GRADARA AND MONDAVIO - DAY 1
In the early afternoon we will reach Gradara, the village that houses Paolo and Fracesca’s Fortress. Guided tour of the Gradara Castle which, together with its
fortified village, represents one of the best preserved medieval structures in Italy. In addition, the two walls that protect the fortress - the outermost extending for almost 800 meters – contribute to making it one of the most impressive of the peninsula. The Castle stands on a hill 142 meters above sea level. The keep – the so-colled “mastio” main tower - rises as up as 30 meters, dominating the entire valley. Continue to Mondavio; the visit to this village is a dip into a past populated by Dukes and Duchesses, in perfect Renaissance style.
Visit of the imposing Rocca Roveresca (Della Rovere’s Castle) dominating the town with its octagonal shape, making it a fascinating place just waiting to be discovered.
The sunset on Mondavio Fortress is so impressive that you can’t but stay and watch it with fond eyes.
In the evening, arrival at the hotel in Senigallia, dinner and overnight stay.
CORINALDO, MORRO D’ALBA, OFFAGNA - DAY 2
After breakfast we will reach Corinaldo, a village that still preservs a thousand meters of ancient, inviolate walls. The walls are Corinaldo hallmark. An intact and mighty wall of almost 1 km surrounds and supports the medieval old town. You will wonder through its alleys and find yourself in the middle of its beautiful squares overlooked by churches ; along the walls you will meet imposing towers and bulwarks on which it is still possible to climb, you will pass in front of its historical buildings and ancient theater and go down the steps to get to the medieval Pozzo della Polenta (Cornmeal Mush Well). At the end of the walk you will reach Morro d’Alba, a “de-wine” village. Its “Lacrima di Morro d’Alba” wine (Morro d’Alba teardrop), which was granted the “controlled designation of origin” in 1985 , has been known since ancient times.
Walk through the streets of the village to the Castle of Morro d’Alba which overlooks and dominates the surrounding area. Lunch at a local restaurant with “Lacrima” tasting . In the early afternoon transfer to Offagna, the medieval village on the Conero known as “ lookout onto the sea”. We will visit the Offagna Fortress, a notable example of military architecture. What in the time of courts and knights used to be a place of protection and defense, with its high walls, towers, guardhouse and drawbridge, is today the seat of a permanent weapons exhibition.
In the evening, arrival at the hotel in Numana, dinner and overnight stay.
CINGOLI, TREIA, TORRE DI PALME - DAY 3
After breakfast we will reach the village of Cingoli which, thanks to its position on top of a hill about 600 meters above sea level, earned the name of “Balcony of Marche “.
You will walk through the streets of the village , along walls full of history; the Collegiate Church of Sant’Asuperanzio and the Cathedral are no doubt worth a stop. Next you will reach the nearby village of Treia for a short walk through the narrow streets of its historic centre and then visit the nearby Abbey of Fiastra.
Built by Cistercian monks, the abbey is located within a large nature reserve of the same name. Free lunch.
In the afternoon it will be the time to visit the small village of Torre di Palme. We will walk through the protected area called Bosco del Cugnolo to the Grotta degli
Amanti (Lovers’ Cave) to discover the essences of a still intact patch of Mediterranean scrub , then we will admire the many architectural jewels and charming glimpses of the village.
In the evening, arrival at the hotel in Porto San Giorgio, dinner and overnight stay.
MORESCO, MONTEFIORE DELL’ASO, GROTTAMMARE, OFFIDA - DAY 4
After breakfast, a whole morning dedicated to the discovery of some fascinating townlet belonging to the association of The most beautiful villages in Italy. We will start with Moresco, in the Val d’Aso.
From its ancient 25 meters high heptagonal watchtower you can enjoy an extraordinary view on the surrounding landscape and the village itself. Then it will be the turn of Montefiore dell’Aso, a delightful town in the Piceno area, located on a hill between the Aso and the Menocchia valleys . The historic centre is well preserved:
there are notable tracts of walls with ancient doors and six towers dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It is called “the painters’ hill” because within the convent of San Francesco, now a museum center, there is the Carlo Crivelli Room which houses a precious Polyptych by Carlo Crivelli.
We will then reach the village of Grottammare, the “pearl of the Adriatic”. We will walk from the seafront to the old embankment, from the early 1900s atmospheres of the characteristic Art Nouveau villas along the waterfront, to the splendid views of the medieval historic bourg.
At the end of the walk, lunch in a typical village inn .
In the early afternoon we will reach Offida and go to the discovery of the glimpses and architectural jewels of its historic center: Serpente Aureo Course, Piazza del Popolo with its medieval and Renaissance atmospheres, Santa Maria della Rocca, a Romanesque-Gothic masterpiece that will leave you speechless with the beauty of its crypt and the elegance of the upper church.
But Offida is also home to the vine, so you will pay a visit to the Ciù Ciù winery for a tasting of the wines that have made these lands famous: Rosso Piceno Superior, Passerina and Pecorino.
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