At last, we managed: the Italy Magazine article about me and my tours is finally online! Please click on the picture to enlarge and read directly from it. Otherwise, download the .doc version (34 Kb) or the html page (text only), at the bottom of the page.
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Life, food and travel in Le Marche
Written and photographed by
Marc Millon
As
Antonio Recchi,
a fisherman from Ancona, handed me a platter of alici con spaccassi —
freshly marinated anchovies served on a bed of wild samphire — he told
me in passing that only a few days ago he had pulled up a mussel-encrusted Roman
amphora in the long nets of his fishing trawler. “It happens from time
to time,” he said. “We found a bomb once, from the Second World
War. It had to be detonated to make it safe. Oh yes, we pull all sorts of things
from the sea.”
Antonio’s son, Angelo, had invited me to his family home to enjoy a splendid cena di pesce — fish dinner — with fish brought straight off Antonio’s boat and prepared by Angelo’s mother, Letizia. And what a home-cooked feast it was! In addition to the fresh anchovies, there was antipasti of boiled octopus dressed in olive oil and lemon, and a platter of marinated sgombro (mackerel). Then a primo piatto of tagliatelle coi futti di mare, the thin egg noodles served with a topping of Adriatic shellfish, including the sweetest vongole (clams), scampi (langoustines), and cannocchie (mantis shrimp). Finally, for the secondo, Letizia prepared tiny codina di rospo, monkfish tails too small to sell, so a bonus for the fisherman’s family since the smallest fish are always the sweetest and tastiest, simply stewed in olive oil, wild fennel and peperoncino. We washed down this feast with a bottle or two of excellent Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, the white wine par excellence to accompany such local foods from the Adriatic.
Le Marche is a region that is still mainly undiscovered. Of course the seaside resorts of the Adriatic are packed during the always hectic national holiday period of Ferragosto when Italians come here in droves for the traditional seaside pursuits, lazing on the beaches of Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Senigallia, Portonovo, San Benedetto del Tronto and elsewhere and enjoying vast family feasts of Adriatic fish and shellfish in any number of places, from simple seaside shacks to some of the chicest restaurants in Italy.
Venture just a little way into the hinterland of Le Marche — described by Cecco d’Ascoli, a 14th century poet, as il bel paese de li dolci colli, the beautiful country of the gentle hills — and you will discover another secret world, a land of isolated, castle-topped villages and beautiful wine country leading up to the flanks of the Apennines, where people live and work, always mindful of the past but equally eager to look forward to the future.
Angelo Recchi is a young enthusiast who is passionate about his home region, and eager to share his love with visitors to Le Marche. “Compared to other regions of Central Italy such as Tuscany and Umbria,” says Angelo, “Le Marche is still not well known. Yet it has everything to offer, both to holidaymakers as well as those seeking to purchase a home in Italy. We have seaside resorts and magnificent mountains, a genuine regional cuisine, great wines, history, culture and art. And the countryside is more beautiful than anywhere else in the world.”
One very enjoyable way to experience Le Marche is by tasting it. For example, to experience the culture of fishing and the sea, Angelo believes that the best way to learn about the local cucina di mare is by watching his mother cook. “I bring guests to my house, my mother teaches them using fish straight from my father’s boat, and then afterwards we all sit down to eat together.” It’s a uniquely personal approach to tourism, and a wholly valid and valuable one. In this way, visitors learn not just about how to cook fish, but also about the history of the region, the links to the past, as well as the personal story of Angelo’s family, fisherfolk for generations, originally from Civitanova Marche to the south.
There is indeed much to discover Le Marche. Angelo delights in seeking out unusual artisan food producers. In the hills above Portonovo, on the Cònero peninsula, I met Luigi Pieri, who has a smallholding producing wine, oil, vegetables and fruits. He also has a bakery for the production of traditional pane di farro — spelt flour bread. Visitors can come and see how it is done and afterwards enjoy a meal based on the products of the farm.
Wine is of course an important feature of Le Marche. A good place to begin is in Jesi, the busy town that lies at the centre of the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wine zone. The Enoteca Regionale delle Marche there is housed in a 15th century palace in the historic town centre, with extensive wine displays in the atmospheric vaulted cellars. As such the Enoteca provides a unique opportunity to tour the region most enjoyably the region in a wine glass. Wines from throughout Le Marche are well displayed, there is much information on hand, and the full range of wines is available for tasting and purchase.
On another day, we drove high into the Apennines almost to the border with Umbria to visit Campodiegoli, a tiny hamlet damaged severely in the earthquake that destroyed Assisi’s Basilica and did so much damage to parts of Central Italy. Way up here the air is cooler and fresher. We made our way up an isolated track, thickly wooded, passing streams and pools, to arrive at a timber alpine baita with smoke rising from the chimney. Here Gabriele Porfiri, together with his sister Diana Porfiri and Gaetano Gentiluomo raise and smoke mountain trout. The trout (fario – the local mountain trout, as well as iride – rainbow) are raised in pools watered by fresh mountain springs, then they are dry-salted and hot-smoked over a low smouldering fire of juniper and laurel from the surrounding woods for a period of six to eight hours.
Afterwards we sat in that cosy baita, warmed by a wood-burning stove, and enjoyed a lunch prepared by Diana, a delicious primo of pennone with smoked trout and zucchini, followed by a secondo of smoked trout fillets seasoned with sauce made from extra-virgin olive oil, chopped sage, rosemary, and finely chopped pistachio nuts, then a magnificent homemade apple tart to finish. The food was fantastic, but equally valuable and enjoyable was the chance to sit around discussing life in Le Marche and Italy. Tasting a region is as much about discovering foods and flavours as it is an opportunity to meet people and make new friends over the table.
A good base for exploring Le Marche is Senigallia, today a popular resort town with an atmospheric centre dominated by the fortress of the once powerful Della Rovere family. I stayed at the Hotel Duchi della Rovere, a friendly, modern and well-equipped family hotel, located just a few minutes’ walk from both town centre and Senigallia’s long seaside promenade.
While
Senigallia boasts two of the region’s best known high
profile restaurants — Uliassi and Madonnina del Pescatore — a sublimely
simple experience not to be missed is a visit to Aníkò, a stylish
outdoor street corner kiosk serving a unique range of fish ‘salumi’
accompanied by brilliant wines: tapas-like nibbles of bresaolo di tonno and
San Daniele di pesce spada washed down with flûtes of Ca’ del Bosco
Franciacorta (one of Italy’s greatest sparkling wines).
Le Marche: where the unexpected wonders come from the sea, and where good things
to eat and drink are literally around every corner.
Information
Angelo Recchi is happy to hear from anyone interested in visiting
Le Marche. He can also advise on custom tours for small or large groups.
Contact angelo@angelorecchi.com
or visit www.angelorecchi.com.
Accommodation
Hotel Duchi della Rovere
Via Corridoni, 3
60019 Senigallia AN
tel: 071 60785
email: info@hotelduchidellarovere.it
web: www.hotelduchidellarovere.it
