Ginger

I'll be in the Marche area for around 7 - 10 days in May and am wondering if anyone knows of any "highlights" that I shouldn't miss in the region. My interests are history, beautiful buildings, walking, people and good food. <BR><BR>Also, if anyone has spent a reasonable length of time there, what's it like as a place to live for several weeks/months. I think that opportunity may well be offered and IMO it's best to know the good and bad points beforehand. Thanks,

Meg

You must not miss Urbino- where the court of Federico da Montrefeltro became one of the leading cultural centres of the 15th century. The Ducal Palace is amazing- vast marble rooms,library, paintings and wonderful architecture. The Hotel Raffaello (room 47)Via Santa Margherita 38/40 tel. 07224784/07224896 has the best view of the Ducal Palace. The town is lively (it's a University town)and has other gems - the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista withn its walls covered in 15th c frescos by the Salimbeni brothers; the Casa Natale di Raffaello (Raphael was born in Urbino) and the neo-classical Duomo.<BR>Another lovely place is Ascoli Piceno with its Piazza del Popolo and 15th century Palazzo- lots of great churches and paintings by Crivelli, Titian and Guido Reni in the public art gallery.

GAC

Loreto and its sanctuary and Recanati (birthplace of poet Giacomo Leopardi and opera tenor Beniamino Gigli) are well-known destinations for Italian travelers (and Loreto generally for devout Catholics).

Therese

Urbino is lovely. Quite small, and pretty much every street is cobbled or very steep or both, so bear this in mind when choosing footwear (heels are fine if you're going upheel, but hysterically funny going downhill). The student presence is apparent when school is in session, less obvious when not (the campus is now outside of town). A little bit of night life. Minimal shopping. There's a place with computer/internet access on the road that leads from the parking area at the foot of the hill up to the central piazza, on your left. Urbino has its own web site, and the University also maintains a site with some good info.<BR><BR>Typical foods include passatelli (a sort of pasta made with egg and breadcrumbs) and truffles (the sort you get depends on the time of the year). You can also get a type of cheese with truffles, caciotto. My visit there was for work, so I didn't get a chance to try any restaurants in the town proper. I did have a very nice meal in a restaurant outside of Urbino---I can't remember the name but can get it if you'd like.<BR><BR>I won't go into the various points of interest (as Meg has already done so), but I will point out that the basement of the Palazzo Ducale is very cool, and a guide book describing the art will definitely enhance your experience. <BR><BR>The roads right around Urbino are tiny, windy, and hilly. Unless you are used to doing this in with a manual I'd practice at home (assuming you can find roads this steep---maybe a skate park...). There's no train service to Urbino.<BR><BR>If you want to eat fish go to Pesaro. I spent a little bit of time there, enough to see the main piazza and a bit of the beach. Zero tourists.<BR><BR>As to living in that area, I think it would be nice. The landscape is lovely (think of the hilly bits of Virginia, forested, etc.), and people are nice. English is less common than it is in more touristy areas, but you'd rapidly figure things out. The worst part would be the isolation, as it's a bit of a trek to get to the autostrada. The best part would be the isolation, as you're definitely off the beaten path.

Ginger

Thanks for the information. If any more ideas out there, I'd be grateful to receive them. <BR><BR>Will report back and thanks again.