Senigallia

Our house is in Filetto, near the town of Senigallia (7 km, 10 minute drive).

Senigallia is an old town, the first settlement on the Adriatic Coast of the young Roman Republic, with its old centre full of historical brick buildings, small shady streets, many squares, a fort (the Rocca Roveresca) and beautiful porticoes along the Misa, the river leading to the Adriatic Sea. The old market, the Foro Annonario, has been restored to its original beauty and offers every morning plentiful vegetables, fruit and fish fresh from the sea for sale. The shops at the market sell fresh dairy products, meat, local sausages and ham, fish, etc. Thursday is the general market day. All through the town there are stalls offering clothing, shoes, kitchen utensils, leather goods, household textile, accessories, etc.

In Senigallia in the summer months the shops are open until midnight, however closed between 1 and 4 pm. There are two big supermarkets which are open every day, in the summer even on Sundays.

Senigallia is also a typical Italian bathing resort, very lively in July and August, when the children and grandchildren meet up with the (grand)parents for their customary summer holidays at the sea, as Italian families have been doing for decades. At least once you should have taken your afternoon aperitivo on one of the many terraces, between 5 and 8 pm; on hot days people then come out on the streets again as it cools down a bit and the streets are full with the sound of people talking to each other when they meet. Having an icecream from one of the many icecream parlors is another habit to become easily addicted to, also at the usual time of 11 pm, with the whole family, including the youngest.

In July and August there are a lot of activities in the old centre, particularly in July there are many concerts, plays and other cultural highlights to be enjoyed.  

As is usual on Italian summer beaches near the town centre, deckchairs and sunshades are lined up (which can be rented by the day, week or month), the nice sandy beach full with Italian families having found their usual spot. A bit further down the boulevard, however, you will easily find a nice spot where you can sit and lie without having to pay.

Off season, in May and June, the weather is nice, you can already swim in the sea, everything has opened up and is prepared for the coming summer. In September and October peace and quiet have returned, the weather is usually very nice and the sea water still warm enough to allow for a swim. The summer installations are slowly taken down for the next season, the beach is slowly liberated and dogs have all the space again to have a run. Most of the restaurants, hotels and cafés along the long boulevard close for the season, in town they naturally remain open.

The surrounding area 

At 5 km distance towards the interior you will find Ostra, a nice authentic town with its brick town walls still intact and a very good wine bar with Jazz music in the summer. In the summer there are quite a few activities going on the central Piazza dei Martiri; the first week of August there is an interesting antique fair in one of the old Palazzi. 

10 km further to the interior lies Corinaldo, a juwel of mediaeval brick architecture, with its high walls and completely intact renaissance centre. In the summer there are frequent activities, like mediaeval costume manifestations at night, at torchlight. 

After Arcevia you will slowly head into the mountains, where wonderful hikes can be made. The Frasassi caves are very extensive and world-renowned.  

Jesi, the birthplace of Pergolesi, the composer, offers all the nice shopping for those interested in fashion: one long street with many interesting boutiques.  

To the north along the coast one reaches first Fano, another bathing resort and the end point of the Via Flaminia of Roman times, and Pesaro a very nice place and one of the most important Italian fishing harbours. There, towards the interior, you will find Urbino, a real highlight of the Italian renaissance, with its ducal palace and its century-old centre. Really one of the best kept mediaeval centres of Italy and the birthplace of the paitnter Rafael.  

Towards the south lies Ancona, a very interesting town and ferry harbour to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Further down the coast, via a nice panoramic drive along the coast, are Numana and Sirolo, beautiful small seaside resorts on the steep coast of the Monte Conero, with beautiful white pebble beaches.

Wine 

Our house is part of two wine regions, of the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and the Lacrima di Morra d’Alba. The first one is a dry white wine, in the past available outside of Italy only in the amphora-like bottles, now better known for its excellent quality. The Lacrima region is very small, located around the small town of Morro d’Alba, producing a red wine with a round taste, velvety with a touch of spices.  

Without problem you will find producers in the area, where you can taste their wines and buy them in the required (or manageable) quantities.

Around Ancona lies the territory of the Rosso Conero, a robust, red wine.

Food 

The food in the Marches is what you would call „down to earth“: everything sparklingly fresh, straight from the field (harty stuff) or from the sea (light and tasty), made „au naturel“, without further ado, with a lot of vegetables. 

Senigallia is known for its excellent fishrestaurants, but also for the usual very good Pizza-Pasta type restaurants along the boulevard and in town. There are two Michelin-star restaurants: „Uliassi“ and „Madonnina del Pescatore“: each on its own a special experience, mostly specialised in fish. 

In the countryside it is more oriented towards meat: boar, mushrooms, rabbit, chicken and beef, the latter from the famous Marchigiana breed.

In San Lorenzo in Campo is another Michelin-star restaurant: „Il Giardino“, renowned for its „tagliata“.  

We have collected information on many of the possible restaurants in a folder which you can flip through when you are there.

Languages 

In Italy it is not guaranteed that people speak English or any other foreign language; that also counts for the Marches. However, things are improving and people are making an effort to understand what you are trying to say. But do not expect a region that is fully geared to foreign tourism, that is exactly the charm of the Marches: it is Italy as it basically should be. 

How do you reach us 

By car from the North via the Autostrada A14 Bologna-Taranto, exit Senigallia.

From the interior (Toscana-Umbria) via Gubbio-Fabriano-Jesi. 

By plane (and then renting a car) to:

- Ancona-Falconara, at half an hour by car from our place, with Ryan Air from London.

- Rome (three and a half hours by car) or the train to Jesi (by car also half an hour from our place).

- Rimini (three quarters of an hour), Forlí (one hour) or Bologna (one and a half hour from our place by car). 

By train and changing at Bologna or Rimini.