The Genius of Marche

Art Towns, Villages, Spirituality, historical and artistic protagonists

Art Towns, Villages and Spirituality

A total of 239 agreeable and habitable towns reveal a region characterized by rare beauty. This has made it the land of poets, artists and musicians, inspiring Giacomo Leopardi, Raffaello da Urbino, Gentile da Fabriano, Bramante, Federico Barocci, Gioachino Rossini, Giovan Battista Pergolesi, Gaspare Spontini, Father Matteo Ricci, all of whom were born here. The Marche is a widespread museum, a network of cities, towns and historic villages set in a series of cultivated hills overlooking valleys ranging from the sea to the Apennines, where masterpieces by Raphael, Piero della Francesca and Lorenzo Lotto, P.P. Rubens and Titian are preserved.

A vibrant region with cultural events all year round including international happenings such as the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, the Sferisterio Opera Festival in Macerata and Jesi’s Pergolesi Spontini Festival.

In addition to museums, libraries, archives, bookshops and historical theatres, cultural heritage is rich in historic religious monuments, sacred heirs of a centuries-old tradition of spirituality: abbeys, churches and monasteries are distributed throughout the territory. With both religious and civil buildings, the Marche is rich in castles, walled towns and fortresses that tell of a glorious and vibrant past, whose salient features are kept intact in all the towns. Urbino, one of the capitals of the Renaissance, where Duke Federico da Montefeltro had the Ducal Palace built, a princely residence among the most beautiful in Europe, is a UNESCO city.

Discover the treasures of the Marche at Marche Tourism on Facebook and Twitter.

The Genius of Marche, an App created by Regione Marche and Fondazione Marche Cinema Multimedia.