Your Luxury "Untouristed" Itinerary for the "Marches"

Day 1

Upon arrival at the airport in Ancona, your car and driver will meet you for the short drive to the Cornero Riviera and the picturesque seaside town of Portonovo where you will stay at the Hotel Fortino Napoleonico.

Built on the Emperor's orders in 1808, the former military complex has been reincarnated as a charming seaside boutique hotel with world-class appointments, exquisite gardens and flowering paths.   Accommodation is in spacious royal suites, where upon arrival you can relax until dinner and if time permits, we can arrange a short excursion - perhaps to the beautiful Two Sisters cliffs or the Santa Maria di Portonovo, a famous Roman church considered an artistic jewel of the 11 th century.

If you are arriving from another part of Italy than the Ancona airport, we can organize transportion to the hotel.

Dinner tonight is at your leisure in the hotel's waterside restaurant, Dei Marescialli, renowned for its fabulous seafood.

Day 2

In the morning, get a rejuvenating massage at Hotel Fortino Napoleonico, relax at the beach or play tennis.

Leave the hotel late morning and travel south toward the beautiful medieval walled city of Ascoli Piceno.  

Lunch will be served on the outskirts of the town at a 17 th century farmhouse, the Villa Cicchi. After lunch, we'll visit the city of Ascoli Piceno,

considered the major center of the southern Marches, notable for its many towers and breathtaking town square.

The city is renowned for La Quintana, a jousting tournament, the first Sunday in August each year, complete with games, special food stalls, and a medieval carnival atmosphere including a processional of the townspeople in medieval costume .

After a short drive north to Fermo, the eternal rival of Ascoli Piceno, we will tour its historic center, including the underground Roman pools built in 41 B.C.

Dinner will be inside the city walls at a small trattoria, Il Frantoio, that was once the site of an olive oil producing facility.  

Return to the hotel at approximately 11:00 pm.

During the summer Fermo's music festival takes place in the piazza, featuring outdoor markets and some of the world's finest performers.

Day 3

This morning we travel west to visit the Castle of Rancia, built in 1357 by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra. Because of its strategic location the castle was transformed into a fortress in the 14th century. Afterwards we will see the 12 th century Abbey of Fiastra, a nature park and Roman ruins, one of the great Cistercian abbeys with frescoes by the Salimbeni brothers and a fine Renaissance cloister.

After the Abbey, you'll travel onto Macerata and lunch at the restaurant La Brace.   Afterwards we'll visit the city center with its beautiful Loggia dei Mercanti and the Sferisterio, an 18 th century stadium which was used for athletic events but is now home of the International Macerata Opera festival held every year in late July/early August.  

From Macerata we will take a short trip to Loreto, located

just inland from the Adriatic Sea and where one of the

most important shrines to the cult of the Virgin Mary is located. We visit the impressive Basilica of the Holy House, which dominates the countryside for miles around. Tradition holds that the small brick house within the church is the original home of Mary, transported here from Nazareth by a flight of angels over 700 years ago.

We will arrive back at Portonovo in time to refresh and enjoy dinner by the sea at the exquisite Laghetto restaurant, located a short five-minute walk from the hotel

Day 4

This morning relax at the beach, play tennis or get a massage at the Hotel Fortino Napoleonico.  

Afterwards, check out of the hotel and enjoy a short drive to Osimo for lunch and a tour of your host's family's 15 th century Palazzo Baldeschi.   In the afternoon continue on to the fortified town of Jesi for a tour of the town's historic center.                              

Highlights include the famed 18th century opera

theater and the regions enoteca (wine bar) enoteca (wine bar), housed in the 18 th century Palazzo Balleani.

This evening you will check-in to the Villa Fontedamo, a sprawling private residence owned by your hosts who will recount its fascinating history, including their recovery of it after occupation by the Germans during World War II.  

Dinner at Villa Fontedamo will be served at 8:30 pm

Day 5

Pack a small bag for a quick overnight trip to Urbino (while keeping your room at the Villa).

Enroute, we will explore Europe's largest single underground cavern, the Grotto di Frasassi, considered by some to be the eighth wonder of the world. This trip is an exciting adventure into the center ofthe earth,

a crystalline wonderland. It's Europe's largest cavern,

so vast that Milan Cathedral would fit inside with room to spare.

Afterwards we will have lunch in Urbania, at one of the region's quaintest home-style trattorias, the Osteria del Cucco, before continuing on to Urbino, city.

On arriving in Urbino you check-in to your suite at the Hotel San Domenico, formerly a 17 th century monastery, before taking a guided tour of the town.

