What to do

Cultural tours of medieval towns such as Ascoli Piceno and Amandola.

Visitors to Le Marche are often surprised by the richness of the area’s historical, religious and artistic culture within a largely rural region which is much better known for its natural attractions. In fact, there’s a significant volume and variety of cultural tours in medieval towns such as Ascoli Piceno and Amandola. And that’s just as it should be because there are more museums per head of population in Marche than anywhere else in Italy.

Amandola.

 

 

Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli’s stunning quintana pageant with its lavish medieval costumes, is an annual street event which turns the city and its people into living history. On a lesser scale, Caldarola’s historic medieval (but still lived-in) castle reveals what day to day life was like in a walled fortress that was the town’s principal means of defence. In Amandola, the charming, tiny and originally roofless La Fenice theatre demonstrates the town’s interest in and commitment to the arts. So do the town’s churches which are home to a treasure trove of religious art. In nearby Monte San Martino, the local church’s Crivelli collection is world famous, and frequently visited by experts in religious artworks.

 

Wildlife, hikers and mountain bike trails

In the spring, the River Tenna, which flows from the Sibillini Mountains to the sea, is dammed to make it part of the Sibillini National Park. This flooding makes the area ideal for otters and the trout and other fish they feed upon. La Mela Rosa’s location near the Sibillini National Park makes its 5 acres a safe and sheltered home to a wide range of wildlife. For example, families of pheasants live in the hedgerows and ditches, and foxes, deer, wild boars, pine martins, porcupines and a lone wildcat are all regular – if somewhat shy and nervous - visitors.


The area’s wildlife share the ground with hikers and those in search of mountain bike trails. The Sibillini Mountains offer a series of graded and well signposted trails that can be accessed via the ancient fortress town of Amandola (circa 1248), the National Park’s north-eastern gateway – a six minute drive from La Mela Rosa.

 

Yum!


Our sumptuous breakfasts are designed to make lunch superfluous. However, just in case you feel peckish on your travels, we’ll tell you all about the special eating places we’ve discovered. For example, the Dei Priori restaurant in nearby Monte San Martino is renowned for its melt-in-the-mouth pasta dishes. Then there’s the special regional food: for instance, the local pecorino cheese made from sheep’s milk, Ascolane olives, which are stuffed with minced pork then lightly crumbed and fried. Don’t miss the other regional dishes made from mushrooms, white and/or black truffles, nor the inexpensive local wine.

 

 

If you visit Offida to buy some hand-made lace, make sure you treat yourself to the local funghetti dessert made from eggs, sugar and anise. If your travels take you to the Adriatic coast, then we’ll help you hunt down the Brodetto alla Sambenedettese recipe which has thirteen species of fish. Le Marche produces excellent quality vino cotto dessert wine, but pride of place probably goes to Meletti’s liquor Anisette made in Ascoli Piceno from aniseed plants grown in the high plains of Castignano.

La Mela Rosa Bed & Breakfast, Villa Caccianebbia, 4, 63857 Amandola (FM), Italia

Tel: +39 0736 848 664, Cell.: +39 333 784 0869, E-Mail: info@lamelarosa.net