DISCOVERY LE MARCHE & UMBRIA - THE 5 SENSES 2026-27

Corinaldo, an urban marvel. 
Corinaldo is steeped in an atmosphere that is more than evocative, almost surreal. It is a very small village, entirely enclosed within its perimeter walls, the best preserved in all of Marche since the 15th century, tracing Corinaldo’s outline far and wide and offering breathtaking views over green valleys and the sea. The first thing to do once you get up here is to walk the 912 metres of the city walls. Then you can venture into the lanes, up the slopes and down the steep stairways. The gates, bastions, defence towers and swallow-tail battlements are so perfectly intact and harmonious that a car, a streetlamp or a modern café seem like discordant notes in the score. The heart of the little town is Via La Piaggia, entirely occupied by a staircase of 100 steps overlooked by charming red-brick houses, at the foot of which parade plants and flowers of every kind. Almost in the middle of the street is the Pozzo della Polenta, so called because of the legend of the farmer who, resting on the well, dropped his overfilled sack of flour into it. When he did not come back up, the women of the town began to gossip that the farmer had preferred to stay at the bottom of the well eating polenta. From this myth was born the Contesa del Pozzo della Polenta – an entertaining historical re-enactment linked to the adventurous misfortune of the poor traveller.

Gradara, a village of tradition, history and love.
Beautiful views, parish churches and castles, fairy tales straight out of One Thousand and One Nights. A perfect blend of history, nature, tradition and courtly love. All this is Gradara, which in 2018 was elected Italy’s Borgo dei Borghi. The solid and mighty crenellated walls and the low houses of the ancient settlement form the antechamber to the hill on which the Fortress proudly rises, home of the ruthless Lucrezia Borgia and setting of one of the most intense love dramas we know, that of Paolo and Francesca. Of course, had Dante not devoted the fifth canto of the Inferno in the Divine Comedy to them, the liaison between Paolo and Francesca might have remained one of the many anonymous tragedies of the Middle Ages. But historical evidence and the poetic embroideries of Boccaccio, D’Annunzio, Blake and Rodin have kept the myth of the unhappy lovers alive. For this reason, visiting the castle is an obligation one cannot escape. Imagine the two adulterous lovers exchanging their fateful kiss and then planning their escape through the trapdoor in Francesca’s room, or picture the seductive and incestuous Lucrezia Borgia admiring her charms in the mirror of her dressing room. Then, walking along the curtain wall, with its fourteen watchtowers, loopholes and the coats of arms of the Sforza, Della Rovere and Farnese families, the view is truly surprising and the medieval stage set is complete. Stroll through the streets and focus on local life, because this town in Marche is lively and dynamic, and it also excels in food and wine, having inherited some of its specialities from neighbouring Romagna. 

Fabriano. 
A lovely town in the inland area of Marche, surrounded by hills and mountains of the Umbrian-Marche Apennines (Monte Neghiamo, Monte Strega, Monte Cattiva, Monte Cucco and Monte San Vicino). Fabriano lies in a valley crossed by the Giano River, which then joins the Esino River. Its original name, “Faberius”, derives from the union of “Faber”, blacksmith, and “Ianus”, Janus: in the past ironworking was widespread in the town, a place rich in history, culture and traditions. The visit can begin in the triangular Piazza del Comune, where at the centre stands the octagonal symbolic fountain Sturinalto from 1285. Overlooking the square are some of the most important buildings: Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo del Comune and the Loggiato di San Francesco. The Loggiato dates back to the mid-15th century and has a wonderful structure composed of 19 high arches that arouse great interest because of the perspective effect created with the sloping square. Palazzo del Podestà was built in 1255 in Gothic style using white stone from Vallemontagnana. Under its central body ran the Rivo stream, so a large arch known as the arcone was created, allowing passage from one bank to the other. Also on the square, the 17th-century Palazzo del Comune is particularly striking, flanked by the Clock Tower, the former residence of the Chiavelli family, a historic noble family from Fabriano. Behind the Town Hall stands Teatro Gentile, first built in 1692, later destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1884. Its plan is rectangular, with a horseshoe shape, four tiers of boxes and a balcony loggia. Not far from the square is the historic Mazzolini and Giuseppucci pharmacy-museum from 1896, made entirely of wood by the Perugian Adolfo Ricci. Inside, one can enjoy the deep scent of old wood and admire the distinctive Ginori porcelain and glass.

Ascoli Piceno: the city of elegance.
Ascoli is one of the most visited cities in Italy. What makes it unique among all other Italian towns is the great harmony with which it was built. Stone from the quarries of Piceno is the dominant element throughout the historic centre. It lends elegance and uniformity to the buildings, making a walk through its streets a delight for the eyes. The climax comes upon reaching Piazza del Popolo, unquestionably one of the most fascinating squares one can visit not only in Marche but in the whole of our country. The perspective created by the palaces lining the square conveys a sense of grandeur: all the buildings were constructed, at the behest of Governor Raniero de’ Ranieri, according to strict building rules, with travertine columns, red-brick vaults and windows of the same size. The result is impressive. 

