this region's great past can be seen in its art cities, its enchanting piazzas-cum-living rooms where the people meet to discuss the issues of the day, its medieval towns where time seems to stand still, and in its highways and elegant buildings.
ascoli piceno is a monumental city with a medieval historic center, including piazza del popolo - with its arched porticoes - and the imposing bulk of the palazzo dei capitani del popolo, featuring a crenellated tower. visit the various workshops of local craftsmen, like those of violin makers, which attest to the skill and creativity of ascoli's inhabitants. on the first sunday of august, the streets of the town serve as the background to the memorable quintana, in which expert horsemen challenge each other at the saracen joust.
ancona, an ancient port hub known as the ?gateway to the east,? is home to valuable monuments and an inviting beach. the cathedral of san ciriaco rises on the site of an ancient greek acropolis and is considered as one of the most interesting medieval churches in the marches.
the region - comprising the historic center of urbino - is also a unesco world heritage site. its palazzo ducale is an enthralling architectural and artistic example from the italian renaissance.
another town to visit is gradara, with its fortress, a magnificent example of medieval military architecture. according to legend, the fortress is where paolo and francesca kissed, as written in canto v of dante's inferno. for religious tourism, the sanctuary of maria di loreto is an important stop, as it is considered one of the major pilgrimage destinations in catholicism.
if you love classical music, pesaro hosts two weeks of complete immersion into the music of gioacchino rossini (a native of pesaro) every august. the rossini opera festival has become an unmissable appointment for classical music lovers from all over the world, set in a stunning town where there is more on offer than just culture.
sweet-tooths can do no better than fano during carnival. its origins buried in the mists of time, fano's carnival has at least three distinguishing features: the throwing of sweets to the crowd from the allegorical floats; the traditional ?vulon, a mask that caricatures the town's best-known characters; and the musica arabica, a band whose instruments consist of tin cans, coffee pots and jugs.
