A meaningful spot on what Le Marche can offer

Shot by Bebowsky, from Ferrara.

Have you eaten?

One of the big differences between Italians and Americans is on the idea of wasting food. When I went to US I was hit by the great amount of food used on 4th July, pounds of spare ribs and coke with almost no bread which, as we know, prevents to eat too much meat.

When I was a child, there were dinners in which my mum used to say "This is a bread-necessary dinner", which meant that without eating bread we would feel hungry soon.

Much more than my parents - who were baby-boomer after all, as they grew up in the 50s and 60s, the years of the Italian Miracle - my nonni were the best example of 100% food usage. When I peel my apple or the cheese, I always remember my grandmother telling me to peel it thinner: "Otherwise, half of the food will remain on the skin, and will be thrown away". Even now, we use to kiss a piece of bread before throw it away.

Since my family was composed by fishermen, my nonne were great fish cookers, especially with poor fish: nonna Nannina is still making great sauces with testoline or little monkfish tails, or even with so small and thin fishes that I hardly know their names in Italian!

Even in the 50s, a lot of Italians were starving, and most of them didn't have two meals a day. This is one of the reasons why in Italy restaurants with big portions are greatly appreciated by popular classes, even if they economically improved. The quantity of food is often perceived in direct relation with quality: the more, the better. Moreover, the high-class restaurants, which in my opinion are now even overpriced, are most of the times object of fun by popular classes (popular for the origin, no matter the money).

That's why - I will always remember it - the typical question when I call my grandparents, especially in lunch or dinner time, is: how are you? have you eaten?
Not yet, I'm preparing - Not yet, I'm not very hungry, I was concerned about something.
Yes, but... eat first!

Eat first: this is the first problem to solve for those who experienced the hunger.

Verdicchio: the International white wine from Le March

It makes me proud to read about Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi in non-translated-English. It's the case of this article from San Josè, California.

Words like "One of my favorite Italian whites is the Verdicchio Classico dei Castelli di Jesi from Bucci, a wine from the Marches, on Italy's east coast" sound like a melody, honey in my ears.

A good statistical report about Le Marche wines

Wine is no doubts one of the typical products of Le Marche.

When coming to Le Marche, with or without me, you will always taste a glass of our wine, which is harder to find outside our region, except of Verdicchio and Rosso Piceno.

It might be interesting, then, to read a report about Le Marche wines, published by Marco Baccaglio on his blog "The Numbers of Wine". The article is translated in English too (well done, Marco!).

The pork feast

This year is the 5th edition of Festa del Nino, literally "the Feast of the Pork", as Nino is the local nickname for pork.
All around Italy, the pork is very important, since in the past it represented the only source of food for the family. The death of the family pork was a tragedy far more than the death of a child: you could have a child again, as long as you were alive thank to the pork.

In Le Marche, the pork is undoubtedly the protagonist of the table, together with the rabbit, the chicken and the pigeon, is the meat we traditionally have in the table. Cows and oxes were only to work, rarely to be eaten.

For the Festa del Nino, there is a calendar you can download from here. It's only in Italian, with just the title, but it's possible to call an information office. At least for the dinners which follow the meetings, it sounds worthwhile.

Otherwise, you have another reason to learn Italian :-)

Ascoli Piceno and the Caffè Meletti

If I were pressed to name the most beautiful square in Le Marche, I'd no doubt say the Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno. And I'd give the same answer if I were asked to name the most "delicious" square.


Coming in a close second on both counts is the Piazza Arringo, also located in Ascoli.

Ascoli is a pleasant 90-minute drive from Ancona. Take the A14 south, exit at the seaside town of San Benedetto del Tronto, and follow the signs for Ascoli. You will be taken to the Via Salaria, named after the Roman road connecting San Benedetto with Rome. The name "salaria" comes from the road's ancient use as a route for transporting loads of salt, which was used to pay workers' "salaries". Winding through the Tronto River valley, where you can see towns and castles on the hilltops on both sides, the Via Salaria brings you to Ascoli in about 20 minutes. Exit at Porta Cartaria and then turn right, where you will find very reasonable on-street parking a short five-minute walk from the Piazza Arringo, your first stop.



Beautiful though the Piazza del Popolo may be, the Piazza Arringo has its own fascinating features. It is striking for its perfectly rectangular shape. Here you will find the Duomo and the Palazzo Comunale, formerly known as the Palazzo Arringo (the "Arringo" was the public meeting or assembly, the derivation of the word "arringa", or "harangue"). One side of the square features a string of pretty shops. With the liberal use of grey brick throughout the square, this Piazza exudes a sense of romantic melancholy.

In one corner of the Piazza Arringo you will find Migliori, the renown purveyor of stuffed olives, known as "olive all'ascolana". Over the last several years, Migliori has become a fixture at weekly markets and fairs throughout Le Marche and also at national events, making this shop synonymous with olive all'ascolana. Migliori also sells other local specialities, such as fried cream and fritto misto all'ascolana, as well as regional wines.



A short walk from the Piazza Arringo is the Piazza del Popolo. Upon entering the square, you will notice the dominant influence of the Middle Ages. But as you scan the square and spot Caffé Meletti in the corner, you will be surprised by the Belle Epoque construction.



Indeed, Piazza del Popolo is somewhat of a jumble of different styles that merge harmoniously with each other: the Chiesa di San Francesco, the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, the 16th-century porticoes, and the Liberty style of Caffé Meletti. This mix is probably attributable to the fact that the Piazza del Popolo has always formed the very centre of the city. In ancient Roman times, it was the site of the forum, and ever since, it has remained Ascoli?s political and the economic heart. In fact, the square's use as the main marketplace led to the creation of the porticoes.

As the story goes, they were an aesthetic device thought up by Raniero de' Ranieri in 1507 to tidy up the square, whose beauty was being ruined by an assortment of unsightly hovels and stores.



After taking in the square, stop by Caffé Meletti for a coffee... well, actually, not a normal coffee. Meletti is famous both for its coffee and its "anisetta", an anise liqueur. Get both at once by ordering a "caffé corretto all'anisetta Meletti". Its warmth will remain with you as you leave the Piazza del Popolo to stroll around the city centre. Take time to visit the theatre. Enjoy the vistas of this lovely town, with its many bridges and the towers. You won't soon forget the enchanting beauty of Ascoli Piceno.