingly delicious Michelin-recognized restaurant for dinner. The owners hosted previously a Michelin star restaurant but decided to simplify and we definitely benefited!
In the end, we did not really get a favorable feeling about the area as it rained a lot and we were already focusing on our next adventure, so to be fair, we should come back and explore The Marche another time.