The name Marche derives from the Germanic “mark”
(border). In fact the region formed one of the borders
of the Holy Roman Empire. However the plurality of the name depends
on the fact that Charlemagne and his successors entrusted to many nobles
(the marquis) the various fiefs (called marquisates) into which the
territory was divided.
Marche is a region of Central Italy. It borders
Emilia-Romagna and the Republic of San Marino to the north, the Adriatic
Sea to the east, Abruzzo and Lazio to the south and Umbria and Tuscany
to the west. There are five provincial capitals: Ancona (that is the
regional capital), Pesaro-Urbino, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata and Fermo.
The territory of the region is mostly occupied by hills(69%), which
slope gently down to the sea. Behind them, to the west, rises the mountainous
landscape(31%). The plains are only present along the thin coastal strip.
Agriculture represents one of the prevailing activities in the region.
In addition to the production of cereals (barley and wheat), sugar beet
and vegetables, noteworthy is the cultivation of grapes, which, despite
being quite limited, produces wines of excellent quality, such as “Verdicchio”
of Jesi and Matelica, “Rosso Conero”, “Rosso Piceno” and “Vernaccia”
of Serrapetrona. An important activity is also the harvest of truffles,
a prized aromatic root mainly found in the northern area of the region.
As far as breeding is concerned, the most common ones are cattle-farming, whose meat is highly valued by consumers , and piggery, for the production of excellent sausages, such as “ciabuscolo”, a typical product of the Macerata area. Because of the extensive coastlines, fishing represents an important economic resource and it is practiced by a series of ports, which extend along the coast from Pesaro to San Benedetto del Tronto. Marche is one of the Italian regions with the greatest spread of small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular the sectors of food , of footwear in Ascoli, Fermo and Macerata, of leather goods in Tolentino, of paper (Fabriano), of musical instruments in Ancona and of precision mechanics in the province of Ascoli Piceno seem to be highly developed. There are, in addition, furniture factories, refineries, chemical plants, industries specialized in the production of household appliances and shipyards.
Handicrafts is also an extraordinarily important sector due to the presence of ancient workshops and small stores in the main historic centers of Marche. Tourism represents a driving force for the local economy, thanks to the many medieval villages, the sandy beaches that alternate with the rocky and the pebble ones and the spectacular “Monti Sibillini” National Park.
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63074 San Benedetto del Tronto (AP)
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