Travelers who want the best of central Italy are now heading for Le Marche, the third region, alongside Tuscany and Umbria that makes up the area. The region lies on the eastern side of central Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the high Apennine mountains. Much of it remains unspoiled by mass tourism. The Adriatic coast has been known as a sun and beach mecca for years. However, inland, perhaps more so than anywhere else in central Italy, you will find places where time really has stood still.
There is a land in the heart of the Le Marche region that has a long history of battles and conquests, rich lords who lived in castles, poor farmers who worked the lands, craftsmen who worked a thousand trades and the bounty of the Adriatic. Here lies La Tavola Marche.
Le Marche is treasure chest rich in history, nature, art, folklore, and culinary traditions. Here you will find innumerable picturesque towns and villages in their splendid isolation high up in the hills overlooking the valleys. Renaissance palazzos and churches with fine works of art can also be found dotted around the countryside whose seasonal colors and mountainous landscape mix to create a striking scene.
The area is today still relatively undiscovered. The territory is off the beaten track for tourists—not unlike the Casentino in neighboring Tuscany—but not completely remote or inaccessible. That is what makes it attractive. The road infrastructure is well organized and you can reach the region from a number of places, including many airports such as Forli, Remini (100 km) and Ancona (120 km). The Autostrada (A14 Bologna-Bari) has convenient exits.
The climate is generally warm from May to September, supporting plenty of outdoor activities and sports such as hiking, rock climbing, cycling, horse riding, and hang gliding. Monte Carpegna provides skiing in the winter, and for sun worshippers, there is the Adriatic coast with its sandy beaches less than an hour away.
La Tavola Marche has chosen this area for its unassuming character, its medieval history, and the unspoiled countryside with its delicious history of food. The more you experience Le Marche, the more you will experience a land of great historical, cultural, and gastronomic riches as well as a land of rare natural beauty.
Gastronomic Tradition of Le Marche
When it comes to the classical and most time-honored of culinary traditions, you will find that the cucina povera is simply the best. Cucina povera are dishes that have rural, peasant roots. Le Marche is known for its fantastic and fresh seafood with specialties like brodetto (fish soup), as well as their attention to the quality of their local products. Meat dishes dominate the inland areas (including beef, lamb, goat, poultry, pheasant, duck, rabbit, pork, and wild boar). You will also find that some areas combine rural flavors with the fresher flavors of the Adriatic; not surprisingly, the territory combines the cultures of both the mountain and the sea. Picture some of the finest fresh, seasonal ingredients, homemade pastas, cheeses, truffles, and bread and you will have all the right elements for creating an excellent and healthy eating experience. If you appreciate good, wholesome food, you will discover many gastronomic pleasures at La Tavola Marche.
The area is predominantly cheese, mushroom, and truffle country. Other delicacies produced in the area include prosciutto and salami. Most villages and towns host a weekly market that is an invaluable source for buying fresh food at more competitive prices. The Le Marche region produces a large range of wine, including 13 varieties of DOC designated wines.
Tartufi (Truffles)
La Tavola Marche is located in the heart of a truffle valley. These valleys where streams flow to rivers, are a harmonious blend of history, art, culture, nature, and gastronomy. The peaceful atmosphere and green age-old oaks where truffles grown spontaneously. Truffles are weight for weight, one of the most expensive foods on the planet. Luckily, however, a little goes a long way and in Le Marche you can indulge in them without pawning the family silver. At La Tavola Marche, our oak trees hide these culinary diamonds, just waiting to be discovered.
There are numerous species of tartufi, but the two types worth killing for are the tartufo bianco or white truffles and the tartufo nero or black truffle. The white is the finest and the costliest; tartufo bianchi can cost well over $3,000 a kilo depending on the quality and seasonal abundance. The black truffle is much more affordable. Both are add a perfect touch of luxury to any meal. Most Italians don't acknowledge the sub-par truffle oil found in the United States; the only way to serve them is fresh, shaved over pasta. Plan to visit Le Marche in October and then again at the end of December for the bianchi and between December and Marche for the neri to taste them fresh.
