Beautiful vistas, green rolling hills and bright yellow sunflower fields as far as the eye can see. Castles straight out of fairy tales that tell of knights and maidens. The perfect blend of history, nature, traditions and legends.
Spend your holiday exploring the most beautiful age-old villages and castles in Italy, in the ancient Le Marche region.
Candelara
In the village of Candelara, light seems to take on a different glow. A real gem of Le Marche, this tiny town is just waiting to be discovered. A charming place, rich in history, art and culture, where the mountains and hills slope gently toward the Adriatic Sea. The town’s coat of arms is something of a curiosity: it depicts three hills with three candles on top of them. Legend has it that to find the most suitable location to build the town, three candles were lit in three different locations and in the least windy point, the one where the flame did not go out, the town was built. Hence the name of this splendid village, surrounded by small valleys, olive trees, vineyards and oak woodlands.
Casteldimezzo
A village suspended between the sky and the sea. Between Le Marche and Romagna, between the sea and the hills, Casteldimezzo sits perched on Monte San Bartolo. The view from here will take your breath away. A natural terrace over the sea, where the gaze gets lost in the clear blue of the waves. The sight of a fortification of medieval origin, today just a small section remains, including one of the towers that was part of the town walls.
Fiorenzuola di Focara
A little treasure of a village on the Adriatic coast. With stunning views overlooking the sea and offering a panorama of rare beauty. Breathe in the peace and tranquillity while walking through the tiny streets of the village. And then there is the beach: a completely uncontaminated stretch of coast with a unique, wild beauty. The village is connected to this paradise by a path that leads from the village right to the sea.
Ginestreto
A village that holds within its walls a history going back more than a thousand years. Its castle was founded around the middle of the 10th century. Ginestreto today still has several interesting, well preserved military architectural elements (sections of walls and an arch) and the Romanesque Pieve di S. Pietro, which was built on the site of a previous settlement.
Novilara
An ancient village, completely surrounded by solid defensive walls whose origins date back to the Etruscan period. From the sea to the Apennines, from Pesaro to Fano, all the way to Senigallia, the view from up here is infinite.
Rocca Costanza di Pesaro
Strength and elegance inside the city: Rocca Costanza is a castle located in the very heart of Pesaro. Construction began in 1474 on this work of the famous architect Luciano Laurana which gets its name from Costanzo Sforza. The fortress has a quadrilateral plan, with circular towers embanked at the corners. During the summer season the fortress is transformed and becomes the scene of festivals and other events.
Rocca di Fossombrone
The Rocca di Fossombrone is located in one of the highest parts of the town, in a strategic position allowing it to dominate the entire Metauro valley. The fortress castle, which was one of the cornerstones of the fortification system of the Duchy of Urbino, was first part of the Malatesta domain and then later belonged to the Montefeltros.
Rocca Malatestiana di Fano
Also known simply as “La Fortezza”, this fortress castle is located at the north corner of the Fano city walls. It was Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta who commissioned the current form by architect Matteo Nuti. The construction began in 1433, even if the year construction began on its present form has always been considered to be 1438.
Rocca Roveresca di Mondavio
The most impressive thing about the town of Mondavio is of course the imposing and majestic Rocca Roveresca. It is a great example of a Renaissance fortification and was designed by the military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini from Siena. The fortress now houses a historical re-enactment museum featuring moments of everyday life from Roman times with wax figures in period clothing. Every year, on August 15th, there is a historical re-enactment event with a procession, entertainment and a dinner party.