Macerata, ancient and noble cultural city of Marche.
One of the most beautiful towns in Marche welcomes us with all its artistic and cultural wealth. Home to a university of outstanding excellence, founded as early as 1290, Macerata is a lively, intelligent city where entertainment and events are never lacking. More than 2,000 years of history blend perfectly together, leaving traces of the city’s story through the various ages. Macerata is also home to one of the largest libraries in the region, the Mozzi Borgetti Library, which contains over 350,000 volumes, some of them very ancient and of incalculable value. Beyond the Diaz Gardens we find ourselves before the magnificently restored 14th-century city walls. The fortification included 32 quadrangular and polygonal bastions, along with imposing crenellated gates. We enter the heart of the city through the ancient Porta Montana, and the first important building we encounter is the Palazzo Museum. Continuing our walk, we arrive at Piazza della Libertà, slightly sloping and irregular in shape, lined with many beautiful palaces, fashionable venues and various activities. Overlooking the square are the austere Palazzo dei Priori, built in brick and characterised by a marble portal from 1509, once the seat of ecclesiastical lawyers and now the Prefecture; the Renaissance-style Loggia dei Mercanti; Palazzo del Comune; Teatro Lauro Rossi; and the University complex and the Church of St Paul, built in the 17th century with a distinctive unfinished brick façade. From Porta di San Giuliano one descends to visit the city’s symbol, the Sferisterio, or “Lu Sferisteriu”. An open-air theatre located in the historic centre of Macerata, it is a semicircular arena once intended for the game of Pallone col Bracciale. Designed in 1823 by the neoclassical architect Ireneo Aleandri, it has a maximum capacity of about 2,500 seats. Thanks to its excellent acoustics, it is a famous venue for the summer opera season as well as other music and theatre events.

Jesi, a true open-air museum.
Let us head inland, because we certainly cannot forget Jesi. This ancient town, surrounded by broad walls, is a true open-air museum. Jesi was awarded by UNESCO the title of “exemplary city” precisely for its commitment to preserving and enhancing its immense artistic and cultural heritage. As you stroll through the town, you encounter imposing palaces, churches, museums and libraries. Another aspect not to be overlooked is gastronomy. This area of Marche is famous for some truly unique traditional recipes, such as lonzino di fico, cavallucci and pizza di formaggio. Among the wines we should mention Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, one of the most appreciated white wines nationally, as well as Lacrima di Morro d’Alba and Rosso Piceno, two highly respected reds.

Fermo: Italy’s largest Roman Cisterns and the Sala del Mappamondo.
The visit to the Roman Cisterns is surprising and exciting. The largest in Italy, covering almost 2,000 square metres: an ancient story of how they have been used and reused over time. They are the result of remarkable engineering intelligence, dating to the Augustan age. Probably created at the end of the 1st century BC from an idea by Vitruvius, this underground system for collecting and distributing water ensured that no part of the city was left dry. Three reservoirs were used for storage and subsequent supply, built in three different areas of the city. A visit to the Roman Cisterns gives an idea of how the thirty chambers were constructed and organised: nothing was left to chance. In the Middle Ages, some rooms were used as warehouses, and during the Second World War they served as air-raid shelters. Only in the second half of the last century did people become aware of their existence and vastness: the cisterns had been abandoned for centuries and filled with earth, mud and debris. The Sala del Mappamondo is certainly the best-known room in Palazzo dei Priori. Its name derives from the fact that a large ancient globe is kept in the centre of the hall. Initially, the hall was used for dances and theatrical performances and was therefore called the Sala delle Commedie. Because of frequent fires, theatrical activities and dances were moved during the 19th century to the still-active Teatro dell’Aquila. The Sala del Mappamondo was created at the behest of Cardinal Decio Azzolini: it was intended to house all his books, as well as those of the patrician Paolo Ruffo. The interior architecture is entirely in wood and today the library includes about 3,000 manuscripts, 127 codices and 300,000 volumes, among which 681 incunabula. More than 15,000 16th-century editions, 23,000 collected editions, very numerous examples from the 17th and 18th centuries, and printed music are also preserved here. The abbot Amanzio Moroncelli, cosmographer of the Serenissima, entrusted Filippantonio Morrone with making it, and the outer covering was created on Fabriano paper.

Assisi, the city of Saint Francis.
The City of Peace is one of those destinations to visit at least once in a lifetime, being one of the most famous and beloved places of Christianity in the world, a truly unique spiritual yet cultural centre. The city of Saint Francis and Saint Clare is situated on the north-western slope of Mount Subasio, in the province of Perugia.
Its centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are the Papal Basilica of Saint Francis, Santa Maria degli Angeli and the other Franciscan sites. Assisi is all waiting to be discovered! The magnificent Basilica of Saint Francis, one of the greatest sanctuaries of Christianity, consecrated in 1253 and completed in 1367, consists of the Lower Basilica, the Upper Basilica and the crypt where the Saint’s remains lie. The churches are also considered a treasure of Italian art and preserve a cycle of 13th- and 14th-century frescoes by the foremost painters of the age, first among them Giotto.