The Region of Le Marche

Tucked away in a quiet position along the Adriatic Sea lies the region of Le Marche, Italy. Its serene setting is largely untouched by the hoards of tourists that flood Tuscany each summer, but it still sees its fair share of visitors (mainly German) each year. It boasts the rolling hills of other regions, the narrow winding roads of the countryside, and small medieval towns perched high on the hills. We hadn't heard of this area before moving here, and only just found out some information about it last fall - so it became part of the "list".

The countryside from San Marcello

Le Marche is full of tiny, quaint, walled-in villages. The towns are within close proximity to each other, reachable by long and narrow roads through vineyards and plains. They are some of the best preserved ancient towns in Italy and retain a quiet atmosphere that is void of shops, restaurants, and markets. Throughout the weekend we drove to towns such as Ostia, Ostia Vetere, Belvedere Ostrense, and Corinaldo. Each town boasted sweeping views of the region as we walked along their defensive walls and narrow alleyways.

Through the streets of Ostia.

In Belvedere Ostrense

Corinaldo

We were fortunate to have our friends Evan and Melana fly in from the States and meet us at the agriturismo in San Marcello. Along with exploring the towns together, we snacked on breads, cheeses, prosciutto, tomatoes, and eggplant, as well as taking part in a wine tasting held by the owners of our agriturismo.

Prosciutto, salami, a variety of cheeses, and homemade jam at the wine tasting. 

The four of us in Corinaldo.

This is definitely a nice weekend getaway if you're looking to relax and not have a lot on the agenda. In the summer months one can sit by the pool while drinking a glass of wine and just gaze out onto the countryside. We found it to be perfect for what we were looking for that weekend - quiet relaxation.

Assisi & the Small Country of San Marino

Back in November we were supposed to visit Assisi with my parents since we were spending the night in Perugia with them. But Hurricane Sandy had other plans in store for us, and while my parents were able to fly into Rome the same day that they had intended, it was later than planned and we weren't able to fit in Assisi. Determined to visit, we stopped in Assisi for the night while on our way to Le Marche in order to explore this exquisite city.

View from Basilica di Francesca 

Assisi boasts many churches and is considered a very spiritual city, with people making pilgrimages each year to share in its tranquility. We went to the mother church of Assisi, Basilica di Francesca. The church is built into a hill and is comprised of the Upper Church and Lower Church. There is also a crypt where the remains of St. Francis are buried.

One thing we noticed about Assisi is that it is very hilly. It felt like every road we walked on directed us UP, whether it be on wider main roads or small and quaint alleyways. Every building is made of stone, with doorways and windows to houses peeking out.

Did we mention that there a lot of churches in Assisi?

Basilica della Santa Chiara

On our way to the region of Le Marche we decided to make a slight detour and visit the country of San Marino. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe (Vatican City and Monaco are one & two) and is surrounded by Italy on all sides. It's located 2,100 feet into the sky and requires a steep walk uphill to get to the center.

San Marino looks like it has largely given over to tourism, with souvenir shops at every turn and restaurants advertising their menus in English, but it was nice to walk around this country. We had been looking forward to gorgeous views that we had read about, but unfortunately we were stuck in the middle of a huge cloud and could barely see the buildings in front of us!

Jon and the beautiful view down below.

On the drive down, out of the clouds. 

Our detours led us to some great sights and with only three months to go we're glad that we were able to squeeze in Assisi and San Marino. Next up, the region of Le Marche!

Verona, Italy

After Ferrari driving we drove an hour north to Verona. Verona lies in northern Italy in the Veneto region and is best known as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Verona was on our "bonus list" and we're glad we took the slight detour to visit this beautiful city.

We walked to Verona's amphitheater, built in 30 AD, which is famous for the large-scale operas and concerts that take place, and where over 500,000 people see the productions each year. The arena has hosted bands such as Pink Floyd, Duran Duran, Dire Straits, Rod Stewart, Sting, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Muse, and Paul McCartney. We found it pretty cool that this 2,000 year old former gladiator arena is still being used to entertain people.

Next, we walked to the house of Juliet. We didn't go inside, but we entered the gardens just to see the balcony where Shakespeare envisioned Romeo and Juliet's famous love scene. Nearby there is a wall where people inscribe messages of love to each other (although it looks like terrible graffiti that has been written on every free space imaginable) and a gate where people secure a love lock symbolizing their love.

We made our way to Piazza delle Erbe, which is the center of Verona's historic center. The square is full of market stalls selling everything from local goodies to souvenirs.

In the piazza is Lamberti Tower. We climbed the stairs to the top and were welcomed with fantastic views of the city.

Lamberti Tower

While in the region we wanted to go to a few wineries and taste the wine that's well-known to the Veneto region, Amarone. The area didn't boast the rolling hills of Tuscany or Piedmont, but is still one of the largest producers of wine in the country. We went to a couple of wineries, toured their vineyards and cellars, and tasted their wines and local products.

Some vineyards for Tommasi. 

The world's largest oak cask, registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Of course, we can't forget about the food that we devoured from the area. The gnocchi was so different than any other gnocchi we have tried. It was creamy, velvety, and melted in your mouth as soon as you took a bite. In this region they are typically in a cream sauce with truffles. Delicious!

We had a great time here and are happy that we were able to fit it in before we leave Italy. The food, the wine, and the scenery, make this a must-see city for anyone in the area!

Ferrari Driving in Maranello!

About 45 minutes from Bologna lies the town of Maranello, which is best known as the location of the Ferrari factory and museum. Next to the museum are three different companies that allow you to drive your choice of Ferraris for 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. As this is something that Jon has wanted to do since moving to Italy, we went to Maranello specifically to drive Ferraris for a short time.

Since I was indifferent about driving a Ferrari we decided that Jon would drive one for 20 minutes instead of each of us driving for 10 minutes. It's pretty pricey so it was one or the other! After choosing his red 458 he left the parking lot with his "instructor" in the passenger seat, and headed to the streets of Maranello. According to him, his driving experience can be summed up in just one word, "Amazing".

Leaving the parking lot

Jon wins!

After leaving Maranello we went to the city of Modena about 10 miles away. Modena is known for their balsamic vinegar, and everywhere you look there is a store selling this regional product. The streets of Modena are clean, the piazzas are large, and the food is spectacular!

Piazza Grande

Creamy ravioli with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar... cue mouth drool. 

This was a quick trip up, but a check off Jon's bucket list made it well worth it! Jon says it was a test drive of maybe a future purchase. To that I respond, "Not in this lifetime!"