You visit the amazing Ducal Palace, considered one of the most exquisite palaces in all of Italy. Remarkable collections of paintings are housed here in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche with important works by Piero delle Francesca and Raphael, among others. The Duke's Studiolo features magnificent inlaid woodwork thought to be based on Boticelli's designs. The entire walled city is a Renaissance gem; but more than a mere museum piece, a lively and interesting town bustling with students from the university, Other Urbino highlights include a visit to the San Giovanni Oratory, a small church dating back to 1416 that houses a magnificent but little known series on the life of John the Baptist by Jacopo and Lorenzo Salimbeni Lorenzo Salimbeni, and the birthplace of Raphael.  

Dinner tonight will be within the city walls at the well-known Vecchia Urbino, a simple yet elegant wood-panelled restaurant in the city center with views of the hills. After dinner, retire for the evening at the Hotel San Domenico.

Day 6

This morning you can relax and take in the last few sights of Urbino, before checking out of San Domenico Hotel at 1115 a.m.

Then, its on to Aqualagna, a small town known as the "capital of truffles" and host of the annual National Truffle Fair in late autumn. We'll visit a truffle production facility, learn about this process and then take the ancient Roman road called "Via Flaminia" onto Cartoceto, a pretty walled village. Known as the gastronomic heart of the Marches, the area produces some of the region's finest olive oil, as well as "formaggio di fossa", a cheese that is stored in underground caves to mature.

Lunch will be in Cartoceto at the award winning Symposium, the finest restaurant in the Marches, and one of the best in all of Italy.   Menus evolve daily and feature creative spins on local traditional specialties.

After lunch travel to Gradara and explore the town's 15 th century castle and dominating fortress, where the murder of Francesca da Rimini and her lover Paolo that took place in 1289, immortalized by Dante in his fifth canto of The Inferno.

From Gradara we go to the coastal town of Fano, where the beautiful Arc of Augustus dates back to the year 9 A.D.   Today it is an alluring small seaside resort that doubles as a busy fishing port with an attractive old center. In Fano we will visit Romol Eusebi's beautiful antique shop.

Dinner promises to be very special, as we travel to nearby Ostra Vetere to dine with Patricia Sabatucci, at the 17th century Palazzo Sabatuci, the family's property for many generations.   The palazzo is a fine example of the classic Marchesan architecture of the period. Originally intended as a watchtower, the palace was expanded over time to its present state. The interior reflects the style of XVIIth Century palaces: the entrance leads on to a gallery that runs the length of the building and a delicately frescoed ballroom on the 'piano nobile' bears stuccos of exquisite workmanship. Other rooms radiate from this centre, each with a specific function: a music room, boudoirs and little drawing rooms destined for conversation. On the same floor, an enchanting terrace decorated with jasmine opens out onto the expanse of the countryside of the Marches with its stunning colors of ochre and dark green. The Count and the Countess or their sons will be happy to answer any questions you have about their stunning historic home and the surrounding area.

Return to Villa Fontedamo at approximately 11:00 pm

Day 7

For your last full day you have the flexibility of choosing from among the following activities:

In the morning take in Laura Baldeschi-Balleani's "Cooking with the Countess", where she will teach you to cook authentic home-style Marchigian dishes, or

•  Spend full day at the beach (with opportunity to go shopping) in Senigallia. Lunch will be at Uliassi, a well-known regional restaurant specializing in seafood dishes.

•  Spend half day at beach in Senigallia and lunch at Uliassi.

•  Spend half day visiting the city of Fabriano and its interactive paper museum, beautiful palaces and opera theatre.

•  Spend half day shopping.   Depending on your preferences, we can organize expeditions to designer outlets for fashion or ceramics workshops, or eno-gastronomical stores, etc.

•  Spend half day golfing at the beautiful Conero Golf Club of Sirolo (18 hole championship course and 9 hole executive course).

nd the day and your stay with a fabulous farewell dinner at Villa Fontedamo

Day 8

Depart today with transfer to the Ancona airport

PRICE

$7,500 per person double occupancy *

Includes:

• 8 days/7 nights
• White glove service from moment of arrival at Ancona Airport until departure.
• All transfers in chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle.
• Acommodations in beautiful suites at Hotel Fortino Napoleonico in Portonovo, Villa Fontedamo in Jesi and Hotel San Domenico in Urbino.
• Federico Baldeschi Balleani will personally escort guests.
• All meals- breakfast, lunch, dinner including food and wine at award winning restaurants, private residences and local, rustic culinary gems.
• All museum entrances, private guides, opera and theatre events, cooking class, wine tasting.
• All taxes, gratuities.
• Price is for land only and does not include air transportation.

*Price is reduced for four persons traveling together, please inquire for additional information