9 Unmissable Experiences in Marche

The Palazzo Ducale di Urbino (Ducale Palace of Urbino), built by order of Federico da Montefeltro to demonstrate his family's power, is a building that truly embodies Renaissance style. Taking a tour has double appeal: it allows you to explore the rooms the duke lived in, as well as the rooms displaying paintings and sculptures from the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (National Gallery of Marche), with works from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

A spiral staircase leads to the top of one of the elegant turrets that characterise the palace, from where you take in a beautiful view of the historic centre and the surrounding hills.

Gradara and its city walls and castle are the perfect way to experience the charm of Marche. Strolling the cobblestone streets in this characteristic town will seem like travelling back through centuries of history marked by sieges, battles and love stories. Legend has it that it was in this very town that Paola and Francesca, the passionate lovers from Dante's Inferno, had their ardent affair. A double wall protects the town and castle – visit the fortress and follow a panoramic route around the wall walkways.

From the top of the hill there's a sweeping 360° view over the inland valleys and Adriatic coastline: a strategic position that in the past was contested by the Malatestas, Sforzas, Della Roveres and other powerful families that succeeded one another in controlling these lands.

At the Museo della Carta e della Filigrana (Paper and Watermark Museum) in Fabriano, you can delve into the centuries-old paper production activity the city is famous for. The museum is in the historic centre, inside the buildings that were once home to the Dominican convent.

There's an engaging exhibition route that starts with a reconstruction of a medieval fulling mill, the old workshop where the work was done by hand, and it documents the evolution of the production systems, the technique for making watermarks and the materials that were used. The guided tour lasts around an hour, and you can even attend a demonstration of manual production by the museum's master papermakers.

Recanati is a medieval hilltop town in the Conero Riviera. 19th-century poet Giacomo Leopardi’s home is in the historic centre. If you'd like to see the spots he immortalised in his famous verses, the Leopardi route starts from the statue of the writer in front of the Palazzo del Comune (town hall).

You’ll see old buildings, literary quotations and places mentioned in his works, such as the tower from Il Passero Solitario ('The Lonely Sparrow'), Silvia's house (from A Silvia), the little square from Il Sabato del Villaggio ('Saturday in the village') and the solitary hill from L'Infinito. Be sure to visit Casa Leopardi, an exciting tour through the library and the more intimate places the poet lived.

Ascoli Piceno's Piazza del Popolo square, in the city centre, is an impeccable example of Renaissance style, inspired by harmony and proportion. Every element and architectural line is perfectly balanced with its surroundings. The northern side is closed off by the Chiesa di San Francesco (Church of Saint Francis), while the other sides are lined by buildings with arcades and battlements.

The building that stands out for its majestic façade and medieval tower is the Palazzo dei Capitani (Captain Palace), once the seat of the Ordine dei Magistrati (Order of Magistrates). Make sure you also have a good look at the one-of-a-kind paving in the square, created using travertine slabs.

The Sferisterio is an open-air theatre with a neoclassical design and architecture that's as unique as its history. In the early 19th century, the most influential citizens of the city got together in a consortium to finance the construction of an arena for playing pallone col bracciale, a traditional ball game popular at the time.

A hundred years later, the space was restructured and adapted for a different kind of event, and in 1921 the first lyric season opened with Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. It was only after the Second World War that the performances began happening year after year, to the point of becoming a prestigious international event.

Monte Conero (Mount Conero) is a promontory overlooking the Adriatic with cliffs overhanging the sea, small coves and dense forests of pines, holm oaks and strawberry trees. Love hiking? This is the place for you: mountain routes providing stunning coastal scenery await. A path starts from Sirolo, a medieval walled town, and leads to the Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle (Two Sisters Beach), surrounded by cliffs and white rocks.

You can do the route on foot or mountain bike, although you need to be very fit. From Passo del Lupo, a magnificent panoramic point, you’ll see the promontory to the north, while on the other side the coast stretches as far as the eye can see, dotted with beaches and resorts.

The Lame Rosse rock formations in the Monti Sibillini (Sibillini Mountains) are where wind and rain erosion has created a picturesque natural scene of pyramids and pinnacles. You can reach these peculiar formations via the path that starts at Lago di Fiastra (Lake Fiastra). The total distance there and back is around 7 km, with 200 metres of elevation change.

You can set off from the dam or the Ruffella Belvedere, where it's easier to park the car. The route is almost completely inside the forest and isn't particularly challenging, although some stretches are steep and require going up a gravelly slope.

The Monti Sibillini (Sibillini Mountains) were home to Sibyl's cave, according to popular lore. They are still shrouded in legend and dotted with magical spots. Even the names of places evoke fantastic events and supernatural scenes: you can follow the Gole dell'Infernaccio (Gorges of Hell), admire the Pizzo del Diavolo (Devil's Peak) or visit Lago di Pilato (Lake of Pilate), where the body of the Roman prefect is said to have been dumped.

On the Sentiero delle Fate (Fairy Path), you’ll walk on the stones where it’s said a curse transformed the creatures. There’s a network of routes with differing degrees of difficulty, allowing you to follow the legend that intrigues you most, among forests, streams and waterfalls.