The most convenient and sensible way to reach the inland areas of the Marche region—a land shaped like a “comb,” where the rivers form the “teeth” of a linear structure descending from the mountains to the Adriatic Sea—is to start from the coast and head inland. This route avoids mountain passes and makes travel quicker and easier. In this itinerary, however, we’ll take the opposite approach: we’ll move from valley to valley, crossing more or less steep passes before descending to the sea, passing through villages far from the coast and discovering both natural wonders and human-made landmarks. Along the way, we’ll encounter traditional crafts still practiced in these lands and admire a landscape that is partly hilly and partly mountainous, featuring peaks like those of the Sibillini Mountains, which rise above two thousand meters. It’s a beautiful journey that includes several historic residences and begins in the city of the Dukes of Montefeltro, in a historic center declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. We are, of course, speaking of Urbino.
You can also choose to arrive in the hometown of the great Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) the evening before your visit. In that case, to avoid issues with steep streets and parking, we recommend a chic countryside accommodation such as the wine resort and spa Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo, located just a short distance from Urbino’s old town. This resort was created by restoring an 18th-century hamlet and is primarily dedicated to producing local wines and organic agricultural products.
We dine at Urbino dei Laghi restaurant and wake up early the next morning to explore the wonders of Urbino. The Ducal Palace, residence of the Dukes of Montefeltro, was built following the mathematical principles of the Renaissance embraced by Duke Federico, an essential figure in Urbino’s history and immortalized in the collective imagination by Piero della Francesca’s famous profile portrait housed in the Uffizi Gallery—where the duke is depicted with his unmistakably “disfigured” nose, as he himself called it.
Renaissance paintings are the centerpiece of the region’s most important art gallery, the National Gallery of the Marche, which houses universal masterpieces such as the Ideal City by an anonymous artist, The Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca, and Raphael’s Portrait of a Gentlewoman (known as “La Muta”). A visit to Raphael’s birthplace is a must: it’s where the genius of Urbino was born in 1483 and trained in his father’s workshop. Here you can see one of his earliest works, Madonna and Child.
To complete your city tour, make sure to visit at least the Cathedral (originally built in 1063 and later renovated to assume its current neoclassical appearance) and the Albornoz Fortress, the ideal spot to enjoy a sunset over the hills. A lunch at L’Angolo Divino or a local specialty “crescia sfogliata” (a flaky flatbread typical of Urbino) from Il Buco on Via Battisti, in business since 1954, will round out the day from a culinary perspective.
For craft lovers, Urbino is renowned for its engravings, ceramics, fine art prints, and a unique lamp made of brass, tin, and glass called the Stella Ducale. You can purchase it at Bottega Sorini, located at Via Mazzini 107.
We dedicate the second day entirely to visiting some of the most important inland villages of the Marche region. We begin in a place whose name evokes the prized white truffle: Acqualagna, home to the National White Truffle Fair of Acqualagna. But before reaching the town, we stop to admire the nearby natural reserve known as the Gola del Furlo. When in season, Acqualagna’s white truffle can be purchased in various specialty shops, and to taste it, we recommend Antico Furlo, a restaurant just outside the town located in a hotel once favored by Benito Mussolini, whose suite is still preserved.
Shortly after Acqualagna, we arrive in Cagli, where we visit our first historic residence: Villa Fontalba—a neo-Gothic castle surrounded by a two-level Italian garden and centuries-old trees. If time permits, this is an ideal place to spend a few days, as the villa offers four guest apartments and a swimming pool for relaxing between visits. The entire property can also be booked for events.
From Cagli, we follow the ancient Via Flaminia—today the SS3—crossing the pass at Scheggia, then descending toward Fossato di Vico in the region of Umbria. From there, we re-enter the Marche region to reach Fabriano, one of the most fascinating cities from an industrial standpoint. Fabriano is historically linked not only to paper production, which began here as early as 1264, but also to household appliances, as the city is associated with the Merloni family and currently hosts the Aristide Merloni Foundation.
In Fabriano, we recommend visiting the Paper and Watermark Museum, the Museum of the Historic Piano, and the Gentile Theater, one of the one hundred historic theaters found throughout the Marche region. If desired, the famous Frasassi Caves are just a few kilometers from Fabriano—but with limited time, we leave that visit for another trip.
We continue on to Matelica, known for its Verdicchio wine and home to major wineries such as Belisario, which, like most wine estates in the area, offers tours, tastings, and on-site purchases.
On the way to Camerino, we come across the second historic residence: Rocca d’Ajello Castle, a fortress built between 1260 and 1450 by the ducal Varano family, rulers of Camerino for several centuries. It rises atop a hill covered in woods and surrounded by pristine rolling countryside. The castle is used as a venue for events and ceremonies, and for those wishing to stay overnight in its shadow, the former rectory of the Church of San Biagio has been converted into a charming country house.
From here, Camerino’s historic center is just a stone’s throw away, with its churches, noble palaces, ancient university, and the Borgia Fortress, perched dramatically on the edge of a cliff and commissioned by Cesare Borgia.
We now enter the Chienti Valley, another notable wine-producing area, home to Serrapetrona and its famous Vernaccia wine (the most renowned producer is Quacquarini, who also offers sweets such as panettone). The village is not only famous for its wine but also for its spring waters that, legend has it, work miracles…
The next stop is Tolentino, known not only for its monuments but also for its leather industry. This is the home of Poltrona Frau, whose company museum is well worth a visit, and several leather goods manufacturers, including Laipe (brand: Cromia), which has a long-standing collaboration with Versace. Today, visitors can shop directly at its factory outlet.
We continue along the Chienti River, passing the turnoff to Macerata, and through Morrovalle and Montecosaro—heart of the “shoes valley”, a major footwear production district. At Brancadoro, we enter the province of Fermo, crossing through the shoe-making towns of Sant’Elpidio a Mare and Monte Urano, and finally reach Fermo, where our journey comes to an end with a visit to this city, which became a provincial capital in 2004.
In Fermo, besides the beautiful Piazza del Popolo, highlights include the churches of Santa Maria Assunta (the cathedral) and San Francesco, the Palazzo dei Priori with its 16,000-volume library and the globe made by Fabriano cartographer Silvestro Amanzio Moroncelli, and—above all—two remarkable historic residences.
The first is Palazzo Vinci Gigliucci, where guests can stay while exploring the ancient cellars, stables, kitchens, granary, and inner courtyards. It is one of the most significant noble palaces in the region, both for its architectural layout and its decorative elements. The building has been restored and converted into luxurious apartments. It belongs to the group of residences known as Marche Amore, made available to guests by the owner Enrico Biondi, with the aim of offering a historical experience in charming locations that embody the spirit of the Marche region. In addition to Palazzo Vinci Gigliucci, the group includes Torre da Bora and Roccaccia.
The second historic residence in Fermo is Palazzo Romani Adami, located on Corso Cavour near the courthouse. It is an 18th-century palace-village that has been transformed into a charming historic residence, offering eleven guest apartments. The Romani Adami family, which gives the palace its name, has been documented as active in the government and trade of the city since around the year 1100. The residence is also available as a venue for events and corporate meetings.
