Arcevia, Le Marche

Arcevia and her castles (5817 Inhabitants, 535 Meter altitude)

Arcevia has a charming location on the top of a hill with panoramic views of the valleys around her. Previously known as Roccacontrada, this town dates back to the 8^th century and has a surprisingly rich collection of artwork as it had been a favorite destination for noble families and their collections. The painter Ercole Ramazzani was born here in 1500 and in the same era Luca Signorelli worked in the city.

You can still see the medieval walls and walk through the fortified gates of which S. Agostino and S. Pietro are particularly impressive. The town's old fortress used to stand on Monte Cischiano's highest point which is now the relaxing G. Leopardi Gardens.

Wandering the streets you will find several noble palazzi and churches and in Piazza Garibaldi the civic buildings and tower. Chiesa San Medardo is worth a visit for her collection of artwork, specifically those by Luca Signorelli. Nearby is the church and cloister complex of San Francesco where you will also find the biblioteca with another interesting collection of artwork.

Arcevia makes a good location for visiting the northern portions of central Le Marche and the impressive Grotte di Frasassi. There are several small but charming castelli in the area that were once subject to Arcevia and are worth a visit. Via SS76 you have access to Ancona and the coastal A14 autostrada to the east and Umbria to the west. The town itself is fully sustaining with all that you need for daily life.

For additional information

Beach season

Coastal towns

Summer has arrived in Italy and Italians and foreigners alike have begun the annual migration to the seaside. The Adriatic coast in Marche and Abruzzo is varied from wide sandy beaches to narrow rocky beaches tucked below cliffs. This area also boasts some of the most popular beaches for Italians with the Bandiere Blu designation. Bandiere Blu is given to those beaches that meet certain requirements for not only the beach and water quality but also the services that are provided by local vendors.

In this area of Italy the beach vendors are called chalets and will vary in services from simple umbrellas and chairs to this plus full service restaurants. Being on the coast the food specialty will of course be seafood. You can rent lounge chairs, umbrellas and changing rooms which will cost you from 80€ to 160€ per week for the summer months. Be aware that beachside services can become non-existent during the off-season.

There are public beaches spaced between the chalets but these are usually an unkept location and on a first come, first serve basis. With the summer sun bearing down on you after a few hours the services provided by the chalets can be well worth the price.

Many people have a view of the seaside as a beautiful place with wide sandy beaches leading to rolling hills covered with vineyards. The geography and history of this portion of the Adriatic coast has dictated that this view is interrupted by railway lines and the autostrada. In many seaside towns you will cross under the rail lines to get to the beach. During weekends and the Italian August vacation the more popular beaches can be very crowded. Many of the beach towns are post war developments which lack much of the charm people envision of Italy.

There are however, many locations I easy driving distance to the sea where you can enjoy the best of all that this part of Italy has to offer.