Geography
Le Marche is described as "all of Italy in one province", a visit there uncovers an unspoilt, pretty, friendly, and extremely civilised area of Italy. The region is bordered by neighbours Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo and Emilia Romagna and shares many of their best geographical features, yet is relatively undiscovered and surprisingly accessible.
To the West of the region Sibillini Mountains which are one of the highest sections of the Appenines. They are 40km long, contain 10 peaks in excess of 2000m- the whole area is home to many species of rare wildlife and is protected by the Sibillini National Park. The geography of Le Marche between mountains and sea consists of vine-clad hills, medieval villages and a rich mosaic of farmland.
The Sibillini Mountains and the Marche countryside below are laced with paths and old mule tracks and are home to a stunning array of flora and fauna. It is a paradise for those who enjoy Mountain holidays, hiking, walking , or cycling.
Landscape
The wonderful medieval Le Marche towns offer the visitor an amazing range of history and historic architecture, that ranges from Art Nouveaux villas to characteristic stone cottages, and are home to wonderful art, over 1000 working theatres, fantastic markets and year round festas where you can sing and dance, eat and drink great local fayre, and enjoy the local crafts and customs.
Roots
Conserving the Memory of Emigration. An historic archive to preserve memories of the thousands who left the Marche to find their fortune abroad has recently been launched in Ancona. The project, organised the the Regional Authority's Centre for Cultural Heritage, aims to collect diaries, photographs, publicity material, letters, postcards and any other documents relating to emigration from the Marche between 1876 and 1976. The archive, currently being overseen by consultant Professor Amoreno Martellini, will be divided into three sections; the first dedicated to personal memories such as letters and diaries; the second to images while the third will concentrate on other material such as administrative, health and publicity documents. If you have anything that might be relevant such as letters, diaries, photographs, passports, certificates, guides, etc., maybe you would like to send the original or a copy to the archive at:
Archivio Storico per L'Emigrazione Marchigiana ASEM - Centro regionale per i Beni Culturali Via Trieste, 21 60124 ANCONA Italy +39 071 34081/34085 or fax: +39 071 33753
People of le marche
The Marchigiani, or people of Le Marche, remain closely linked to the land or to the sea and life here still revolves around the family and on self-sufficient communities of farmers, fishermen and craftsmen, where the local Le Marche market consumes most of the regional output, which are generally reputed excellent.By contrast, the Region is one of the most industrialized in Italy, and a traditional hub for quality shoes and other high-level manifacturing.