Writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré
The journey in Italy and the Marche region continues after a marvellous start with delicious pasta, truffles and top quality wines (read more about Urbino and truffle hunting here). We continue to savour local produce and meet the small entrepreneurs with great commitment and heart.
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Appreciated tourism and small scale in Marche
It is the small scale, the passion of local entrepreneurs and the food that attracts people to the Marche region. There are also plenty of small hotels and bed & breakfasts; there is accommodation in almost every small town, but there are also many outside the urban centres.
Prices are around a thousand crowns a night for a double room in the higher-rated accommodation. Food is cheaper than in the big metropolises and wine is a joy to buy. You can get really good wines for less than 15 euros in the shops and the mark-up in the restaurants is low.
Tourism to Marche is relatively small and they want to get more tourists there which sounds good considering that there are now several places in Europe that are trying to slow down tourism. If you are planning to travel around Italy without having to crowd or empty your wallet, Marche is a good suggestion.
Frasassi Cave - one of the largest in Europe
If you want to cool off and escape the heat for a few hours in the middle of the day, a visit to the huge Frasassi Caves, located six miles inland from the regional capital Ancona, is ideal. The temperature inside is around 14 degrees so you may need a sweater as you wander around the 700-metre-long passageway.
For those of you who have visited Lummelunda Cave on Gotland, this is the larger version and it is also located in a limestone area. The enormous dripstone formations are numerous and of those that stand up, stalagmites, there are those that are 20 meters high. What is really spectacular is the largest cave room which is 80 meters long, 120 wide and a full 200 meters high.
READ MORE: Caves and mines in Europe - 16 tips underground
Marchese del Grillo - a gastronomic oasis near the Frasassi caves
Nearby Frasassi is this cosy hotel with its renowned restaurant, which has won several awards for both food and wine. Their wine list in particular has been recognised as one of the best in Italy. Their chef Marco Cappelletti is also renowned and is behind the restaurant's innovative and experimental cuisine. Marchese del Grillo is a family business where the parents of the current owners were the ones who started restoring the house and cooking.
They have a tasting menu for €50 and the wines range from €16-50 for most bottles, prices that are relatively low considering the high level. We get to taste a pasta made with wheat flour and yeast according to an old recipe. In the past, people sometimes took the leftovers from bread baking and made pasta from the dough, a bit unorthodox perhaps but absolutely delicious.
There's something about pasta in Italy, the flavours are best in the Italian setting, sitting in vaulted halls, surrounded by intriguing history and art - everything just tastes so good.
Cantine Belisario winery and the white Verdicchio grape
We sometimes forget that it's not just a few vines we pass in Italy, it can be award-winning wines that rank really high internationally. One such vineyard is Cantine Belisario, run by Roberto Potentini, a professor of oenology who oversees 300 hectares of vineyards high in the hills of the Marche.
The most common grapes in Marche are Montepulciano and the unusual Lacrima di Morro d'Alba for red wine. The white grape Verdicchio has been cultivated in the Marche since the 14th century and it is the one that Belisario makes best.
The Belisario vineyard is located in Matelica and it is a delight to taste wine that comes from the area of origin of the grape. What is unique to Matelica is that the wine, grown on the hills a few kilometres inland, is exposed to the salty winds of the Adriatic Sea and in one of the wines you can even feel a slight saltiness.
We try a young Verdicchio from 2024 and find there the saltiness that, alongside the mineral, gives a very well-balanced and fresh wine. The prices are also good and the wines cost around 10-15 euros despite their elegance and the winery's awards.
Started in 1971, Roberto Potentini has been there since 1988 and there's no mistaking the pride he takes in delivering some of the best wines from the Verdicchio grape.
Visit to the wine producer Ciu Ciu, dinner with fried olives
We visit another winemaker in the region that is about the same size as Cantine Belisaro but consists of several vineyards from different areas. The wine producer Ciu Ciu has about 20 wines divided equally between red and white and we visit their showroom in the small town of Offida. You can also find their wines on the system.
During the visit and tasting of the wines, we get to taste a local delicacy I have never heard of, fried olives. These are large olives that are split and put together with minced meat and then rolled in deep-frying batter before being deep-fried, both an unexpected flavour combination and delicious.
You can't miss the enthusiasm and love for the region when you meet the people behind the wines and food. There is also pride in a craftsmanship that has often been passed down through generations.
In the next article on the Marche, we visit a farmhouse that has been passed down through generations and visit some really cosy and historic small towns.
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Ewa M says:
Wow, the views are amazing! The food looks so delicious, got hungry again just by reading your article😍
22 July 2025 - 12:52
Jonathan says:
You should consider a visit 😃, you won't be disappointed if you like wine, pasta and history :).
22 July 2025 - 21:29
Pontus Fredriksson says:
A nice look at a somewhat lesser known but very fascinating region of Italy! With its varied nature, rich history and culinary culture, the Marche is a hidden gem, perfect for those who want to experience authentic Italy in a more relaxed way.
A fun fact is that the name of the Marche region shares its origin with the municipality of Marks in western Sweden, namely an old Germanic word meaning border.
22 July 2025 - 18:48
Jonathan says:
Thanks, glad you are interested in the region or should I say regions.. 😜, Mark municipality and Marche - maybe someone visited the region and was inspired.. i will see if i can find any reference for my next article between Mark and Marche..
Yes it was quite relaxing to be there as everything is small scale so you can really relax more and get a personalised experience. People take more time there and really want to get the region a bit more on the map .
22 July 2025 - 22:03
Orsakulla mamma vid 20 - Dalaliv, finporslin & pudelliv says:
So nice, always fun to experience things. Nice when you get to make memories.
23 July 2025 - 3:35
Jonathan says:
Yes it was really nice, just when it was a little smaller towns it became very cosy... if you as a Swede walk at 13-14 in small villages, the streets are empty in addition when the locals take their siesta...
23 July 2025 - 10:56