So you have decided to go to Marches, a small region of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. The Marches (it's often spelled with The) is relatively unknown to tourists. This is a great place to see the real Italy. Sights to see include the college town of Urbino with a lovely Palazzo Ducale that houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and the Casa Natale de Raffaello, the house where Raphael was born. Further south, While the National Gallery doesn't contain much work by Raphael, you can view Titian's Resurrection and Last Supper.
The coastal city of Pesaro has the usual (for Italy) components of Ducal Palace, Cathedral, castle, churches, and museums. One museum is devoted to a hometown boy, the opera composer Rossini. Head further down the coast to the port of Ancona and visit the Duomo di San Ciriaco (Cathedral) and stroll the streets of the old city. Loreto is home to the Santuario della Santa Casa (House of the Virgin Mary). Festival time is Easter week and December 10, the Feast of the Holy House. Finish your tour at Ascoli Piceno. Visit the Piazza del Populo (Square of the People) and the Thirteenth Century Palazzo dei Capitani del Populo (Palace of the People's Captains). Festival time is the first Sunday in August, devoted to the city's patron saint, Saint Emidio.
Marches, tucked between the Appennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, produces two top of the line wines, Rosso Conero Riserva DOCG made from mostly Montepulciano and up to 15% Sangiovese grapes in the hills surrounding Mount Conero near Ancona. The Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG is a red sparkling wine made mostly from the Vernaccia Nera grape near Macerata towards the region's center. The regions' best-known wines are the white Verdicchios: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC and Verdicchio di Matelica DOC. They are usually dry but may be sweet. Be careful, their quality is quite variable. Try to find Bianchello del Metauro DOC wine from the rare Biancame white grape.
In addition to the grape varieties mentioned previously common white varieties include the Italian Trebbiano, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The local red Lacrima is fairly rare. Common red varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.
Companies selling wine tours of Marches include Prime Italy, Vineria la Birba, Hotel Universal Senigala, and Wine Tour Italia. Marches wineries that accept visits include Il Conte in Momteprandone and Casa Vinicola Gioacchino Garofoli in Loreto. Belisario Matelica offers a wine bar. A few words of caution are in order. Do check in time, if the opening hours and if you speak English. Some places can charge admission, others expect to buy some of their products.
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