In the summer any fresh truffles to be found on restaurant menus will be the tartufo d’Äôestate or summer truffle, a pale shadow of its noble sisters. If these are your only experience tasting truffles, you may wonder what all the fuss is about.
Italian truffle hunters dig up around 100 metric tons of truffles a year with the help of the dogs and pigs specially trained for the job. While in Le Marche, Acqualange, Sant'Agata Feltria and our very own Sant'Angelo in Vado are the places to head during the truffle season. There are many many festivals to celebrate these prized treasures.
Mineral Water
Sulphorus mineral water is found on our property and used for drinking, farming, bathing, and in the swimming pool. Sulphorous does not mean odorous! Thw water is highly regarded for its healing potential. The mineral water sources found in Le Marche have remarkable beneficial and remedial properties both in thermal treatments (bathing and at the pool) and when bottled for drinking.
The waters found at Agriturismo Ca'Camone have large amounts of hydrogen sulphide making them unique for many reasons:
- It is known to increase local and general defenses and is scientifically proven to boost antibodies
- potent anti-inflammatory effects
- stimulates cellular renewal and growth of skin
- important sedative, muscle relaxant, and analgesic action deriving from the sulphates, calcium, bicarbonate, and magnesium
- suitable treatment for chronic respiratory system, osteo-articular, and skin (acne, eczema, psoriasis) complaints.
The therapeutic properties of ancient thermal medicine were proven in ancient times, and they are defined "the continent of Europe's traditional medicine" by the the World Health Organization. The new Raffaello Spa at Petriano, famous for its mud therapy and theraputic baths, is located a few kilometers from La Tavola Marche.
Neighboring Towns of Ducal Lands in Le Marche
Sant’Angelo in Vado, with its impressive Cathedral and Reason’s Palace, is worth visiting. It is known as the truffle capital (along with Aqualanga) and Vin Santo.
The Via Flaminia leads all the way from Rome to Fossombrone, whose churches are filled with works of art, the monumental Library, museums, Ducal Palace, and the Renaissance High Court. Close by is Fermignano, home of Bramante, and with extremely interesting and beautiful Roman bridge and medieval tower. Continuing along this path will lead to Urbania with its seven bridges, museums, and numerous churches. The 14th century village has almost intact fortifications. Its history of ceramic production was once renowned and today they still make splendid majolica and wrought iron crafts. Nearby Mercatello sul Metauro conserves its past with houses and lovely lanes dating back to the Middle Ages. The Church of San Francesco holds a real anthology of 14th–17th century paintings from central Italy.
Urbino remains one of the most important towns in the Marche—indeed in Italy—for the tourist in search of great Italian art and architecture and its beguiling streets well reward the curious traveler. Since 1998, its centro storico has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For the second half of the 15th century, Urbino's windy hill was the setting for one of the most illustrious courts in Europe. Duke Federico da Montefeltro gathered around him the greatest painters, poets, and scholars and housed them in one of Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance palaces, a palace that still stands as an eloquent memorial to this quintessential Renaissance man.
Gubbio, typical medieval city with houses and palazzi still intact, can be reached by car in 30 minutes. The castle of Gradara, San Marino, Cagli and Mondavio are all close by, easily reached by car and well worth a visit. Piobbico, with the impressive Brancaleone Castle, Apecchio with the Ubaldini Palazzo and annexed fossil museum full of interesting finds and curiosities, and Sant’Angelo in Vado are close by and provide interesting itineraries. All of these small, inviting towns, where the ancient traditions of the typical umbro-marchigiano culture are still alive, offer typical, characteristic restaurants where the visitor can enjoy the local, traditional cuisine with tasty truffled specialties. The surrounding wooded areas are perfect for those who prefer exciting excursions into the forest to gather wild berries, delicious wild mushrooms, or even participate in the search for fragrant truffles under the guidance of an expert truffle hunter. Ca’ Camone offers a vacation spent in close contact with nature and the traditions of times gone by.