My family roots are in Marche, Central Italy, more exactly in an area known as Fermano. As every year, even this one I went to spend my summer holidays in Marche.
This time I decided to spend my three weeks ‘at home’ just as a tourist. The Fermano is a land rich with beauty, arts, history and charming landscapes. The real challenge for the local tourism industry is to highlight properly the resources, to establish an efficient network and capitalise on the cultural heritage without endangering it.
Let’s start with a trail between Fermo and Porto San Giorgio.
Marche offers a magnificent scenery, a delicate mosaic of diverse natural backgrounds. While swimming in the sea you are surrounded by the hills, and just over the hills you can see the Sibillini Mountains. This itinerary will take you through the coastline and you will enjoy great local food in a familiar and welcoming atmosphere, while arts and culture will provide pleasant breaks for your soul.
Porto San Giorgio
Porto San Giorgio’s old town is a pleasant set for a walk through its alleys, framed by imposing gates and ancient signs. Corso Castel San Giorgio will lead you among scenes of charming rural life, while a short road gets from Teatro Comunale (the town’s theatre) to the Church of Saint George, across the Fountain of Democracy and with the tower of Rocca Tiepolo at sight.
Fermo
Moving to the inland you will find Fermo, an old lady seated on a tall hill towering the coast down to the area known as Conero. The most charming experience here is to roam its alleys, especially those close to Piazza del Popolo and Corso Cefalonia. Some of them are highlighted by lights and signs, some others are hidden and dark. Some others allow to grasp some sight of the far sea.
And then you should walk towards the Cathedral, and enjoy the fresh shadows of the park and the beautiful landscape over the coastline while walking down to Corso Cavour and Largo Fogliani – also known as Piazzetta, ‘little square’ – where working class and nobility mix together.
Fermo is just beautiful, there aren’t any other words to describe it. That’s just the only worth description for this town. Fermo is an old lady, always the same, sometimes lazy and tired, stretching on his hill and watching you coming closer. Reaching the town centre is always a surprise and through its gate one enters its elegant lounge room.
But Fermo deserves time, you can’t be in a hurry. It deserves slow walks and long breaks. And it deserves to be told what it is: beautiful.
