Madrelingua Italiana

Marche, or the Marches, is a region of Italy located in the Central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the north, Tuscany to the west, Umbria to the southwest, Abruzzo and Lazio to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the east. The name of the region derives from the plural name of marca, originally referring to the medieval March of Ancona and nearby marches of Camerino and Fermo. The provinces of the Marche region are those of Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata and Pesaro-Urbino; the regional capital, as well, is Ancona. Except for river valleys and the often very narrow coastal strip, the land is hilly. A railway from Bologna to Brindisi, built in the 19^th century, runs along the coast of the entire territory. Inland, the mountainous nature of the region, even today, allows relatively little travel north and south, except by twisting roads over the passes. Among the protected areas, must be mentioned the Natural Park of Mount Conero, the Sibillini Mountains National Park, established in 1994 and shared with the region of Umbria, the Laga Mountains National Park shared with the region of Abruzzo and the Frasassi Caves Reserve. The latter is a Karst complex of the Apennines, located just north of Fabriano (Ancona). Besides being well known for its shoemaking tradition, with the finest and most luxurious Italian footwear being manufactured in this region, seaside-tourism and beach resort is the real strength of the regional economy: to the north, the Riviera of the Marche is now practically linked to the Riviera Romagnola. Locations such as Gabicce Mare (Pesaro) and Fano (Urbino) or Senigallia (Ancona) are today among the most popular in the Adriatic.