People from the often overlooked Italian region of Le Marche are referred to as Marchigiani. And according to the Marchigiani, it is their region that encapsulates all that’s best of bell'Italia. We all know that every city, town and hilltop village throughout the country famously has its pride, the one thing that can be found there and only there. And it is often true: One village may have pioneered a particular curl of pasta, another is home to a Renaissance masterpiece or a style of exquisite ceramics and yet another a special grape varietal or the origin of the tiniest purple legume. Italy is a country of truly embarrassing riches and all Italians take pride in their corner of it.
Yet objectively of the Italians, the Marchigiani, known for their uncharacteristic humility, might indeed be on to something. Their region, located to the east of Tuscany between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic, does indeed encapsulate so much of what we want when we travel to Italy. And so it is a puzzle that this package of picturesque towns, natural scenery, extraordinary wine and rich food culture remains so far off the tourist radar. A traveler in this region has the opportunity to meander from little-known town to local trattoria instead of sticking to a well-trodden path, an experience in Italy that has become all too rare. We predict Le Marche will become “the next…” depending on whether you are looking at it through the lens of wine and food, beaches, culture hunting or mountain climbing. A testament in itself.
The Other Truffle Town
While Alba in Piedmont is Italy's spiritual truffle capital, in fact two-thirds of the country's black and white gold comes from the area surrounding the northern Marche town of Acqualagna. Here, in view of the mountains, local hunters dig for different varietals of the black truffle year-round, while the prized white truffle can only be found in the ground and on menus in autumn.
Every October and November, professionals and enthusiasts flock to Acqualanga for the National White Truffle Fair. The small town becomes an ode to this earthen miracle, with temporary shopfronts, stalls, and restaurants filling the air with an indelible aroma. Acqualagna Tartufi sells fresh truffles in autumn (for ideas, see here).
In an elegant upstairs dining room in the middle of town, L’Osteria Braceria serves both black and white truffles shaved over ribbons of tagliolini or perhaps carne crudo (think Italian steak tartare) for the game.
If you wish to search for your own, ask at the local bar to help you track down a truffle hunter; the Marchigiani are proud to show off their region to the traveler who makes it there so they may even divulge their favorite grove for hunting the prized tubers.
Renaissance Fare
The greatest pleasure in ambling through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Urbino is simply being there: walking the hilly streets and laneways, stopping in at unique storefronts and artists’ workshops.
One of the cultural capitals of the Marche, Urbino is the birthplace of the artist Raphael. In addition to housing one of Europe’s oldest universities, it also boasts one of Italy's most beautiful Renaissance palaces, the Palazzo Ducale, an architectural marvel with fairytale spires and a grand symmetrical courtyard that ushers you into the Marche National Gallery. There, you’ll find one of the most important collections of Renaissance paintings in the world.
