Last reviewed: · Prices in Euro (€) are approximate and for orientation only.
Overview of Marche
Marche (Italian: Marche) is one of Italy's 20 administrative regions, with its regional capital at Ancona and 225 official municipalities (comuni). Key sights and travel highlights across the region include Urbino Renaissance Ducal Palace (UNESCO), Riviera del Conero (Sirolo, Numana & Portonovo coves), Ascoli Piceno travertine Piazza del Popolo, Frasassi Caves & Recanati.
How to get to Marche
Adriatic mainline rail at Pesaro, Ancona Centrale, and Civitanova Marche (served by Frecciarossa, InterCity, and Regionale trains); Ancona Airport (AOI); regional branch lines to Fabriano/Ascoli Piceno and Adriabus connections to hilltop Urbino. Use our Frecciarossa & Italo Fare Calculator and Trenitalia Pass Value Helper to compare rail tickets in Euro (€).
What Locals Actually Eat in Marche
Across the cities, hill towns, and villages of Marche, neighborhood trattorie, wood-fired forni (bakeries), and seasonal town sagre serve traditional regional cooking:
1. Primo — Handmade Pasta, Risotto & Polenta
Silky 30-egg-yolk maccheroncini di campofilone, vincisgrassi (layered baked pasta with rich ragù, mushrooms, and béchamel), or passatelli pasta pressed from breadcrumbs and aged cheese into clear capon broth (€9–€14). In central Italy around Ancona (Ancona), seasonal menus balance hill-town olive oil, hand-rolled pasta, foraged mushrooms, and hearth-grilled meats.
2. Secondo & Trattoria Staples
Golden deep-fried green olives stuffed with minced meat (olive all'ascolana, €5–€7 in paper cones), coastal brodetto fish stew made with a dozen Adriatic species, and wood-roasted suckling pig or wild boar (€12–€18).
3. Local Cheeses, Cured Meats, Breads & Wine
Caciotta d'Urbino and fossa (pit-aged) sheep cheeses, soft spreadable ciauscolo salami, flaky crescia flatbread, wild black & white truffles from Acqualagna, and mineral Verdicchio white or Rosso Conero red wines.
4. How & When Locals Eat Here
Late afternoon aperitivo in stone-paved hill piazzas always features a paper cone of hot fried stuffed olives and sliced ciauscolo salami paired with a chilled glass of local Verdicchio. In Ancona (pop. 50,000), neighborhood bars, bakeries (forni), and trattorie across Ancona follow traditional regional dining hours—ask locally for the weekly market morning and patron-saint festival date.
Best time to visit Marche
Best time to visit Marche: Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct.
Featured Cities & Towns in Marche (17)
Start with the largest cities and major tourist towns in Marche, or scroll down to the complete A–Z directory of all 225 municipalities:
| City / Town | Status | Population | Province | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancona | Comune (Municipality) | 101,043 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Pesaro | Comune (Municipality) | 94,969 | Provincia di Pesaro e Urbino | Guide & food → |
| Fano | Comune (Municipality) | 60,872 | Provincia di Pesaro e Urbino | Guide & food → |
| Ascoli Piceno | Comune (Municipality) | 48,169 | Provincia di Ascoli Piceno | Guide & food → |
| San Benedetto del Tronto | Comune (Municipality) | 47,330 | Provincia di Ascoli Piceno | Guide & food → |
| Senigallia | Comune (Municipality) | 44,620 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Civitanova Marche | Comune (Municipality) | 42,476 | Provincia di Macerata | Guide & food → |
| Macerata | Comune (Municipality) | 41,514 | Provincia di Macerata | Guide & food → |
| Jesi | Comune (Municipality) | 39,969 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Fermo (Province of Fermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 37,119 | Province of Fermo | Guide & food → |
| Osimo | Comune (Municipality) | 35,007 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Fabriano | Comune (Municipality) | 30,509 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Porto Sant'Elpidio (Province of Fermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 26,339 | Province of Fermo | Guide & food → |
| Falconara Marittima | Comune (Municipality) | 25,906 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
| Recanati | Comune (Municipality) | 21,097 | Provincia di Macerata | Guide & food → |
| Tolentino | Comune (Municipality) | 19,113 | Provincia di Macerata | Guide & food → |
| Castelfidardo | Comune (Municipality) | 18,683 | Provincia di Ancona | Guide & food → |
All 225 Official Comuni in Marche (A–Z)
Every single municipality (comune) in Marche has its own travel and local food guide. Click any town below: