Marche, a region which tops the Italian classification for the lifeespan of its' inhabitants. After the announcement of this statistical fact, it is no longer necessary to speak about the Marche region in order to boast it's merits. From a geographical point of view, we can confirm that within a mere 20 minutes, no matter where you are, you can easily reach the sea, the lakes or in the mountains. It is true that it is a relatively small region with less than 1,500,000 inhabitants, but it's geographical beauty is reflected in the strength of it's economy. On the hill crests, one can come across ancient Abbeys, tiny medieval villages such as Piticchio, Ripatransone, Piobbico or thousands of others, where farmers and professionals live together in perfet harrnony, where ancient eating tavern and modern restaurants, or daily life and tourism live side by side.

In the same way we have the harmoniouss co-existence of the customs and traditions of ancient peoples - the Galli Senoni who founded Senigallia, the Piceni - with ever present medieval memories - Gradara witn the love between Paolo and Francesca which was celebrated by the Divine poet (Dante), the cross of ali students. We have Urbino, a global example of the conservation of ali things ancient and the seat of a modern and extremely popular university, Saint Leo's fortress with Cagiiostro's esoterism , we have Macerata with it's famous Arena Sferisterio, Ancona with it's legends of ancient piracy and it's modern commerciai and tourist porto Both ancient and modern stories can be told of men who wrote about poetry, music, who wrole about painting, sculpture and economy, religion and politics. 

We can speak of Raffaello, Leopardi, about Rossini, Pergolesi, about Pope Pious IX , the Malatesta family, the Merloni's, about Pomodoro, Della Valle, Guzzini and Pieralisi, and finally about the unknown farmer who with the love for the land of his Marche region, was responsible for the famous Ascolane olives becoming known world-wide, and not only these but also the Carpegna ham, lentils from Castelluccio, truffes from Acqualagna, and the wine, ali the good wine which comes trom the Marche region such as: Verdicchio and Bianchello not to mention Falerio and Lacrima di Morro d'Alba.

We can boast of magnificent works of nature such as the Frasassi caves or works of man such as the paper mill in Fabriano. We mustn't allow ourselves to be fooled by the image of modernism.
In this region, the tarmer, whose only machinery are his bear hands and his oxen, can live in perfect harmony with the agricultural business man who, because of the inevitable laws of the economy, followed the evolution of time and now works with a tractòr which costs almost as much as a Ferrari, while, in the sound proof, air-conditioned driver's cabin, he listens to music on a C.D. or makes a cali on his mobile phone; or indeed the old cobbler who stili iabours at his work bench while his revolutlonised colleague employs 500 workers and signs his creations with famous brand names, or the dress-maker who stili does simple allerations or she who works on international fashion labels.

This is the essence of the fantastic scenery of this Region: maybe il is indeed the recipe for a longer lite span!