3 Most Beautiful Villages in Le Marche

Sometimes last minute plans work out for the better. Last year we were given a SmartBox for an overnight stay that expires this month and sitting on this for the past 11 months, we found ourselves in a situation where we had to use it or lose it.

I had Le Marche in mind, which is not a region we are unfamiliar with as Senigallia is one of our summer jaunts, but because we always plant ourselves there, this would be the perfect opportunity to see more of the region.

Looking at the limited options in the SmartBox for Le Marche, we chose a place inland near Macerata, allowing us to visit the city as well as Loreto and Ascoli Piceno. That was the idea and aside from booking the accommodation, we didn’t have anything else planned.

The night before we left, while we were having pizza out with family, they had asked what our plans were and I basically shrugged and said “boh” (a response you give when you don’t have an answer). My sister-in-law, who knows Le Marche well, suggested visiting Cingoli and when she mentioned it is known as the “Balcony of Le Marche”, it sure got my attention. With such a description, I was sure this was one town I would visit.

After dinner, I frantically did some quick research and was glad to see that Cingoli was only a short drive from where we would stay.  From there, I learnt there were several towns nearby listed as I Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia (The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) along with Cingoli. And with a penchant for small towns, that’s when the plan started to take shape.

3 Most Beautiful Villages in Le Marche

Le Marche is dotted with charming towns and in this region, there are 21 villages listed in I Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia. With only a weekend, we chose to visit the villages closest to where we were staying and I was enamored by all three.

Matelica

Matelica lies on the edge of the province of Macerata and between Mount San Vicino to the east and the Sibillini mountains in the south, the area is renowned for the production of Verdicchio Matelica DOC wine.  The town was under the Holy See until it was given to the Ottoni family who ruled the place until the end of the 16th century.

In the main piazza, Piazza Enrico Mattei, you’ll find some of the  most notable historical building into town: the Palazzo del Governo with the Torre Civica (13th and 12th century respectively) and the octagonal fountain in the centre of the square which dates to the 16th century.

Somehow we manage to get to these small towns at lunch time, when everything shuts down. We knew we would have a heavy dinner and decided to forgo a meal at a restaurant for lunch. Apart from a few bars and a gelateria that were opened, we were pushing our luck in trying to find an alimentari (grocery) shop where we could get panini (sandwiches).

As we were about to given up in vain, out of the corner of our eyes we saw a hopeful sign, an alimentari. That was some luck. The shop was open as the owner was still dealing with a supplier and to our delight, we found ourselves walking around the deserted streets of Matelica happily munching on our panini filled with ciauscolo, a spreadable salami, and a jar of “Millefiori” honey in my bag, both products typical of this area.

Cingoli 

Known as “The Balcony of Le Marche” you know for sure you’ll be treated to spectacular views. As you travel along the road that gently climbs to Cingoli, which is situated at 630 meters (2000 ft), you get glimpses of what to expect. The scenery of the valleys and rolling hills was breathtaking and approaching the town you get a glance of  this town soaring above the valley, making even more fairy-tale like.

The spot to take in the sweeping views of the area in Cingoli is the Church of San Francesco, only a few minutes walk from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. I could sit here all day and stare at this splendid scenery resembling a pathwork quilt, with rolling hills in various hues of green and brown stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see.

In Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, you’ll find the town hall and the Cathedral that is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Stroll along Via Foltrani (on the right as you leave the Cathedral) lined with beautiful Renaissance palaces that belonged to the noble families of Cingoli and it’s likely you’ll also find yourself on Corso Garibaldi, the main artery that goes through the town. Don’t forget to slip into one of the sides streets with picturesque corners.

Treia

We left Treia for the next day as we wanted to take it as slow as one possibly could on a weekend getaway. I guess you can say we saved the best for last as Treia was certainly my favorite out of the three.

Not to take away anything from the other two towns but there’s a particular charm to the town that I can’t quite put my fingers on. Strolling through the deserted yet well-kept streets with only a small group of residents lingering in the main piazza, Piazza della Repubblica, it felt like you’ve stepped onto a movie set.

Or it could be that we also had a warm and friendly chat with a “nonno” (grandpa) who was eager to tell us all about “Il Gioco del Pallone col Bracciale” a sport which somewhat resembles, baseball, tennis and squash. It’s played using a leather ball probably the size of a softball and with a massive bracelet with spikes.

The bracciale weighs about 200 grams roughly the weight of a tennis racket but all concentrated around your wrist which I prove to be a strain for the player. We were told that there is record of this sport dating back to the Renaissance and according to the nonno it’s believed that this game dates back even further.

Every year the town holds “Disfida del Bracciale” outside the its walls where the four neighborhoods in town battle for this prestigious title. Each neighborhood is represented by three players and a “mandarino”, the person  responsible for pitching the ball to his team.

The point system is similar to tennis (15, 30, 45…) and since it is impossible to control the direction as to how you would hit the ball, the aim is hit it towards the wall where it will should then bounce off to the other side of the court. The court is about 80-100 meters in length and 15-20 meters wide but unlike tennis, a ball can’t be called out but instead you can hit a home run, which sounds like baseball.

We were invited back to see this event that will be held on August 2nd, 2015 but unfortunately we won’t be able to make it. However, if you don’t have plans yet, it’s definitely worth seeing how it’s played out and you can check out the details of the Disfida del Bracciale here.

Have you been to Le Marche? What are your favorite places in this region?