The first impressions of visitors to the Le Marche region are usually a feeling of having stepped back in time, or, intruded slightly on a scene from a historical play, as locals continue to live life, unaffected by the stresses of modern living.
The life of a “Marchegiana”, or inhabitant of Le Marche, remains steadfastly focused on the family and the communities that cluster around the rosy medieval towns that adorn Marche’s wonderful rolling countryside.
Once upon a time Le Marche or “the Marches” was part of well-heeled English society’s grand tour and was predominantly visited for its architecture, renaissance art and the Adriatic Riviera, nowadays it is referred to by the Italians as “all of Italy in one region” as it offers you incredible diversity and wonderful contrasts between the rugged Sibillini Mountains and elegant Coastal resorts, stunning medieval hilltop towns and lush rolling farmland. Surprisingly, tourism here is still very small scale and it helps to have a little of “la lingua” if you want to get the best from a visit here.
The areas uniqueness, quaintness, and ultimately its charm, stems from the conservative nature of the locals who are pretty much self-sufficient. The inhabitants of our charming local town of Sarnano, all shop locally and buy produce that is sourced from neighbouring farms, many of course are merely supplementing the vegetables and livestock that is grown and reared on their own smallholdings. Stop and chat to anyone and they will tell you that if and when they are buying meat (from one of the 8 butchers in Sarnano) or vegetables from the market, they would rather pay a bit more if they know the provenance of the produce. In fact, if you visit a “Macelleria” or butcher’s shop, they will usually know who reared the animal, and when and where it was slaughtered.
Very slow and tasty food from Le Marche
A large proportion of media and the high street in the Western world, is now dominated by a desire to get back to basics and recreate a “River Cottage” world or a “Good Life” that embraces the hunter-gatherer skills that we were too quick to abandon. Visit Le Marche and you will find the Dolce Vita and people who refused to change practices that they knew were intrinsically sound. In a country where internet usage is low and incredibly reduced last year, they are not affected by the latest fad or trend and never needed a slow food movement to teach them to respect soil and seasons. The richness of the local earth combines well with the kindness of the local community and results in an abundance that is shared around, and we are often the grateful recipients of free baskets of vegetables or mushrooms, wine or oil.
The conservative attitude of the Marchegiana ensures that all of the best customs and practices are passed down from one generation to another. The community based society fosters trust, respect and a safe, almost crime free environment. Ironically though, whilst this conservatism has created the idyll that we and other visitors have come to cherish, it has also inadvertently restricted the marketing and technological skills that are a prerequisite for today’s internet world and therefore diminished the Marchegiane’s ability to attract more tourists. All of which is great if you are one of the select few who have discovered the stunning region of Le Marche already, but not so good if you are one the local artisans, shopkeepers, or restaurateurs who make the finest products, the most succulent food, or, offer superb hospitality in this wonderful landscape, and whose living is dependent on tourism.
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